Myth debunked: Samsung’s 100X zoom doesn’t fake moon photos

30 January 2021
It was believed that the moon photos produced by the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra are faked textures of the moon.

Sort by:

  • y
  • ypcx
  • 0Vg
  • 01 Feb 2021

Anonymous, 30 Jan 2021I am quite sure that it does. This is an image that has bee... moreI don't know man, from my experience there is no cheating on Huawei's part. It's easy to get a bad image due to shaking etc. The results can be much improved by manually adjusting the exposure (e.g. tapping the moon on the display) and by running the moon image through e.g. Snapseed HDR.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • pWI
    • 01 Feb 2021

    The Sony image is frankly quite amazingly bad considering what the gear should be capable of. For comparison, I took this 600mm equivalent image with a significantly lower-end (and resolution) Canon 40D, a 70-300mm zoom and a 2x teleconverter back in 2011:

    http://myrjola.kapsi.fi/photos/digital/tmp/kuu-600mm.jpg

    The way newer Sony gear should be easily able to do better than my shot. Not being able to focus on the Moon also sounds extremely odd; even my very first DSLR purchased in 2004 had no trouble doing that.

      VectorR, 31 Jan 2021If that "realistic" blurry smudge (supposed to be... moreNah, I think that Sony Alpha photo is horrible. I believe the author should have done the following:
      - used a prime lens in good condition instead of rental zoom
      - added a teleconverter if needed (more optical zoom = less digital zoom, in most cases it is better)
      - used quality tripod (if you get a blurry picture on a tripod, most likely your tripod cannot handle the weight, or you're using your shaky hands when taking the shot, use timer or remote shutter)
      - used manual settings (small iso, max out F-number, set long exposure)
      - shot it in RAW
      - potentially, used 3rd party software to fuse a few images into one quality HDR shot
      - used A7R IV, latest model, not a 2017 photo camera vs 2021 smartphone

      There's a good chance the picture would've looked better if at least half of those points were followed. Sadly, I have neither the hardware (camera, lens) nor experience working with RAW photos to try it myself.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • pN4
        • 01 Feb 2021

        Nick Tegrataker, 01 Feb 2021"I haven't seen you ever complain that reviewers ... moreIt's because he ordered the S21 Ultra xD. He is trying to justify that terrible purchase somehow.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 3X2
          • 01 Feb 2021

          try that with an old p30 pro

            AnonD-762416, 01 Feb 2021The mistake is clear as day. Auto mode is exactly what what... more"I haven't seen you ever complain that reviewers on this site doesn't take their time to manually get the optimal picture out of every single shot"
            Yeah, that's because that's not what I said. I said that he should've retaken a photo, not made a manual adjustment. But that doesn't matter much right now because apparently the units he used didn't focus on the moon properly even when using the manual mode, suggesting that they were faulty.

            You don't have to be "chronically overly-defensive Sony sales people" to see the problem in his comparison, anyone with common sense can do it. I don't know why you're trying to defend it so desperately when it shows such a huge flaw.

              Anonymous, 01 Feb 2021The dude in the original article says he couldn't land... moreI learnt from your comment that the reviewer attempted to focus on the moon but failed to do so in both and (somehow) manual, I missed that part when I was reading the original analysis. If that's true then there should be something fundamentally wrong with the units he used, which will in turn nullifies the value of his results.

              The "rental" lens he used might have had some issues.

                Anonymous, 01 Feb 2021You don't get the point.No, the person you replied to got the point. What he/she is saying is that it's highly possible that either the particular units the reviewer used were faulty or he didn't know how to use a camera properly (though to me the latter seems unlikely) because:

                1. The camera missed the focus in the auto mode, but even more so in the manual where he should have a control over the focus point
                2. Other photographers managed to take better photos using the same setup

                If the faulty units had been used for the test, his entire comparison would be rendered worthless as the results would not represent the actual performance of the camera.

                Personally, I too highly doubt the conclusion he made in his analysis - I've seen better results from cheaper lenses and bodies, and it's physically impossible for any kind of "AI" to make up for a resolution difference of over 40x. Whether it's in the auto or the manual, Sony's high end full frame camera with this lens would and should produce way better quality photo than any smartphone cameras.

                  The man that took the picture with the Sony camera is either incopetent or he did it deliberately. Both ways he should be sacked.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 70d
                    • 01 Feb 2021

                    Anonymous, 01 Feb 2021The dude in the original article says he couldn't land... moreYou don't get the point.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • LkB
                      • 01 Feb 2021

                      People, stop using name dslr when you want to say full frame.
                      Dslr means mirror, not FF sensor size.
                      This sony is mirrorless.

