Camera review Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
New: the Samsung Galaxy S24 series
Samsung has released the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra isn't as readily available anymore. Aside from the Samsung S24, the S24 series also includes the Samsung S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. All devices have a powerful processor, so they can handle any task.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Thanks to the dual telephoto lens, you can zoom in up to 10 times without your photos becoming less sharp.
- With the night mode on every lens, you can also take colorful photos in low light.
- You can use all lenses for razor-sharp videos.
- For the best performance for videos or night photos, you need a tripod.
- Videos are shaky when you choose 8K quality.
Sharp photos with the standard lens
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You can even see a lot of details in the reflection of the water.
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You can see the colors are realistic by the sky.
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With the portrait mode, you can create a depth of field effect.
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You can see all the details, like irregularities on the bike path.
In general, you'll use the standard lens the most. That's why it's the best camera of the device, quality wise. I can take razor-sharp photos in various settings. Even the smallest details are clearly visible. I also notice that the colors are very realistic. I also use the standard lens to take portraits with the portrait mode. With a little help of the depth-sensor and the camera software, the S22 Ultra creates a beautiful and realistic depth of field effect.
Impressive telephoto lenses
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You can capture a pigeon from about 10m distance without it flying away.
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You can take razor-sharp photos with your 3x zoom lens.
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On this photo taken with the standard lens, you can barely see the Euromast
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With the 10x zoom lens, you can fully capture the entire Euromast from the same position.
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With the standard lens, you can see the moss on the rock.
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With the 10x zoom lens, you can see all the details of that same piece of moss.
The S22 Ultra has 2 telephoto lenses that allow you to zoom in 3 or 10 times optically. Optical zoom means that you can zoom in without your photo becoming less sharp. The lens with 10x zoom is unique, and I'm very impressed by the quality. All the photos I take with this lens are razor-sharp. I see all the details of objects that are hundreds of meters away from me. With the telephoto lens with 10 times zoom, I take photos that I can't take with other smartphones.
Wide-angle lens: sharp, but sometimes distortions
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The wide-angle lens ensures beautiful images during sunrise.
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You can entirely capture high buildings in one photo, even when I'm up close.
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With the wide-angle lens, multiple objects fit in one picture.
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The wide-angle lens distorts sometimes, which makes buildings look skewed.
The wide-angle lens of the Samsung S22 Ultra has a large viewing angle. Even when I stand closely to a high building, I can capture it in one photo. The photos are a little distorted though, like with the wide-angle lenses of other smartphones. That's why they look skewed when I'm standing close to a building. I also like to use this lens for landscape photos. Especially clouds come out nicely. In daylight, you also see many details and realistic colors with this wide-angle lens.
Best night photos with standard lens
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With the standard lens, you can take bright and colorful night photos.
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Night photos with the wide-angle lens are slightly paler.
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Photos look a little paler with the 3x zoom lens, but you can still see details.
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Without a tripod, photos with the 10x zoom lens are a little more blurry.
The S22 Ultra is the first smartphone that has a night mode for every lens. The night photos I take with the standard lens are colorful and sharp. With the wide-angle and telephoto lens, night photos are more of a challenge. In night mode, the shutter speed is set to 5 seconds for these lenses. This is the time in which the lens collects light, which isn't much. It's not possible to keep your hand still for the full 5 seconds. Due to the small movements, these night photos become less sharp. I mostly notice this with the telephoto lenses. That's why I recommend a tripod for night photos with these lenses.
Good performance with backlight
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With the standard lens, the light and colors are very beautiful.
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With the wide-angle lens, photos are a little darker.
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Even with the telephoto lens, not all the colors are as vibrant.
The light can't always be perfect for a photo. That's why I tested how the S22 Ultra handles backlight. This differs per lens. The standard lens processes bright backlight the best. Quality-wise, the photos aren't as good as with perfect lighting. But this is to be expected. Colors remain bright and I can still see a lot of details. The wide-angle lens and the telephoto lenses have more difficulty, but the final result isn't bad. These cameras capture more colors and light than the human eye, but the photos are slightly darker.
Sharp videos with all lenses
Just like the photos, the videos are very sharp. When I set the quality to Full HD or 4K, the videos are smooth. At 8K, the image is shaky. The wide-angle lens and telephoto lens also deliver sharp and colorful images. On the video, you can see how I switch from the standard lens to the telephoto lenses with 3 and 10 times optical zoom. The images remain sharp, but I notice the image moving when I rotate the camera. So a tripod is also useful when recording with the telephoto lens.
Conclusion
With the Samsung S22 Ultra in your pocket, you can take photo of professional quality at any time. The smartphone doesn't just have impressive cameras on paper, but also in practice. In my opinion, the telephoto lens with 10 times zoom is definitely a reason to buy this smartphone. I take photos I can't take with other devices. The night mode on the wide-angle and telephoto lenses is special, but isn't very user-friendly. That's because you need a tripod to get the best result.
