Paid $1,600 for LESS-THAN-PERFECT hardware! (S20 Ultra)

[MoreDef]

If I have a camera.
It needs to do everything for me.

Most of the shots.
I bearly have enough time to get it in the camera mode.
Or the opportunity is gone.

That's why you get a Pixel. It's the point and shoot king. Low light, good light, poor light, it gets the shot every single time.

 

[blackhawkhot]

So maybe the camera just requires a little more effort then the typical phone camera? Not as user friendly but once mastered it's top notch? Kinda like a real camera?

Any wide open lens behave like this. You need to be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses then employ them to your advantage.
When shooting people close in always try to get an AF lock on the eye so it's the sharpest in the image.
AF looks for high contrast; the wetness of the eye is offset many time by the high contrast of the subjects hair, which will throw off the AF lock.
Better cams can grab this; pro cams AF systems excell at it. So there's a little test to play with...

To get more of a spherical subject reasonably clear verses a flat object with a wide open lens you need slightly more distance than one say at f/5.6
Even with a stopped down lense this still applies to a lesser but very tangible extent.

Learn to see as the camera does... and you'll see a big improvement. Human vision is quite different; the hardware and processing power of the visual cortex is extreme.
Experiment, just a foot or two further back can make a big difference

 

[cardboard60]

That's why you get a Pixel. It's the point and shoot king. Low light, good light, poor light, it gets the shot every single time.

I've had a pixel.
Was happy to get rid of it.

I don't want a Pixel phone.

 

[InstaGoogleTweetFace]

Most “phone camera” users do not know anything about photographic limitations and have all their settings set to “auto”. Most People complaining here do not understand the physical limitations of a wide lens or any lens, they just want to press a button and have the perfect picture. With the S20 Ultra it is very easy to manual focus in low light it takes less then a second.

If someone is looking for professional results they should look for dedicated professional cameras but guess what, they have the same physical limitations, the difference is people using those cameras usually know about those limitations and know how to overcome them.

 

[Mike Dee]

Most “phone camera” users do not know anything about photographic limitations and have all their settings set to “auto”. Most People complaining here do not understand the physical limitations of a wide lens or any lens, they just want to press a button and have the perfect picture. With the S20 Ultra it is very easy to manual focus in low light it takes less then a second.

If someone is looking for professional results they should look for dedicated professional cameras but guess what, they have the same physical limitations, the difference is people using those cameras usually know about those limitations and know how to overcome them.

The other difference with dedicated cameras is that there are usually multiple auto or scene modes for those that don't understand photography.

 

[Gray Area]

Great advice, I will use it! Thank you!

Any wide open lens behave like this. You need to be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses then employ them to your advantage.
When shooting people close in always try to get an AF lock on the eye so it's the sharpest in the image.
AF looks for high contrast; the wetness of the eye is offset many time by the high contrast of the subjects hair, which will throw off the AF lock.
Better cams can grab this; pro cams AF systems excell at it. So there's a little test to play with...

To get more of a spherical subject reasonably clear verses a flat object with a wide open lens you need slightly more distance than one say at f/5.6
Even with a stopped down lense this still applies to a lesser but very tangible extent.

Learn to see as the camera does... and you'll see a big improvement. Human vision is quite different; the hardware and processing power of the visual cortex is extreme.
Experiment, just a foot or two further back can make a big difference

 

[Darth Mo]

Most “phone camera” users do not know anything about photographic limitations and have all their settings set to “auto”. Most People complaining here do not understand the physical limitations of a wide lens or any lens, they just want to press a button and have the perfect picture. With the S20 Ultra it is very easy to manual focus in low light it takes less then a second.

If someone is looking for professional results they should look for dedicated professional cameras but guess what, they have the same physical limitations, the difference is people using those cameras usually know about those limitations and know how to overcome them.

What makes it difficult with a phone camera is the lack of physical controls. With my SLR, I can instinctively adjust exposure time, aperture value, speedlite serrings, etc. within a couple seconds without looking at the controls.

But when those settings are buried behind a few menus on a camera phone, by the time you navigate through them you will have missed the shot.

So the trouble some people are having is not simply "not understanding how real cameras work," so to speak, but that maybe there needs to be better balance between trying to replicate a "pro" camera in a cell phone and having enough automatic capabilities to make it manageable.

 

[blackhawkhot]

What makes it difficult with a phone camera is the lack of physical controls. With my SLR, I can instinctively adjust exposure time, aperture value, speedlite serrings, etc. within a couple seconds without looking at the controls.

But when those settings are buried behind a few menus on a camera phone, by the time you navigate through them you will have missed the shot.

So the trouble some people are having is not simply "not understanding how real cameras work," so to speak, but that maybe there needs to be better balance between trying to replicate a "pro" camera in a cell phone and having enough automatic capabilities to make it manageable.

Yeap. No comparison.
I've owned pro bodies. Wow.
I liked street shooting; couldn't have done much with a smartphone.

This is the latest Canon pro cam body.
https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/...-and-mirrorless-cameras/dslr/eos-1d-x-mark-ii

Built to take and slam out it out.
Look at the frame rates on this puppy. Look at the boot up time. Proprietary dual processors with low current drain.
AF lock ons are accurate and extremely fast.
You can easily tell when the lock is achieved too.
I hate waiting... with this it's in milliseconds.
All the settings info you need are displayed in the viewfinder.
You can instinctively shoot with these after some time... you can't do that with any smartphone.
These large cams feel good in your hands and are very easy to hold. They are a complete blast to shoot with.
A whole different ballgame.

 

[Mooncatt]

But when those settings are buried behind a few menus on a camera phone, by the time you navigate through them you will have missed the shot.

