Show us your pics here!

[jtcannonball]

Yeah... then it seems like that's just Samsung's post-processing style. The skin-smoothing and overexposure is really bothersome to me.

It's kind of insane that the Pixel 4 XL can still capture faster, sharper, and better contrasts in their still photography. It's a real testament to their algorithms. It's just such a shame the Pixel doesn't lead in other categories as well, like video-taking and hardware features+design. Nearly everything else, the S21+ does better or just as well.

I'm not sure if I should just go back to my 4 XL and holdout for the Pixel 6 (and pray Google gets better at hardware...) or just try to enjoy the S21+ for what it does well....

Will you keep your Ultra? What device are you coming from?

I’m waiting it out to see if there is an update this week. I have my Pixel 4xl and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Everything about the Ultra is amazing except the processing of the photos. They are not garbage like some years past but definitely are in need of addressing.

 

[Ragnarianrok]

I’m waiting it out to see if there is an update this week. I have my Pixel 4xl and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Everything about the Ultra is amazing except the processing of the photos. They are not garbage like some years past but definitely are in need of addressing.

Yeah, I feel like any other tradeoffs with the S21+ are acceptable or just a matter of muscle memory and getting used to it, but the processing of still photography still leaves a lot to be desired. Based on reviews, I thought it would be a lot closer to the Pixel 4 XL, but apparently not.

The main issues with still photography are:

1) shutter speed is a small beat slower than the Pixel 4 XL. I literally get a different photo on the S21+ because the subject has moved. It's not end of the world, but it's certainly not as quick nor as sharp as the Pixel 4 XL reliably puts out.

2) Overexposure and overprocessing with the smoothing out of skin. I'm not sure if it's the sensors or what, but the S21+ just doesn't deal with contrast as well as the Pixel 4 XL.

Outside of this, the camera experience is otherwise good and sometimes better (video taking and video-editing features are amazing!).

I'm really not trying to be a "hater." The S21+ is really enjoyable in almost every other area, but I am disappointed by the still photography. I do want to move on from the Pixel to enjoy other features, but still-photography, once again, holding me back...

 

[Dualmonitors]

Sleepy!

 

[jlangner]

Few from walk at lunch

 

[Guyinbox]

Yeah... then it seems like that's just Samsung's post-processing style. The skin-smoothing and overexposure is really bothersome to me.

It's kind of insane that the Pixel 4 XL can still capture faster, sharper, and better contrasts in their still photography. It's a real testament to their algorithms. It's just such a shame the Pixel doesn't lead in other categories as well, like video-taking and hardware features+design. Nearly everything else, the S21+ does better or just as well.

I'm not sure if I should just go back to my 4 XL and holdout for the Pixel 6 (and pray Google gets better at hardware...) or just try to enjoy the S21+ for what it does well....

Will you keep your Ultra? What device are you coming from?

This is pretty much what I was afraid of. I've tested the camera on every Samsung I've owned, but hoped the ultra would be better. They just cannot capture a shot with the slightest bit movement, and indoor pics of family always gave their faces a soft ghostly look lol.

It sounds like even if i keep the ultra, I would probably want to switch phones again the the pixel 6 came out, assuming they actually make a premium model this year. I'm really looking forward to the better battery life on the ultra though, so I'd love to be able to keep it.

Have you tried a gcam port yet? If not, I'd love for someone to use it then comparing their pictures to a pixel.

 

[Ragnarianrok]

This is pretty much what I was afraid of. I've tested the camera on every Samsung I've owned, but hoped the ultra would be better. They just cannot capture a shot with the slightest bit movement, and indoor pics of family always gave their faces a soft ghostly look lol.

It sounds like even if i keep the ultra, I would probably want to switch phones again the the pixel 6 came out, assuming they actually make a premium model this year. I'm really looking forward to the better battery life on the ultra though, so I'd love to be able to keep it.

Have you tried a gcam port yet? If not, I'd love for someone to use it then comparing their pictures to a pixel.

I would try the Gcam... Maybe have both apps? One for stills and the samsung one for videos... Argh.

I feel your frustration, both with Samsung and with Google (regarding hopes for the pixel 6...)

