Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera Photo Review

Written By shane craig

Now that I have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in hand I have been taking quite a few photos, trying to dig deep into how well this years setup performs. In this post, I’ll do my best to break it all down. Let’s start out with the primary camera.

*PSA: All photos will be taken with default settings unless specified otherwise. I have my reasons.

Primary

Generally speaking, the primary shooter on this device performs pretty well. However, Samsung seems to prioritize brightness, sharpness, and saturation a bit more than I like at times, often sacrificing proper exposure for a brighter shot. This can result in images that lack a bit of depth and nuance, particularly in scenes with high contrast or complex lighting conditions. Still, the camera is capable of capturing some great moments, and the added brightness can sometimes make a big difference in low-light situations. That being said, there's nothing to be terribly upset about - the camera's strengths and weaknesses are relatively well-balanced and it's possible to get some really great results.

I suspect that more casual users will like Samsung‘s lean towards sharp, bright, colorful images.

In lower light conditions, the camera's performance does suffer a bit, and it can be challenging to capture clear and well-exposed images. However, my recommendation is to use the Night Sight mode, as it makes a huge difference in terms of image quality. This mode is able to produce some impressive results, so long as your subject remains still and doesn't move around. The Night Sight mode uses advanced software algorithms to combine multiple exposures and reduce noise, resulting in brighter and more detailed images. With Night Sight enabled, you may be able to capture some great shots in conditions that would otherwise be too dark for a decent photo.

Don’t be afraid to manually switch to it even when lighting is just a touch worse. It’ll still help.

UltraWide

The addition of a new 50MP ultrawide sensor is one of the notable hardware changes this year, and it's been interesting to see how it performs in various lighting conditions. In good lighting, the new ultrawide camera seems pretty decent, often producing clear and well-exposed images. In fact, it occasionally handles exposure even better than the primary camera, as evidenced by the example with the lamp. However, when it comes to low-light conditions, the ultrawide camera struggles with noise and grain, which can be pretty annoying.

As with the primary camera, using the Night Sight mode can help mitigate this issue and produce better results in low-light situations. It's worth noting that the ultrawide camera's limitations in low light are not uncommon for this type of sensor, and it's a trade-off that's often made for the added flexibility and versatility of a wider field of view.

When we look at the new S25 Ultra (image 3) vs the older S23 Ultra (image 4) there have clearly been some notable improvements though. There’s far less noise and grain, exposure is significantly improved and the FOV is much wider. From the older sensor, this is a big upgrade.

Telephoto Zoom

The 3x zoom feature, unchanged for many years, is a decent but unremarkable aspect of this camera system. In terms of overall performance, it's fine, but it doesn't particularly stand out in any way. Indoors, where lighting conditions may not be ideal, you can expect some noise and grain to creep into the image, which may not be ideal for those who prioritize sharpness and clarity. However, in terms of exposure, the 3x zoom handles it well, producing images that are generally well-balanced and free of major issues. Color and detail are also both fine, with no significant problems or complaints to report.

Nevertheless, it's a useful feature to have, especially when you want to get a bit closer to your subject without having to physically move and it can be useful in portraits. More on that later.

The phone's two telephoto sensors are a notable feature, and the 5x zoom is undoubtedly the more advanced of the two. In terms of image quality, the 5x zoom performs exceptionally well, producing clear and well-exposed shots even in lower light conditions. While the noise and grain that can be a problem with the other zoom camera do appear, it's only in much more challenging lighting scenarios, which is a testament to the 5x zoom's capabilities. This camera might be the highlight of the camera system for me and it's impressive to see how well it handles a range of lighting conditions.

It makes sense that the 5x zoom camera is good at that midrange level zoom, but how does it handle the more extreme zooms we used to use that 10x for..?

In the past, the Ultra series of phones boasted a 10x optical zoom, which was a significant advantage over other devices. While the sensor itself may not have been exceptional, the fact that it was able to achieve 10x optical zoom without significant loss of quality was a major selling point. However, Samsung has since opted for a different approach, using a lower zoom camera with a higher resolution to attempt to replicate the same level of zoom.

