Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review: Can you use the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to take holiday shots instead of your digital camera?
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| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review: Can you use the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to take holiday shots instead of your digital camera? |
If you're still planning on cramming two trips' worth of fun and adventure into your first summer vacation after COVID-19, consider if your smartphone is up to the task of capturing the two years' worth of vacation memories you're about to create.
That's exactly what I did. I packed the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G “call-camera” with me when we embarked on our epic island-hopping journey in the British Virgin Islands earlier this summer and left my fancy, high-end digital SLR camera at home. And I returned delighted.
To be honest, I only have that fancy, high-end digital DSLR for shooting video, which I need to do for work on occasion. And I've taken it on vacation with me ever since I bought it since it takes extremely good pictures.
Read on if you're thinking about upgrading your smartphone before going on your first trip in nearly two years and want to know if it can replace your "real" camera.
The most latest and greatest
There are three reasons why I only brought a flagship smartphone to the British Virgin Islands, such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra:
Several lenses:
Smaller lenses, such as those used in smartphones, are less flexible than camera lenses, which employ their length to zoom. As a result, smartphone manufacturers have begun filling the void by assembling teams of specialized lenses capable of taking high-quality images in a variety of settings. The S21 Ultra has four back cameras, including a wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and two telephoto lenses. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has three, with the second telephoto lens being omitted.
Mode at night:
Low-light photography has always been a difficulty for smartphones, but the S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max excel at it. Both cameras have a specific Night Mode that produces better photos but takes longer to focus.
Performance of artificial intelligence:
It's one thing to cram all those lenses onto a smartphone's back camera hump. It's another thing entirely to be able to change lenses on the fly — and even combine two of them for enhanced zoom quality. And today's top-of-the-line smartphones are more than capable.
My Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 camera is four years old, whereas the S21 Ultra is only halfway through its first year. In addition, the GH5 is hampered by my insistence on using auto-mode – which is especially problematic in low-light circumstances – as well as my lone 5x zoom lens, which has an admittedly modest 12-60mm focal length. The super-telephoto lens on the S21 Ultra has an equivalent focal length of 240mm.
I find that the GH5 takes richer, more detailed images than the S21 Ultra when there is plenty of light and the subject is within range. If I brought more lenses with me – and if I put it in the hands of a skilled photographer – the GH5 would undoubtedly compete better. Isn't that, after all, the whole point? I can't say I'm a better photographer. And I'm not going to bring any more lenses with me. Unless they're small enough to fit in my pocket.
So, how did I fare?
Everyone came back with photos to treasure, from the stunning Devil's Bay on Virgin Gorda to the quiet expanses of sand on remote Anegada Island. I was able to coax more fantastic photographs in more circumstances because I was the only one with a flagship phone.
When we compared long-distance images and looked at photos made in low-light settings, I got the most oohs and aahs from my boatmates. There was also a more subtle benefit: my photos were typically more detailed than those taken using a high-end, two-year-old smartphone. This offered me greater freedom when it came to cropping photographs afterward.
In Night Mode, I snapped a few pictures that came out fuzzy. On those, the boat's slight swaying and Night Mode's long concentration-time plainly conspired against me.
What should I do?
Even if your smartphone is less than four years old, you'll notice a significant increase in the number of images and situations you can capture with a current top-of-the-line smartphone like the S21 Ultra.
On the other hand, you'll probably be happy with the photos you take with your current phone — as long as you don't invite anyone who is using cutting-edge technology.
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