 

[Dualmonitors]

 

[rikken]

Moon at 30 and 100 x zoom.

 

[Ragnarianrok]

View attachment 331214

View attachment 331216

Great photos. Do you jsut point and shoot? Or do you adjust to get the contrast right?

Whenever I point and shoot, my photos come out overexposed and somewhat washed out... Not sure why. I have to always lower the slider so the contrast is higher to get a good shot like that.

Are you on the Ultra?

 

[Seanetta]

Don't know what everyone is moaning for the images are fantastic!! Here is 3x and 10x zoom they are crisp. There is a few artifacts on zoomed images with moving people but nothing too bad

 

[Oscar Maradiaga]

Moon at 30 and 100 x zoom.View attachment 331217View attachment 331218

This is amazing

 

[Oscar Maradiaga]

My galaxy S20 Ultra could never it would struggle to focus in this same mug

 

[Simon86]

View attachment 331219
View attachment 331220
View attachment 331221
View attachment 331222

Don't know what everyone is moaning for the images are fantastic!! Here is 3x and 10x zoom they are crisp. There is a few artifacts on zoomed images with moving people but nothing too bad

Floosie in the jacuzzi Hey fellow brummie.

 

[GrumpyMomofMacR]

I noticed the same exact issues testing my husbands s21 Ultra last night on cat photos. So getting an Ultra won’t help, in case you’re wondering. He’s still setting the phone up but I hope to be able to test a bit more over the weekend.

 

[Ragnarianrok]

I noticed the same exact issues testing my husbands s21 Ultra last night on cat photos. So getting an Ultra won’t help, in case you’re wondering. He’s still setting the phone up but I hope to be able to test a bit more over the weekend.

Hi, same issues as which, me? With the over processed skin smoothing and overexposure?

I noticed it's not just skin smoothing, my carpet and my dog's hair all seem to get smoothed out to an unnatural degree. I don't quite understand what Samsung is going for here -- are they really trying that hard to smooth blemishes out? I'm not sure why this is still something Samsung can't get quite right.

Some photos look like they just have no contrast at all.

These are Pixel 4 XL vs S21+ photos. Take a guess which is which. I just pointed and shot:

And yes, in the second set, the S21+ shutter was too slow, so it captured my dog blinking... Like I've said before, the shutter is just a beat behind, enough to sometimes get a different photo if the subject is moving.

 

[YankInDaSouth]

Hi, same issues as which, me? With the over processed skin smoothing and overexposure?

I noticed it's not just skin smoothing, my carpet and my dog's hair all seem to get smoothed out to an unnatural degree. I don't quite understand what Samsung is going for here -- are they really trying that hard to smooth blemishes out? I'm not sure why this is still something Samsung can't get quite right.

Some photos look like they just have no contrast at all.

These are Pixel 4 XL vs S21+ photos. Take a guess which is which. I just pointed and shot:

And yes, in the second set, the S21+ shutter was too slow, so it captured my dog blinking... Like I've said before, the shutter is just a beat behind, enough to sometimes get a different photo if the subject is moving.

Wow, this is disappointing to see ... and the same issue I've had with Samsung phones for a while. I had the Note 10+ for several months and kept trying to love it cuz it is an awesome device and does A LOT of stuff really great, but I always found myself popping my SIM back in my Pixel 3 - especially if I was going somewhere that I knew I'd want to take pictures (especially especially if that place was indoors! LOL). I just couldn't trust the Note 10+ to capture good, consistent pictures I was happy with. Tried GCAM ports, which helped, but those often acted finicky for me and couldn't be trusted either.

I eventually ended up selling the Note 10+ (not just because of the camera (although it was BIG deciding factor) but I just prefer Pixel software experience too) and I'm back with my Pixel 3. I plan on hanging on to it until October when it stops getting updates and I'll evaluate the market and see what's out there.

 

[Ragnarianrok]

Wow, this is disappointing to see ... and the same issue I've had with Samsung phones for a while. I had the Note 10+ for several months and kept trying to love it cuz it is an awesome device and does A LOT of stuff really great, but I always found myself popping my SIM back in my Pixel 3 - especially if I was going somewhere that I knew I'd want to take pictures (especially especially if that place was indoors! LOL). I just couldn't trust the Note 10+ to capture good, consistent pictures I was happy with. Tried GCAM ports, which helped, but those often acted finicky for me and couldn't be trusted either.

