Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

Low-light video quality

We shot our low-light samples at two light levels around dusk. In the earlier scene, the Note20 Ultra returned better results in 8K with finer detail and superior sharpness level. The S21 Ultra is a bit on the soft side, but it's not too bad. Both have similarly wide dynamic range and color reproduction with no loss of saturation.

The Note doesn't maintain that advantage as the light level drops, and the S21 Ultra takes the lead. It remains relatively sharp even in these conditions and has a wider dynamic range with better-developed shadows than the Note's. Saturation does suffer on the S21 Ultra, but we'll take the bad with the good.

Moving on to 4K30, we see a reiteration of the daylight results in terms of noise performance - the Note's footage is notably cleaner. Detail is about the same, though once again the S21 Ultra's grain could be mistaken for detail. Dynamic range is again respectable, colors are ever so slightly colder on the S phone, but both phones don't stray too far from reality.

One annoyance we had with the Note here was a tendency to hunt for focus, whereas the S21 Ultra remained unaffected.

That issue didn't manifest in the darker scene, which was a welcome if surprising development for that phone, but here the S21 Ultra wasn't as rock-solid with its auto focus. However, the S21 Ultra's footage is cleaner in such circumstances, once again proving the new phone is superior as night settles in. The S model also maintains color saturation well in 4K, unlike in 8K.

For zoom action in challenging light, the S21 Ultra wins overall, though it takes a bit more explaining and, of course, looking at the samples. The clips coming out of the two phones are comparable at 2x in the late afternoon, but the Note takes the lead when it gets darker.

At 3x, the S21 Ultra remains victorious in both light levels.

At 5x in the lighter samples, the S21 Ultra wins for detail, not to mention it's more stable with its focusing, while the Note is already exhibiting issues. In the darker scene, that only gets worse while the S21 Ultra maintains its composure. Despite a different rendition, detail is comparable between the two, but we'd still go with the S.

At 10x, the Note20 Ultra's footage is already unusable in the late afternoon - little detail, shaky focus. The S21 Ultra's capture in these circumstances is just barely passable unless you try to find detail in the shadows. At night and at 10x, the S21 Ultra will still be able to record a so-so video, unlike the Note20 Ultra, which is apalling.

The ultra-wide cameras on the two phones don't particularly enjoy shooting videos in low light. Neither will give you usable footage at night, though the Note will still prioritize getting some light in over noise reduction, so its clips are a little better. In less extreme situations (late afternoon, early twilight) the two do cope reasonably well.