Galaxy Note20 Ultra: Does the new lens make it the zoom master?
Unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Note20 Ultra uses a true 5x optical zoom as the basis for magnification. The data from the main sensor and the periscope zoom is combined to achieve the clearest possible magnification. In addition to electronic image stabilizers, the two OIS also ensure a fairly steady hand at longer focal lengths. A maximum digital magnification of 50x is possible.
In a short comparison, we let the Galaxy Note20 Ultra compete against the Huawei P40 Pro+ camera king, the iPhone 11 Pro, and its predecessor, the Note10+. In any case, only the P40 Pro can compete in this comparison field when it comes to magnification beyond 10x.
Even at a 5x zoom, the Note10+ and the iPhone already begin to show their weaknesses; the two devices with the better zoom solutions are immediately noticeable here, and the Note20 Ultra shows the highest level of detail in both the observation-tower subject and the castle.
5x zoom
The 10x magnification also paints a similar picture, with the iPhone sitting in last place and showing strong fragments. In addition, the Huawei smartphone shows a visible red tint.
10x zoom
No photo looks good anymore at this zoom level. However, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra convinces with better color reproduction and more plasticity.
50x zoom
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra beats them all
Well done, Samsung. The Koreans have done a great job in reworking the zoom, and at every zoom level, they show better image performance than the super-strong competition from Huawei. However, the P40 Pro+ still has a little more zoom capacity up its sleeve, and we also liked it better when it came to stabilizing long focal lengths.