Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

Image quality: Low light

On to some low-light shooting. Comparing 1x photos from the two phones' main cameras, we're inclined to give the Note20 Ultra the win. It's got an advantage in detail and clarity and manages to retain textures better. Its output is also noisier than the S21 Ultra's. However - the two have flipped positions in this respect, and now the S has less grain to show. Then again, it also has less detail to show and is missing the definition in straight lines or fine textures that the Note has.

Low-light samples, 1x: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

The S21 Ultra also renders color more neutrally. The difference is particularly pronounced with warm street lighting, which will give the Note's images a heavy orange cast. We prefer the new phone in this respect. The two phones meter and expose identically and generally have a similar dynamic range.

Low-light samples, 1x: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Opting for Night mode makes the photos from the two handsets virtually indistinguishable in terms of detail. They both get that heavily sharpened look characteristic of Night mode processing, but behind it, it's the same level of texture.

Low-light samples, 1x, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

What remains different is the color reproduction - if anything, the gap between the orange Note and the now further bleached S21 Ultra.

Other than that, the two maintain parity in dynamic range, with Night mode producing similar results in toning down the highlights and giving the shadows a modest lift. It's not a massive difference, mind you, and Night mode isn't going to bring outlandishly bright shadows or miracles in highlight detail. We don't mind that subtlety one bit here.

Low-light samples, 1x, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

With the 2x zoom level sourced from the main cameras on both phones, the differences mentioned above remain - the Note is a bit sharper and more detailed, the S21 Ultra has more realistic colors. Outside of the head-to-head comparison, the 2x images are very usable, if not quite as detailed as the 1x ones, when viewed at 1:1 magnification. Ultimately, you shouldn't have to worry that your short-range travel photography will suffer at night.

Low-light samples, 2x zoom: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Logically then, 2x zoom photos in Night mode exhibit the same characteristics as those in 1x Night mode, albeit with less per-pixel detail.

Low-light samples, 2x zoom, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

At 3x zoom level, the Note may still do some of that tele-main-cam composite action. Still, it's typically harder to spot - you can see the noise around the lettering in the first sample change pattern and intensity going from center to periphery, same for the friezes in the fourth sample. We're not seeing that in the other two images, so let's trust that Samsung knows better when to engage it and when not to.

In reasonably well-lit and in darker scenes alike, the S21 Ultra's 3x shots are significantly more detailed, even when comparing center vs. center areas in the cases where the Note does its fusion. Dynamic range is appreciably better on the new phone too.

Low-light samples, 3x zoom: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Night mode at 3x further complicates things on the Note. It simply won't kick in most of the time, and even when it does, it will bring extra softness but little benefit. It works a lot more reliably on the S21 Ultra, where it will clean up noise nicely and significantly improve shadow development.

Low-light samples, 3x zoom, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

5x zoom photos at night don't really look particularly appealing on either phone. In darker scenes, the Note's images can become littered with noise (chroma noise, too - that one we hadn't seen in a while), though the S21 Ultra is anything but clean too. Still, the Note will generally deliver sharper shots in scenes with some light in them, but it's not a game-changing difference.

Color rendition is different between the two once more - so that the more neutral and less orange look of the S21 Ultra applies to more than just its main camera.

Low-light samples, 5x zoom: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Night mode brings the gap in quality further down, to a point where it becomes a toss-up for detail between the two.

Low-light samples, 5x zoom, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

At 10x zoom in relatively dark scenes, both phones will put out photos with muddy textures and fine detail, but the S21 Ultra will still be superior when it comes to more regular shapes and will get you better defined straight lines. However, present them with some light, and the new phone will capture detail that the Note can't even come close to. The S21 Ultra's dynamic range here is also much wider.

Low-light samples, 10x zoom: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Night mode helps the Note a little with dynamic range and reveals some detail in the tonal extremes, but the S21 Ultra remains superior.

Low-light samples, 10x zoom, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

In the battle of the ultra wides, the Note20 Ultra starts with an early lead in Photo mode, where its shots are noisier, but more detailed - particularly in the shadowy regions, but throughout the frame, really. Dynamic range is comparable between the two, while the color reproduction continues to follow the warm-Note-neutral-S theme.

Low-light samples, ultra wide: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Low-light samples, ultra wide: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Particularly dark scenes shot on the ultra-wide cameras benefit greatly from Night mode. It's a properly massive difference on the S21 Ultra, where the shadows were mushier than the Note's - they're looking very much alike now. The older phone gets a boost, too, mostly in noise performance - it cleans up very nicely. Save for the Note's orange cast - a very similar performance overall here.

Low-light samples, ultra wide, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

You may have picked up on it already, but we'll mention a caveat with the S21 Ultra's Night mode shots on its ultra-wide cam. It introduces a crop of its images in this mode - not huge, but not insignificant either. So if you're framing your shots to align the edge of the photo to a subject, don't trust the viewfinder - look at the end results, adjust and repeat as necessary.

Ultimately, the new phone's ultra wide images shot in Night mode will be slightly less ultra wide.

Low-light samples, ultra wide, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Enough with the streets, on to some people now.