Is the S20 Ultra a failure?

[Mike Dee]

Yeah I'm using pro mode as work around for the focus issues. I might have to use that even after the current camera update

What focusing issue are you still having?

 

[bhatech]

What focusing issue are you still having?

Keeps hunting for focus ... let’s say i try to take picture of some object couple of feet away (not even trying too close) and try to take a picture/video. It keeps hunting for focus even after i try to lock the focus. Using pro mode solves that currently. I have to test on people but that should be fine i believe, it’s problem with objects i think. Though you and many others are not seeing so I’m not sure.

 

[mustang7757]

Keeps hunting for focus ... let’s say i try to take picture of some object couple of feet away (not even trying too close) and try to take a picture/video. It keeps hunting for focus even after i try to lock the focus. Using pro mode solves that currently. I have to test on people but that should be fine i believe, it’s problem with objects i think. Though you and many others are not seeing so I’m not sure.

Try reset the camera, maybe helps

 

[bhatech]

Try reset the camera, maybe helps

Yeah did that, cleared both data and cache when i was still seeing the problem after the update but didn’t help.

 

[mustang7757]

Yeah did that, cleared both data and cache when i was still seeing the problem after the update but didn’t help.

 

[mustang7757]

Something turning screen optimizer off shows better results

 

[Mike Dee]

Keeps hunting for focus ... let’s say i try to take picture of some object couple of feet away (not even trying too close) and try to take a picture/video. It keeps hunting for focus even after i try to lock the focus. Using pro mode solves that currently. I have to test on people but that should be fine i believe, it’s problem with objects i think. Though you and many others are not seeing so I’m not sure.

I haven't seen it so far. Only hunts on extreme close-ups for me.

 

[bhatech]

Something turning screen optimizer off shows better results

Yep I turned that scene optimizer the day I got the phone. Never liked the scene optimizer to begin with.

 

[Emig5m]

One thing that I like about the Samsung camera is that it still has manual settings. I know the average a consumer prefers an autoshooter but it's still great to be able to make adjustments when necessary.

Manual settings are nice, and I'm definitely in the niche of needing manual settings for even filming (try filming game play of a arcade monitor without manual settings and you can't get a good result vs manually set) however it's still important to have the best possible auto mode for uncontrolled one chance one shot moments like sporting events, concerts, etc. Having both manual and a superb auto mode is both equally important. Well maybe not, I think it was Ariana Grande who chuckled and restarted a song when a fan yelled out wait that she wasn't filming yet, lol.

 

[Emig5m]

I haven't seen it so far. Only hunts on extreme close-ups for me.

A lot of people need extreme close ups (maybe a jeweler taking a closeup pic for a online sale) and I like to take macro shots of strange bugs and critters while I'm out and about. Maybe it's time to add a dedicated macro lens if new high megapixel and larger lenses that also don't have dual pixel auto focus can't properly handle point and shoot close up shots like in past phone cameras? Close up shots can be equally important as long range zooming.

That said, after trial and error I was finally able to learn to take slightly better macroshots with the S20U over the S10 after a painful learning curve. The same methods I've used to take pics from the S5 to the S10 doesn't apply to the S20U and I felt like I was relearning from scratch but I was finally able to learn and take good macroshots from the S20U without much fuss after getting a new routine down to science and comparing to the same macroshots with the S10, not only as good, but slightly better and more detailed. Not to mention I had the S10 for a year to get the camera down to science so it was good to able to get better macroshots with the S20U so quickly when initially they where horrible.

 

[Emig5m]

I didn't mention 4K video. If SD meets your needs go with it.

Why are you scared to give me your reason? Don't have one? I gave 4k video recording as an example that SD cards have more than adequate performance because I would say doing continuous 4k video recording for almost 2hrs straight is about as demanding of a scenario of storage that you're going to encounter since write speeds are normally slower than read speeds. So if it's handling continously writing 4k video for well over an hour taking into consideration that writes speeds are normally slower than read speeds then what other more demanding scenario are you going to encounter to shun off using a SD card based on it not being as up to snuff on performance as the built-in storage?