I eventually ended up selling the Note 10+ (not just because of the camera (although it was BIG deciding factor) but I just prefer Pixel software experience too) and I'm back with my Pixel 3. I plan on hanging on to it until October when it stops getting updates and I'll evaluate the market and see what's out there.

Yeah, I'm quite surprised it's this bad.

Two things I was always on the lookout for to cross over to Samsung was camera and software. The software experience -- with the exception of maybe one or two minor things -- is solid. I think Samsung finally nailed it down. It's smooth, it's stable, many of the extra features are actually sensible and helpful, and Samsung seems to be doing a great job with monthly sec updates + the promise of three years of OS updates. A- grade here.

But with the camera's still photography, it seems they just haven't quite closed that gap or have decided this sort of skin-smoothing and overexposure is the way to be. Either way, it's once again, holding me back from leaving the Pixel.

I really want to like the S21+ for all it does well -- as you say, Samsung gets a lot right -- but the results of these photographs are very disappointing. Based on reviews, I was lead to believe the differences would be minor and would come down to mainly "preference." This is not preference. The Samsung photos are outright over-processed, over-smoothed, and over exposed.

The question is, is Google capable of putting out a competitive flagship device that finally catches up on hardware and features for the Pixel 6? I honestly don't know.

 

[Dualmonitors]

Hi, same issues as which, me? With the over processed skin smoothing and overexposure?

I noticed it's not just skin smoothing, my carpet and my dog's hair all seem to get smoothed out to an unnatural degree. I don't quite understand what Samsung is going for here -- are they really trying that hard to smooth blemishes out? I'm not sure why this is still something Samsung can't get quite right.

Some photos look like they just have no contrast at all.

These are Pixel 4 XL vs S21+ photos. Take a guess which is which. I just pointed and shot:

And yes, in the second set, the S21+ shutter was too slow, so it captured my dog blinking... Like I've said before, the shutter is just a beat behind, enough to sometimes get a different photo if the subject is moving.

@Ragnarianrok:

So is the darker carpeting the Samsung and the lighter carpeting the Pixel?

in any case, which color of the carpeting (in the pictures) is closest to the real life color of your carpeting?

 

[Ragnarianrok]

@Ragnarianrok:

So is the darker carpeting the Samsung and the lighter carpeting the Pixel?

in any case, which color of the carpeting (in the pictures) is closest to the real life color of your carpeting?

It goes like this:

Picture 1: Pixel
2: Samsung
3: Pixel
4: Samsung

So the darker carpeting is the Pixel actually.

In terms of what's closer to real life, the Pixel. While the carpet isn't that dark and contrasty, it's much closer than waht the Samsung is presenting, which is this oddly smoothed out, almost not-fluffy pale-green carpet.

Not to mention the dog looks the same way; the hair is overly smoothed out, the color too light brown, and just general lack of contrast.

It does the same thing with human subjects. A lot of skin smoothing and almost white-washing of skin tones. Very little proper contrast and saturation.

For anyone wondering, I did update to the latest firmware that was supposed to have improved camera patches.

 

[Dualmonitors]

It goes like this:

Picture 1: Pixel
2: Samsung
3: Pixel
4: Samsung

So the darker carpeting is the Pixel actually.

In terms of what's closer to real life, the Pixel. While the carpet isn't that dark and contrasty, it's much closer than waht the Samsung is presenting, which is this oddly smoothed out, almost not-fluffy pale-green carpet.

Not to mention the dog looks the same way; the hair is overly smoothed out, the color too light brown, and just general lack of contrast.

It does the same thing with human subjects. A lot of skin smoothing and almost white-washing of skin tones. Very little proper contrast and saturation.

wow, quite a surprise!

i actually thought, without the benefit of knowing the real color (in real life) of the carpeting, that the lighter two pictures showed off your dog better. your dog's body/coat in the two darker pictures appeared to be a bit too dark to me, but of course, i don't have the dog and the carpeting to compare with.