I tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s new camera and it shocked me

Both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra have a 3x optical zoom, and unsurprisingly, there is very little difference in quality between the two — with both providing plenty of detail and clarity. However, there are differences in tone, color, and overall balance, a theme we’re going to continue seeing throughout this comparison.

The first photos show marginal differences in texture between the two, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra smoothing the walls of the building in the background, as well as the stone walls under the arch, more than the S23 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 Ultra image has stronger contrast, and slightly more vivid colors than the S24 Ultra, but a weaker exposure, where the sky is not quite as defined. The differences are minimal, and only really noticeable when the two are compared.

However, in the second photo, the differences are far more obvious. The car’s black paint and red roof are a little washed-out in the S23 Ultra’s photo, but far more realistic and eye-catching in the S24 Ultra’s photo, and the white balance is more accurate too. This extends to the autumnal colors of the trees and the gravel road. There’s perhaps a hint more noise in places in the S24 Ultra’s photo, but I’ll take that when the colors are so much more pleasing.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s software, Samsung’s updated Super HDR, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are at work here, as the two cameras are basically the same. Samsung’s hard work has paid off, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 3x optical zoom takes better photos than the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

5x digital and optical zoom

Moving on to the 5x optical zoom, remember that the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a new 50MP telephoto camera for an optical zoom here, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses its software for a digital zoom to create the images, and therefore we should expect a greater difference in the photos.

It’s hardly surprising that the first image shows some differences in detail, with the white text crisp and readable in both, but obviously clearer and more defined in the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s image. But it’s the differences in color and tone that leap out, as the S24 Ultra’s photo looks more like the setting did in real life, compared to the S23 Ultra’s cooler image.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra can still do a really good job at 5x though, as the photos of the clock show. There’s still a lot of detail, and actually less blur in places than in the S24 Ultra’s photo. It’s only when you look closely that the pixelation and noise appears all over the stone walls. The S24 Ultra’s photo is clean, and the natural texture shows through instead. Again, the difference in tone and contrast is clear, and the S24 Ultra’s photo looks far more realistic and appealing.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

10x optical and hybrid zoom

The 10x comparison is arguably the big test here, as the S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom is unique, and the S24 Ultra’s 10x hybrid zoom less so. Samsung promises the S24 Ultra’s 50MP telephoto camera’s ability will negate any drop in quality that comes with a non-optical zoom, but is that the case?

The first photo was taken inside in average light, which really favors the optical zoom, so we get the reverse of the 5x situation above, where the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s photo has less blur and more detail. It’s obvious in the white sugar lumps, the text on the board in the background, the metal surface, and the glass jar lid. The benefits of an optical zoom over an optical quality zoom are obvious in this photo.

What about a 10x photo of the clock featured in our 5x zoom comparison? Now tthat we’re outside in decent lighting, it’s far harder to see the detail differences here, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra doing a great job of minimizing the noise and pixelization, while still showing plenty of detail. You may even see more texture in the S24 Ultra’s photo, and prefer the warmer tone that has been evident throughout the test.

Our third photo was taken outside in average lighting, and again the differences are fewer. The S23 Ultra’s text is marginally sharper, and the blacks are a bit blacker, but there is slightly more noise than in the S24 Ultra’s photo. I wonder if seeing the S24 Ultra’s photo in isolation would make anyone think it’s a hybrid and not an optical shot? It’s certainly way more acceptable than many may have feared an optical quality shot would be, and the S24 Ultra has performed better than the S23 Ultra did in the 5x test.

That said, it’s impossible to say the S24 Ultra optical quality has taken better photos than the S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom, but they are definitely not an embarrassment or a disaster. It can’t quite take the win, but the S24 Ultra’s more pleasing tone and stronger noise reduction makes this category a shocking tie.

Winner: Draw

30x zoom

Both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra can take photos at a purely digital 30x zoom, a feature Samsung has been working on and refining for several generations. We only need one photo to show how much the S24 Ultra has improved over the Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of 30x zoom.

While the level of detail is fairly similar, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s exposure, contrast, and brightness have been sufficiently altered to bring the detail out more, which makes the photo appear more realistic. It’s still not something many people will want to use often, but work has been done to improve the feature over the previous generation.

Winner: Galaxy S24 Ultra

100x zoom

Yes, if you want to zoom in to 100x, the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra will let you. Samsung’s full Space Zoom mode is as pointless as it ever was, but it appears to have become even worse on the S24 Ultra. There’s more smoothing, more blur, and less detail. It’s a camera mode no one in their right mind will ever use, and it’s impossible to pick a winner as the mode is a loser from the start. Even saying it’s a draw suggests it has some merit, which it does not, so we’re not scoring it at all.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra wins