So come on, don't be afraid, and tell me why you need this so-called added performance of the built-in storage and what your use of it is. I'm curious because maybe it might be of interest and use to me going forward but otherwise I've seen no example of it actually being needed over a SD card. I'll be waiting for your reason and purpose.

 

[Emig5m]

The S20 ultra has a fantastic camera with the the best zoom of any phone out there today

That's why I took the chance with the hope that the auto focus and hunting would be software fixed and kept it and sent my S10 in on trade-in. I was able to figure out how to finally take better macroshots with the S20U and I would never be able to get the zoom quality out of the S10. The zoom of the S20U is amazing IMO if you stay within it's reasonable and usable bounds:

 

[Emig5m]

Did you purchase the phone?

Nah, God willed it into my hand.

 

[amyf27]

Personally I love the phone. I don't think it's a disappointment at all, other than some issues with the camera on varying shot types. I prefer it over the Note 10 Plus, which for me says a lot.

It's definitely a subjective thing, what you expect from the phone, what you are looking to get out of the phone, and what you need the phone for.

 

[amyf27]

That's why I took the chance with the hope that the auto focus and hunting would be software fixed and kept it and sent my S10 in on trade-in. I was able to figure out how to finally take better macroshots with the S10U and I would never be able to get the zoom quality out of the S10. The zoom of the S20U is amazing IMO if you stay within it's reasonable and usable bounds:

What zoom level / camera setting were you using for these shots? They looked fantastic.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

Personally I love the phone. I don't think it's a disappointment at all, other than some issues with the camera on varying shot types. I prefer it over the Note 10 Plus, which for me says a lot.

It's definitely a subjective thing, what you expect from the phone, what you are looking to get out of the phone, and what you need the phone for.

I'm right there with you. If I have an issue with anything, it's the size. I'm definitely not interested in going bigger in the future. I'm hoping to just skip the note 20 release, these phones are just getting to expensive to upgrade that much

 

[Emig5m]

What zoom level / camera setting were you using for these shots? They looked fantastic.

On that particular hike I took about 340 pics and it's not possible to remember the exact zoom level of every shot taken. When I first got the phone I would take the same shot with every lens and zoom setting in order along with the S10 to be able to easily tell what zoom level each pic was to directly compare to the S10 shots but now that I've made up my mind to keep the ultra and send the S10 in I no longer snap pics from every zoom and lens in order so I wouldn't be able to tell you for certain but I try to stay under 30x zoom (20x is max peak for decent quality IMO). I'd say the 2nd pic is the only one at 30x or more? I really don't remember but I try to use the least amount of zoom to keep the quality at its highest and definitely disregard anything near 100x for photos.

Those shots where also point and shoot with scene optimizer off no other manual settings. On my PC I do have comparison shots from the same area and the S20U easily blew the doors off the S10 for long range zoom shots, major difference in detail and clarity. I found a method for macroshots but it's a shame the auto focus and hunting problem is a buzzkill. The zoom is 2nd to none. Not even the S20 and S20+ compare at same zoom levels.

 

[Emig5m]

I'm right there with you. If I have an issue with anything, it's the size. I'm definitely not interested in going bigger in the future. I'm hoping to just skip the note 20 release, these phones are just getting to expensive to upgrade that much

Just so you know, it's been said that the Note 20 will be the same as the S20 but with squared corners and S-pen. Same camera bump and everything. They just really don't seem to have anything else ready to bring to the table right now.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

Just so you know, it's been said that the Note 20 will be the same as the S20 but with squared corners and S-pen. Same camera bump and everything. They just really don't seem to have anything else ready to bring to the table right now.

I can agree with you here. I don't use the S pen much anyway, I forget it's even there most the time. One of Samsung's selling points on the note 10 was the 3D scanning camera, they even showed it off on the launch video. That was one of their biggest gimmick features added to a phone. Just shows that phones have reached the level that there's not much they can improve on spec wise, so they put stuff like that on as a upgrade.

I feel that spec wise the S20U got decent updates, bigger battery, 120 refresh rate which is my favorite improvement, faster processor to name a few. It wasn't the normal gimmick upgrades we've been getting.

 

[cknobman]

People who bought the phone: full defense and justification mode

Most other people: the phone is way too expensive and the camera in no way meets expectations