Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

15 February 2021


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  • Rkm
  • DkP
  • 19 Feb 2021

Shui8, 19 Feb 2021No problem if you use 85mm as half of the body portrait as ... moreI know. I'm just pointing out that Samsung is refusing to use the tool which they have in them.

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    • Shui8
    • KZK
    • 19 Feb 2021

    Rkm, 19 Feb 202185mm for headshot and 50mm for body shots above hip or incl... moreNo problem if you use 85mm as half of the body portrait as well. Professional photographers done that, for years already. Basically it bow down to each preferences.

    But the fact is, the most favourites portraits FL by researchers, are at 80/85mm.

      • R
      • Rkm
      • DkP
      • 19 Feb 2021

      Shui8, 18 Feb 2021The most favourable portraits focal length of all time are... more85mm for headshot and 50mm for body shots above hip or including shoulders. The 70mm s21 have can be a great middle ground for both.

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        • Shui8
        • KZK
        • 18 Feb 2021

        Anonymous, 17 Feb 2021Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 take portrait photos at a 40mm equivale... moreThe most favourable portraits focal length of all time are at 80mm (×3 zoom). 50mm (×2 zoom) are closed second.

          • b
          • bbecker1983
          • rUp
          • 18 Feb 2021

          Comparing a phone with 3-4 months of updates to the camera software to a new phone with new hardware and no updates is stupid. I bet next patch and we would see dramatic differences

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            • beto
            • 88f
            • 18 Feb 2021

            Anonymous, 17 Feb 2021Pixel peeping on those 10x zoom images the Note 20 Ultra 10... moreIn note20, it's a 5x zoom image plus a 2x digital from a F 3.0 lens. On the S21, it's a F 4.9 lens.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • gBV
              • 17 Feb 2021

              The low light night mode 240mm equivalent photos are very impressive. I wonder whether a tripod was used?

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                • Anonymous
                • gBV
                • 17 Feb 2021

                Nick Tegrataker, 16 Feb 2021The problem is that unlike some other companies Samsung sti... morePixel 2 and Pixel 3 take portrait photos at a 40mm equivalent field of view. 24mm x 1.7 = 41mm
                But I think that ≈55mm is the best field of view for portraits. Though in the future there might be smartphone cameras with a lower depth of field, then 65mm could be the best option as there would be more natural background blur at 65mm.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • gBV
                  • 17 Feb 2021

                  Anonymous, 17 Feb 2021Pixel peeping on those 10x zoom images the Note 20 Ultra 10... moreI don't know at which images you are looking, but the 10x daylight photos of the S21 Ultra contain more detail than the 10x daylight photos of the Note 20 Ultra.

                  Also theoretically, the S21 Ultra periscope camera hardware has a 1.32x lossless zoom advantage regarding detail per angle (in comparison with the Note 20 Ultra) and an approximately 2.1x lossless zoom advantage regarding daylight noise.

                    dragserb, 16 Feb 2021I have the snapdragon versions of the 21 Ultra and my wife ... moreYou just nailed it man!!

                      Anonymous, 17 Feb 2021Pixel peeping on those 10x zoom images the Note 20 Ultra 10... moreYes. I find 10x pictures from Note 20 Ultra more appealing than those from S21U.

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                        • Anonymous
                        • nw}
                        • 17 Feb 2021

                        Pixel peeping on those 10x zoom images the Note 20 Ultra 10x hybrid looks better than S21 Ultra 10x Optical. What's up with that Samsung??

                          Anonymous, 16 Feb 2021Look who's talking.. If I make same critics against... more"If I make same critics against HTC, Samsung, LG, Asus, Sony, Apple and Motorola; you would never get grumpy"
                          Lol, that's a big "if". All right, go ahead and prove it then. Has there been any instance where they showcased a similar video technology as the one on Mi 11 and GSMArena made an article about it? I don't think so. So where is your assumption (that I'm only reacting because it's a Chinese brand) coming from, huh?

