Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

Wrap-up

With the Galaxy Note20 Ultra having already been out for 6 months, we're not thinking we're helping a huge number of people in their purchasing decisions with this camera comparison - if you wanted a Note, you've probably gotten one. On the flipside, the Note's been out for just 6 months, so improved as the Galaxy S21 Ultra may be, it's not a giant leap forward that can make a compelling case to upgrade from the Note.

No, this whole venture was more of an exploration of trends in camera hardware and software. The growing number of camera modules we appreciate - nothing beats having a dedicated camera for the zoom levels you like, and people like a long reach. For that in particular, there's no beating the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The new phone with its 10x camera brings distant subjects closer better than the Note20 Ultra, though the latter isn't too shabby either.

The Note does fare better at more moderate zoom levels around the 5x mark where its own dedicated tele shoots. And depending on the scene and software decisions, the older phone might actually be able to take a better photo at the 3x magnification, though we'd prefer the S21 Ultra's consistency there. So zoom is pretty well covered then.

Having said that, we think that the implementations on both phones have limitations that we don't particularly enjoy. Neither takes very good photos at 2x, or what is a classic 50mm equivalent focal length. Neither takes very good portraits in the default zoomed-in mode either. These issues stem from the fact that these modes are handled by the main cam, which isn't doing a great job of demosaicking for anything else but a straight 108-to-12MP conversion in its native focal length. So, effectively, even with three or four cams on board, you still can't have proper 50mm shots on the Galaxy Ultras.

Then there's the crazy 100x zoom capability advertised on the S21 Ultra, a reiteration of the S20 Ultra's 'Space zoom' minus the text on the camera island on the back. It just doesn't work, and it's a good thing that the Note20 Ultra is limited to 50x.

We did like the low-light output from both phones as a whole. The main cameras take great photos, Night mode or otherwise, while the secondary cameras prefer Night mode to get the best results. Naturally, zoom level nuances exist here too, but the new phone is as good or better than the old phone pretty much across the board - that's a nice development.

Selfies are another area where new beats old. Samsung's tweaked the processing for those in a direction we like, and you now get much more detailed images with nicer colors and wider dynamic range.

Both phones are great for video recording, as long as you don't fall for the marketing hype around 8K. 8K isn't good on either one, that's just how it is. Stick to 4K, however, and things are looking great. If we're to point out a difference, that would be the S21 Ultra's superior stabilization as you climb up the zoom levels - the Note can't match it.

Countless samples later, we're willing to admit that the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the overall superior cameraphone. But it would be counterintuitive if it were otherwise, wouldn't it? A small improvement here, a bigger improvement there, and it all adds up to a more complete package. Of course, there are still areas that could use a little work, and we're happy that's the case - we'd be out of work the day they make the perfect phone.

Ultimately, if you're on the market for the Galaxy that takes the best pictures, it's the S21 Ultra. But if you've already got the Note20 Ultra, you're not missing out on all that much.