Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

Daylight video quality

8K is the top video resolution for the main cameras on both phones, and the S21 Ultra still supports 24fps only - we expected a 30fps frame rate to be added this year, but that's not the case. So, in principle, we get the same video capabilities across the two Ultras, but with slightly different end results.

A rather common theme with the S21 Ultra, noise is more prominent in this one's 8K footage. It may pose for texture and detail in areas where you'd expect random detail like grass and foliage, but ultimately we think that both phones resolve the same amount of detail in this mode. And we'd probably pick the cleaner footage of the Note.

Screengrabs, 8K24: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Neither is spectacularly sharp, though, and we remain of the strong conviction that 8K video capture isn't really a useful feature so much as it is a marketing device.

To maintain the volume of the video section at least somewhat manageable, we shot mostly in our go-to 4K30 mode, only dabbling in 4K60 on the main camera.

In 4K30, we're seeing the Note beat the S for noise suppression, as in 8K. On top of that, the Note's clips are ever so slightly more detailed - a small and largely inconsequential advantage, but it's there.

Screengrabs, 4K30: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Dynamic range is practically identical between the two, and it's nicely wide. Color rendition is very similar too, save for a slightly different take on the blue in the sky - both look good in isolation, yet the Note's is a tiny bit more realistic when the two are viewed side-by-side.

The Note has a somewhat more pronounced advantage in 4K60. Going from 30fps to 60fps has only a small negative impact on the picture quality on the older phone, while the drop in the S21 Ultra is more easily visible. The S21 Ultra also loses some saturation here - the first time we're noting such a difference between the two phones.

Screengrabs, 4K60: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

The color reproduction differs between the ultra-wide cameras too. The Note is ever so slightly greenishly cold, the S phone is leaning more towards a faint red tint. Additionally, the S21's footage is contrastier with deeper shadows, the Note's is flatter. Detail is comparable between the two, the S21 Ultra is a bit more aggressive with the sharpening, the Note is a bit cleaner when it comes to noise.

We'll start zooming in at 2x magnification, where both phones rely on the 108MP cameras for capture, making these clips fairly comparable in terms of detail, though we'd still award the Note a narrow win. It does apply heavier sharpening, obvious in thin tree branches, for example, which could annoy fans of more natural processing.

At 3x zoom level, the dedicated midrange zoom camera of the S21 Ultra takes over, while the Note stretches the capabilities of its 108MP sensor beyond reason. It's really no contest for detail here, with the S-series phone snatching an easy win.

The tables turn at the 5x zoom level, where it's now the Note with a dedicated camera, while the S21 Ultra needs to zoom in from the 3x module. So, predictably, the Note reigns here. However, the difference isn't quite as dramatic as in 3x, and we'd be okay with the 5x footage out of the S model, not so much with the 3x from the Note above.

It's a similar story at 10x zoom, only with yet another reversal - the S21 Ultra regains the lead here thanks to its second tele camera. Even so, the Note's doing alright at this level.

To sum up the zooming behavior, it's mostly a tie at 2x, the S21 Ultra wins by a wide margin at 3x, loses at 5x, but wins again at 10x. Basically, if you often find yourself shooting video in the range above 2x but below 5x (roughly 50mm to 125mm equivalent focal lengths), the S21 Ultra will be a better fit. But if it's the 10x reach capability you're after, the Note's footage is decent enough.