                          "Xiaomi simply is boosting ISO"
                          Not really because that would lead to substantial colour degradation and increase in noise level. BlinkAI uses machine learning to analyse each frame and enhance it without degrading their quality (Go check out their demo video), and runs on SD888's NPU for real-time processing. If a simple ISO boost works better then many companies would've done it in the first place.

                          "many phones today get spanked by old Lumia 808"
                          808 captures better details thanks to a 41MP Bayer sensor, but that's pretty much it. Take it to more challenging situation and you will see it quickly falling apart.

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                            • Crak o Jack
                            • nFk
                            • 16 Feb 2021

                            dragserb, 16 Feb 2021I have the snapdragon versions of the 21 Ultra and my wife ... moreI really like your review and appreciate your comment and find it to be more comprehensive thanks for a brilliant comment.

                              • j
                              • jakas
                              • nia
                              • 16 Feb 2021

                              Anonymous, 16 Feb 2021I think you missed a crucial thing when comparing. Are yo... moreThat does not matter, not anymore

                                Alex, 16 Feb 2021Has it been officially confirmed that Exynos produces worse... moreYes especially in video, something to do with lack of optimizations.
                                But a big company like Samsung shouldn't be rolling out optimized camera for Snapdragon and fail to do so for their own homegrown chip.

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                                  • Alex
                                  • qC@
                                  • 16 Feb 2021

                                  Love my camera, 16 Feb 2021I was planning on moving away from Samsung this year, refu... moreROG is a weird choice if you are looking for a camera. Have you tried at least one from Arena 2020 cameraphone list? Why didn't S20 or Note20 work for you?

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                                    • Alex
                                    • qC@
                                    • 16 Feb 2021

                                    Anonymous, 16 Feb 2021I think you missed a crucial thing when comparing. Are yo... moreHas it been officially confirmed that Exynos produces worse picture quality that SD?

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 0p}
                                      • 16 Feb 2021

                                      Nick Tegrataker, 16 Feb 2021How could you tell if it is horrible or not when you have n... moreLook who's talking..

                                      If I make same critics against HTC, Samsung, LG, Asus, Sony, Apple and Motorola; you would never get grumpy. It is all because it is chinese phone.

                                      Brighter does not mean better. The footage is unusable. Look like video done by old Galaxy S.
                                      I can easily tell by looking at the tree and turf.
                                      It is all mushed.
                                      Xiaomi simply is boosting ISO, making it brighter at expense of quality.
                                      It is like if you set on your phone ISO 6400 and Shutter slower than 1/10s.
                                      Bright, but worse than VGA quality.

                                      This reminds me what redator of Phone Arena said about that sony phone with dual cam ( monochrome).

                                      " - Who's gonna take photos in completely dark places?"

                                      Even the Panasonic GH5s (very popular camera used for videography) has issues at darker places. Camera with 4/3 sensor.
                                      Imagine phones that lose lots of quality when they do not work at base ISO.

                                      Brands should slap a single 1" sensor instead many weak cameras just to satisfy dxomark.
                                      No wonder why many phones today get spanked by old Lumia 808.



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                                        • dragserb
                                        • cUU
                                        • 16 Feb 2021

                                        I have the snapdragon versions of the 21 Ultra and my wife has the snapdragon version of the Note 20 Ultra. I also have a Pixel 4a 5g. I have compared hundreds of pictures between the 3 in various situations, taking the same picture. In general, the S21 Ultra takes a better picture in both details and with more neutral colors than the Note 20 Ultra. It's not a huge difference but it is better. And it definitely leaves the Pixel in the dust in details, color and camera flexibility. Stop posting nonsense here that the Note 20 Ultra takes better pictures. Making this determination here by just looking at a few choice photos does not make it so. I've stopped believing in most camera tests from sites because so many have inherent biases against manufacturers. What they say is so ends up being completely opposite from what I see in my own everyday usage.

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