TehnoBlog

We’ve tested 2 flagship phones based on Android OS platform with enormous zoom up to 50x (Huawei) and 100x (Samsung), breakthrough 100+ Megapixels sensor and 8k video recording capabilities. Are we impressed or disappointed?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Huawei P40 Pro Main/Wide/Tele 0.6x 1x 5x 50x Zoom Photo Quality Comparison

Image quality comparison – pixel-peeping analysis of indoor performance under good LED lighting conditions of two flagship models in the year 2020. Who is the best? Who is the winner? Watch this video to find out!

About Video: Many phone camera comparison reviews only show downscaled images e.g. when viewed on screens with limited size and resolution (FHD/QHD/4k) it is hard to clearly see the details down to the pixel level and exact amount of difference in quality. For this very reason, the examples below are enlarged by a factor from 2 (200%) to 8 (800%) depending on the scene and initial optical zoom ratio, so that it becomes easier to see the difference, even on small mobile phone screens.

Samsung Galaxy S Plus series is no longer as compact as the latest Samsung Galaxy Note series. With the latest trend in phones getting bigger and bigger every week, the boundary between different classes and sizes is practically disappearing. In fact, S20 Ultra is actually bigger, thicker and heavier phone than Note20 Ultra.

Camera Specification: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Photo Resolution: 12 MP 4000×3000 pixels (native 4:3 ratio)
Main Camera System: 108 MP 1/1.33″ / 0.8 um pitch nonacell sensor with f/1.8 aperture / 26 mm focal length / 79 degrees field of view
Tele Camera System: 48 MP with f/3.5 aperture and 103 mm maximum focal length (approx. 4x optical zoom)
Wide Camera System: 12 MP with 1.4µm f/2.2 sensor and 13mm focal length 120 degrees field of view
Tele Zoom Range: 4x Optical / 10x Hybrid Zoom / Up to 100x combined Hybrid / Digital Zoom (advertised as Space zoom)

Camera Specification: Huawei P40 Pro

Photo Resolution: 12.5 MP 4096×3072 pixels (native 4:3 ratio)
Main Camera System: 50 MP Quad-Bayer sensor (unspecified size) with f/1.9 aperture / 23 mm focal length
Tele Camera System: 12 MP with 1/2.0″ / 0.8 um pitch / sensor with f/3.4 aperture and 125 mm maximum focal length (approx. 5.4x optical zoom)
Wide Camera System: 40 MP 1/1.54″ sensor with f/1.8 aperture and 18mm focal length with 100 degrees field of view / PDAF
Tele Zoom Range: 5x optical / Up to 50x combined Hybrid / Digital Zoom

Camera Review Conclusion: Samsung Galaxy S20 ULTRA

PROS

• 1x zoom photos are of excellent quality with details and balanced Noise Reduction
• Overall great contrast, nice colors, saturated a bit
• Good / Excellent sharpness at 1x zoom range
• Good / Excellent sharpness at 2x ~ 4x zoom range in center of the image
• ULTRA WIDE cam with very large field of view and better dynamic range than P40 Pro
• Video mode is truly excellent, with great colors, crisp details and contrast

CONS

• 20x ~ 50x zoom photos have stronger Noise Reduction than P40 Pro
• 20x ~ 100x zoom photos are over-exposed losing details in white / highlight areas
• 50x ~ 100x zoom photos are very soft lacking any texture detail
• 50x ~ 100x zoom framing is shaky and requires very steady hands !!!
• 5x ~ 10x zoom photos are noticeably sharper with more details at center than sides

Camera Review Conclusion: Huawei P40 Pro

PROS

• Overall solid colors, undersaturated a bit
• Good / Excellent sharpness at 1x ~ 5x zoom range
• Good Close-Up texture details, but…
• Overall great for still photography, but…
• Photos are clean with obvious medium / high Noise Reduction algorithm applied

CONS

• 10x ~ 50x zoom scenes are very soft and lack any serious texture detail
• 10x ~ 50x zoom scenes preserve more details than S20 Ultra but still very low
• 50x feels a bit less shaky / more stable to shoot with bare hands than on S20 Ultra
• Texture quality at 1x Close-Up is good but color / white balance is a little bit off
• Missing support for Google Apps & Services — otherwise excellent phone overall
• Video mode is good, but not as good as on Samsung S20 Ultra