With little practice, it almost becomes second nature even on a phone. When you swap into manual mode, the various settings are set to auto, allowing you the option of taking an auto mode photo or instantly adjust the settings without going through menu options. Some apps will stay in whatever mode you were in when closing and restarting the app. My LG V20 was like that and always in manual mode. My V60 reverts to auto mode when I start the app, which I don't like. Some third party apps also have a Program mode, where you can adjust the ISO or shutter, and the app will adjust the other automatically to maintain a proper overall exposure.

 

[blackhawkhot]

With little practice, it almost becomes second nature even on a phone. When you swap into manual mode, the various settings are set to auto, allowing you the option of taking an auto mode photo or instantly adjust the settings without going through menu options. Some apps will stay in whatever mode you were in when closing and restarting the app. My LG V20 was like that and always in manual mode. My V60 reverts to auto mode when I start the app, which I don't like. Some third party apps also have a Program mode, where you can adjust the ISO or shutter, and the app will adjust the other automatically to maintain a proper overall exposure.

You have physical controls on a DSRL. The aperture, focus and zoom rings are big, smooth and easy to operate without looking at them. Instinctively.
No touch screens; will shoot in a down pour.

 

[Mooncatt]

...will shoot in a down pour.

Not all of them. Though, the Pentax K1 ii kit I'm wanting could.

 

[blackhawkhot]

Not all of them. Though, the Pentax K1 ii kit I'm wanting could.

Canon pro bodies and L lens. The L zooms are front vented so a high quality UV filter is recommended to keep moisture and dust out.

Pros upgrade regularly so good deals are out there for both pro bodies/L lens.
Canon provides full support including complete factory calibration. On older L lens check with Canon for parts inventory before buying... so it remains serviceable.

 

[stevo82]

I had to return my ultra. The depth of field was way too narrow, if I held a business card two feet away, it would start out sharp and it gradually went to soft/blurry. It was bad enough to where I preferred my s9+. The 100x zoom is a complete joke, but honestly I knew that when getting the phone and never planned on using it. For a phone with a MSRP of $1400 I expected it to do a lot better when I just want to point and shoot, because do you honestly want to use manual mode every single time? I have a Sony A7iii for that, I just want my phone to a quick picture. It was updated with the April software upgrade for at&t so I'm assuming it had all the latest camera software updates but it still hunted in and out trying to find focus way to much. I think Samsung just tried to hard with it, the fact that the lower end models perform better says a lot.

 

[VidJunky]

I saw this in my Google Feed. I didn't read it but if they are trying then maybe it will mean that users will get some improvement....
Samsung Issues Crucial Update For ‘Unfixable’ Galaxy S20 Ultra Problem

 

[Mike Dee]

I had to return my ultra. The depth of field was way too narrow, if I held a business card two feet away, it would start out sharp and it gradually went to soft/blurry. It was bad enough to where I preferred my s9+. The 100x zoom is a complete joke, but honestly I knew that when getting the phone and never planned on using it. For a phone with a MSRP of $1400 I expected it to do a lot better when I just want to point and shoot, because do you honestly want to use manual mode every single time? I have a Sony A7iii for that, I just want my phone to a quick picture. It was updated with the April software upgrade for at&t so I'm assuming it had all the latest camera software updates but it still hunted in and out trying to find focus way to much. I think Samsung just tried to hard with it, the fact that the lower end models perform better says a lot.

Are you sure you had the latest update.

 

[stevo82]

Are you sure you had the latest update.

That was back in March/April before that update came out.

 

[BergerKing]

Hey, @felloffthetruck, I took a moment to adjust your thread title to better reflect the problem. As members have noted, while the camera is less-than-perfect, it isn't actually broken. But I still left the ferocity of your ire with the caps when replacing the word "BROKEN", to better express the truth. Sorry so many have had to deal with this issue. It would peeve me, too!

 

[J Dubbs]

Eh... but is it the best setup that Samsung could do?? I mean I agree with Mike Dee that you can't call it a QC issue... because that's the way they wanted to send it out.

But... Call it a Quality issue?? Call it sending out a product 2/3rds baked?? They knew they were releasing these phone with autofocus not sorted out with the thought that they could with a software update after launch. I just can't see how they didn't know. But is that how you want to launch a $1400 phone??

Who said it... Don't buy a phone with a promise of something to be fixed in an update??

Hey it's only a $1600 phone right? You can't expect much for that from Sammy..... it's not like you paid for a premium phone or anything lol. If you want quality control from Samsung you need to pay 2 months worth of mortgage for your phones, not 1 :O

Ah those nasty first world problems strike again ;-)

 

[J Dubbs]

What makes it difficult with a phone camera is the lack of physical controls. With my SLR, I can instinctively adjust exposure time, aperture value, speedlite serrings, etc. within a couple seconds without looking at the controls.

But when those settings are buried behind a few menus on a camera phone, by the time you navigate through them you will have missed the shot.

So the trouble some people are having is not simply "not understanding how real cameras work," so to speak, but that maybe there needs to be better balance between trying to replicate a "pro" camera in a cell phone and having enough automatic capabilities to make it manageable.

For $1600 the phone should have came with a camera ready for the typical cell phone user to use easily...... cell phone purchasers aren't professional photographers, and Samsung knows that. They just wanted another cash grab and once again got caught with their pants down.

They're not worried though because we've shown them they can pretty much do whatever they want and we'll keep paying more and more for their phones. The skies the limit right? LoL

 

[Mike Dee]

Hey it's only a $1600 phone right? You can't expect much for that from Sammy..... it's not like you paid for a premium phone or anything lol. If you want quality control from Samsung you need to pay 2 months worth of mortgage for your phones, not 1 :O

Ah those nasty first world problems strike again ;-)

Quality control is not the issue.