The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has one of the most impressive camera setups on any modern smartphone, making it our pick for the best camera phone. One of the main photography features is the main camera, which can take photos with a resolution of up to 200 megapixels. But since 12MP (and 50MP) shooting is also available, users have an amazing amount of options. So how do you mean to use these different camera modes?
After trying these two photo modes, I’m a little sad to report that 200MP photos on the Galaxy S23 Ultra are finally a niche feature. Although it offers nine times more detail than default 12MP images, it’s impractical to use most of the time, and even when it’s a viable option, 200MP won’t always produce a better-looking image.
There’s still a point to the 200MP photo mode, but you just have to be wise about how and where you use it. I hope my experiments below help you understand where the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s signature feature lies.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 12MP vs. 200MP Photos: How Does It Work?
By default, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main camera takes photos at 12MP, instead of 200MP. It manages this by pixel-gathering – merging 16 pixels together into a single virtual pixel – to capture images that take up less space on your phone. In theory, this approach provides other image quality benefits as well, such as better colors and brightness since each super pixel can capture more light information than normal ones.
This is the same method as the 50MP mode as well, except these bundle groups of four pixels together instead of 16. However, since it’s a midpoint between 12MP and 200MP photos, we’ll focus on the two extremes for the rest of this front-facing camera mode to show differences better.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 12MP vs. 200MP photos: Image size and speed
Considering the size of the shots we took, a 12MP photo on the Galaxy S23 Ultra can take up 2 to 4MB of space. A 200MP image usually weighs at least 30MB, with some of my test shots taking up close to 40MB of space. So, shooting photos with the full capabilities of the S23 Ultra means you’ll fill up your onboard storage up to ten times faster.
I also timed the Galaxy S23 Ultra to take 12MP and 200MP photos. By pressing the shutter button in the camera app, I was able to take a picture every half second by default. For 200MP, there was a delay of about two seconds between each shot, which is fine if you’re aiming your photos carefully, but makes it difficult to take multiple photos in quick succession, as if you were trying to capture a moving object.
The S23 Ultra also takes a few more seconds to “optimize” its 200MP shots, which doesn’t affect how quickly you can take pictures. But this means that you will have to wait to see the final version of the image before knowing if the snapshot turned out correctly.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 12MP vs. 200MP photos: sample photos
Practical considerations aside, let’s see how the two actually match up in some photo comparisons, starting with these dueling shots of some flowers.
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The 12MP version is a bit noisier, though it looks fairly nice despite the limited lighting. The 200MP shot appears to have a much narrower, more focused field of view.
Up close, the sharp focus in the 12MP shot lets you see more detail in the petals. Colors are similar in both shots, but the 200MP tones look richer. It looks nicer like that, even if it’s not quite accurate to the real scene.
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This night shot of the church is much the same in terms of color and lighting, though I love how clear the rain streaks in front of the streetlights are on the 200MP image. The first two photos in the gallery above were taken without Night Mode for more comparison, as Night Mode is not available when shooting at 200MP.
To see what Night Mode brings to the table, click on the third image in the gallery for another 12MP shot, this one capable of taking advantage of the S23 Ultra’s low-light photography features.
Comparing the 200MP shot with the 12MP night mode, we can now see a more noticeable difference. The finer part is less grainy, with an overall more balanced color palette that helps us see the details of the church, the trees, and the road ahead more clearly.
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In this comparison of the exit gate at Tufnell Park tube station, we can see an issue with dynamic range for 200MP shots. The brightest objects in the shot, such as the sky or a no-entry sign, are blown out and therefore lack detail. A 12MP shot with larger default pixels can handle this much more effectively.
The 200-megapixel version does earn some points for showing off the ironwork in detail though.
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Now coming to this shot of mine, an alternative to the usual photo mode comparison. (As with Night mode, you can’t take 200MP selfies.) Colors are more saturated in a higher-resolution shot, not necessarily for the 200MP mode’s advantage. But the extra detail means I can fairly easily crop this photo down to just a head shot if I want, which is a testament to how flexible these awesome photos can be if you’re indecisive about what you want to capture.
As with the other shots, some objects remain in sharper detail in the 12MP image. Compare the writing on the skullcap in the two shots. It’s more focused in the 12MP version, while the 200MP photo looks a bit blurrier.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 12MP vs. 200MP photos: Verdict
It’s exciting to be able to take photos with four times as many pixels as competing phones, but Samsung is right to have the Galaxy S23 Ultra default at 12MP. Despite my dreams of taking massive pictures of everything, 12MP remains far more practical and versatile than the 200MP mode.
For starters, the 200MP can’t be used in Night mode or Portrait mode. While nothing’s stopping you from taking pictures in the dark or close-ups of your friends with all those megapixels, the phone won’t apply the effects to you in the same way. It can also lead to undesirable aspects in more ordinary photo scenarios, such as limited dynamic range and unusual color saturation.
There’s no denying that 200MP photos bring you tons of extra detail that you’ll never find in 12MP shots. This can be useful for cropping out the best parts of an image later, or just for appreciating subtle things about your subject that you didn’t notice before. It’s certainly a worthwhile part of the Galaxy S23 Ultra experience, but it’s not your kind of everyday feature.
If you’re thinking of buying the Galaxy S23 Ultra, I’d still say it’s probably a good option for you. Samsung’s premium phone tops our best phones guide for a variety of reasons outside of its cameras. But if you’re drawn to the 200MP camera, you better understand that the feature may not be as game-changing for your daily shooting habits as you thought.
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