                        Anonymous, 31 Jan 2021We learn new things everyday! Still event with tidal locki... moreAgree with this. I have a fairly sharp picture taken with a Canon DSLR and 600mm lens and you can see the same patterns, but it is definitely not the same image as the phone and Sony. The pattern is in a very discernably different position. I'm in Perth Western Australia.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 37L
                          • 01 Feb 2021

                          AnonD-762416, 01 Feb 2021The mistake is clear as day. Auto mode is exactly what what... moreThe dude in the original article says he couldn't land a proper focus on the moon in auto so switched to the manual, only to end up getting an even blurrier pic. Given how well other people can take photos of moon using the combination of the same lens and the camera body, this is a pretty clear indication that he had a faulty unit for his camera and/or lens, or he didn't acknowledge how to use a focusing feature, ie. lacks basic skills in photography.

                          He even says that he struggled to take a clear shot of a moon on both S21 Ultra and A7R3 whenever he mounted them on a tripod, so neither he knows how to use camera accessories properly. His analysis is lacking in quality and it's pointless defending Samsung based on this article alone.

                            • d
                            • davidletterboyz
                            • bJb
                            • 01 Feb 2021

                            That reviewer does not deserved to use an FF Alpha camera. It could do much better than the sample pic shown!

                            I myself took a moon shot using Nikon D80 (this was long ago) + 200mm cheap zoom lens. You may check it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidletterboyz/3798505430/

                            It's much better than the pic he shown.

                              • S
                              • Shui8
                              • KZK
                              • 01 Feb 2021

                              AnonD-762416, 31 Jan 2021Has Auto mode? Yes? Did he write the software for that mode... moreIf u have knowledge about photography, u should know that A7riii + 600mm telephoto lens will always 100x superior than any smartphone, be it on Auto or not.

                              Well if u dont, u'll believe it the opposite. No two words about it. I've watched Raymod Wong vids years back, he's a well known photographer (kind of boring anyway 🥴). But what happens to these moon shot, definitely something fishy, or his Sony camera are on the wrong setup. Even lower grade camera can take better moon, and still superior than any smartphone.

                                AnonD-762416, 01 Feb 2021The mistake is clear as day. Auto mode is exactly what what... moreThe mistake is on the tester. If the camera wasn't allowed to focus properly and just shot as soon as it was set up compared to the phone being allowed time to focus and use AI, then it is the tester's fault. You can't blame the device for the incompetence of the user.

                                It's not about Sony salespeople being defensive, it's clear incompetence of using a camera. Maybe clear that white stuff that you got from the Samsung CEO off your lips and try to be a little unbiased.

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-762416
                                  • 3iL
                                  • 01 Feb 2021

                                  Nick Tegrataker, 01 Feb 2021Because it's still his responsibility to make sure the... moreThe mistake is clear as day. Auto mode is exactly what what it sounds like, if it doesn't work in a simple test, it's not up to the tester to fix it. I haven't seen you ever complain that reviewers on this site doesn't take their time to manually get the optimal picture out of every single shot.

                                  It's funny to see how chronically overly-defensive Sony sales people are about everything Sony. Even though Sony is irrelevant in mobile and in this particular test. The picture was taken as a reference, to show that the actual tested camera wasn't faking the shot. Get over your selves, will you?

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • I@a
                                    • 01 Feb 2021

                                    Wow what a horrible full frame mirrorless camera capture! It seems the comparison is staged, intentionally botching the mirrorless camera's jpeg output either by one or more of the following blunders:
                                    1. Intentionally using a softer/wider aperture and shooting near the 200mm end of the 600mm zoom lens rather than near the 600mm end.
                                    2. Intentional misfocus or blur by using a slower shutter speed
                                    3. Intentional setting up of the default sharpness all the way down
                                    4. Intentional setting up of the default noise reduction all the way up,
                                    5. Intentional disabling of the built in HDR mode on the mirrorless camera when it could have been better if turned on.
                                    6. Intentional use of auto white balance so the moon looks white (when 6500K could have captured a yellow moon).
                                    As I see it, the author is in cahoots with Samsung. Posting mirrorless camera photos without any EXIF data shown is proof of that.

                                      Nick Tegrataker, 01 Feb 2021Because it's still his responsibility to make sure the... moreHe was just intentionally messing up the photo to make Samsung's photography technology to look "advanced"

                                        AnonD-762416, 31 Jan 2021Has Auto mode? Yes? Did he write the software for that mode... moreBecause it's still his responsibility to make sure the image is in focus before uploading it to his website so that the comparison HE is making is fair and square, especially when using a dedicated camera where he should have a total control over the photos he takes. In this case he should've retaken the photo, plain and simple.. you don't need to defend his mistake.

                                          3 of 11