For the most part, this approach works well, and users will likely find it to be a viable alternative to the previous 10x optical zoom sensor. However, it's worth noting that when pushing past 10x, the new camera may not quite live up to the same standards as its predecessor, and users may start to notice a slight decline in image quality. Nevertheless, given the improvements to mid-range zoom, which is the range that most people are likely to use most often, this is probably a fair trade-off.

One aspect of the camera app that is worth pointing out is how easy it is to frame a shot at extreme zooms, which can be a challenge for many cameras. The Samsung S25 Ultra's camera app is able to handle this task remarkably well.

Portrait Mode

I've always been a fan of Samsung's approach to portrait mode, and it's one of the reasons I've continued to use the S23 Ultra for many of my video thumbnails. In my experience, the camera on this device handles portrait mode in a similar way, delivering some truly solid portraits. While it's not perfect and may occasionally miss a stray hair or two, the camera's ability to capture the subject with a beautiful, blurred background is a significant asset. One of the nice touches is the ability to use the 3x lens to give a slightly different focal length, which can add some variety to your portraits and help you create a more interesting composition. Overall, I'm pleased to see that Samsung's approach to portrait mode remains unchanged and continues to deliver high-quality results.

Extreme Low Light

Even though it’s unlikely to ever come up, I do want to take a look at how this phone handles extreme low light, so I stepped outside after dark and snapped a couple photos with the Ultra and with my Pixel 9 Pro XL. I could barely see this ball with my eyes and what Samsung did here is actually pretty interesting. Both do a remarkable job of resolving detail that I straight up couldn’t see, but the Pixel is clearly trying to keep things more natural where as Samsung is pumping the saturation. What’s interesting is that they’re both wrong, just on opposite ends. The Pixel does win on focus though.

Macro

If you try to focus on something up quite close to the camera, the app will offer an Enhanced Detail mode which is what they call a Macro Mode. In this mode, detail is pretty decent and you are able to get in nice and close. If you’re into those tight close-ups, this isn’t bad.

The App

The newly revamped camera app on this device is a welcome improvement over its predecessor, with a cleaner and more streamlined design. One of the standout features of the new app is the addition of new filters that can be further customized to achieve a very specific look, all without the need for additional editing after the shot is taken. This is a great feature for those who want to get the most out of their photos straight out of the camera, and it adds a level of creativity and flexibility to the app.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new camera app, however, is its level of smoothness and responsiveness. Switching between lenses is a seamless and near-instant process, with a level of fluidity that's nearly on par with the iPhone. For users coming from other Android devices, this will likely be a welcome change as it's all too common to encounter laggy and stuttery camera apps that can be frustrating to use. I’m talking to you, Google.

Motion Blur

Motion blur has long been the bane of Samsung phones, but it does seem like some small progress has been made. Looking at these images you can a comparison between the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Pixel 9 Pro XL. Rather unscientifically, I rolled a ball across a table, doing my best to remain consistent. Snapping photos of each, you can see that the S25 clearly outperforms the S23 while falling short of the Pixel. The last image was what encouraged me to try this experiment. Capturing that photo of Rose with hardly a hint of motion blur marks a notable step up for me.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a camera system that, while not necessarily leading the pack in any single area, delivers a consistently solid performance across the board. It's a well-rounded setup that handles a variety of shooting scenarios competently. Samsung has clearly made strides in making the camera more user-friendly, moving closer to that effortless point-and-shoot experience, but there's still room for improvement. Google's Pixel phones truly excel in this regard, instilling a sense of confidence that every shot will be a good one. With a Pixel, you can simply point, shoot, and trust the results, rarely needing to double-check the image. The S25 Ultra, while improved, doesn't quite reach that level of assuredness. There remains a lingering concern about potential motion blur or other imperfections that might compromise an otherwise promising photo.

Furthermore, Samsung deserves considerable praise for the remarkable smoothness of their camera application. As mentioned earlier, navigating between the different lenses is an incredibly fluid and seamless experience, rivaling the polished performance of the iPhone. For users coming from other Android devices, the responsiveness and lack of lag in the S25 Ultra's camera app is a truly refreshing change. It enhances the overall shooting experience and makes using the camera a genuine pleasure.

Where to buy

Galaxy S25

Galaxy S25+

Galaxy S25 Ultra

shane craig
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