Galaxy S22 Ultra vs S21 Ultra: Camera Comparison

Table of Contents:
On paper, the cameras on this new S22 Ultra have almost the same specs as the S21 Ultra: main camera with the same 108 megapixel sensor, identical ultra-wide camera, and also very similar dual zoom cameras, one at 3X zoom and a periscope 10X zoom lens (the S22 Ultra actually uses slightly smaller sensors).
S22 Ultra vs S21 Ultra Camera Specs:
Galaxy S22 Ultra |
Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|
---|---|---|
Main (wide) camera | 108MP, 23mm lens, f/1.8, OIS 1/1.33″ Samsung HM3 sensor |
108MP, 24mm lens, f/1.8, OIS 1/1.33″ Samsung HM3 sensor |
Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, 13mm lens, f/2.2 1/2.55″ Sony IMX563 sensor |
12MP, 13mm lens, f/2.2 1/2.55″ sensor |
Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3X zoom (69mm), f/2.4, OIS 1/3.52″ Sony IMX754 sensor |
10MP, 3X zoom (72mm), f/2.4, OIS 1/3.24″ Samsung S5K3J1 sensor |
Additional cameras | 10MP, 10X zoom (230mm), f/4.9, OIS 1/3.52″ Sony IMX754 sensor |
10MP, 10X zoom (240mm), f/4.9, OIS 1/3.24″ Samsung S5K3J1 sensor |
Front camera | 40MP 1/2.8″ S5KGH1 sensor |
40MP 1/2.8″ S5KGH1 sensor |
But the reality is that it’s mostly about the software and the processing these days, and for that, we need to take a look at the actual photos.
Main camera – day photos
And sometimes, the S22 Ultra just goes a little crazy with exposure and on this photo with Copernicus holding a gyroscope, the S21 Ultra has done a much better job with a proper exposure. So summing it all up, during the day, you often can get a nicer look out of the S22 Ultra, but the camera definitely has a few kinks too and sometimes the older S21 Ultra actually has the better image.
Main Camera – night photos
Look at these pictures and you’d notice something common: S21 Ultra photos all have a kind of a light pollution that almost invisibly layers on top of photos in the form of flare or color pollution. And with the S22, Samsung has managed to get rid of all of that in one fell swoop.
Night shots from the new Ultra look impressively clean, detail is plentiful. Lens flare is incredibly well controlled, and yes, colors are still warmer and sure, this sometimes results in exaggerated colors, with whites looking a bit too orange, but it’s just how clean these shots are that impresses.
We also love how the skies are now rendered a darker shade of blue compared to the S21 Ultra, which gives night images a much more authentic feel.
Samsung explains the night photo magic is thanks to a new Night Solution algorithm, with the camera capturing multiple frames, removing the blurry ones and merging the rest with a splash of AI color enhancement. All of this happens in the background without you even noticing.
Zoom cameras
Just look at that electric scooter, again highlights are blown out, while the new Ultra has it captured perfectly, a good illustration of the improvements made to the 10X zoom lens.
At 3X zoom, there is a bit of a difference in color processing, again with a consistently warmer look from the newer S22 Ultra. And yes, the S22 can definitely go a bit overboard sometimes.
During the day, 10X zoom photos are definitely cleaner and the camera just feels better stabilized in the app. Take a look at a few street signs, whites were commonly blown out on the S21 Ultra, and now you get a much improved dynamic range, sharper detail and more pleasing colors.
The processing is also interesting, the new Ultra aggressively cleans up noise in night photos, while the S21 has a lot more noise.
Ultra-wide camera
First, simply because it actually uses night mode with the ultra-wide camera which brings a world of difference. You get a ton more light and color out of ultra-wide photos at night, it really is a night and day difference.
Images from the older Ultra appear washed out and lacking in clarity, while the S22 gets very sharp detail and beautiful colors.
In other cases, like the photo of the road, the more vibrant look of the S22 Ultra looks a bit better and has more pop.
Selfies
And here are a few selfies, you can choose between a wider view for a group of friends or a close-up view if it’s just you, and you can notice a similar processing as with the main camera: warmer colors on the S22 Ultra are definitely a thing!
Samsung is traditionally great at selfies, it has absolutely incredible processing with beautiful colors and plenty of detail, the skin tone often looks just right, and you have an excellent dynamic range in the background.
You can also use portrait mode for selfies to blur the background, and that works well too.
Look a bit closer, and you’d notice that Samsung applies a more aggressive “bokeh” effect in portrait mode on the newer phone.
Conclusion

So, time to draw the proverbial line in the sand… is the S22 Ultra the perfect camera?
The answer is “no”, but it’s above all a strange camera. It can absolutely blow you away with some shots, especially at night where Samsung has stepped up big time and also with the 10X zoom camera, plus it can finally stand neck to neck with the iPhones in video quality, but in some rather simple shots during the day, it underperforms with bleaker colors and artificial, oversharpened detail.