Galaxy S27 Ultra without a 3x camera would be a difficult leap for photographers

According to a new report, next year Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra could ditch the lackluster 3x zoom cameramoving the next-gen flagship to a triple camera system instead of the long-running quad array that Ultra flagships are typically known for. With the additional space, Samsung is reportedly revamping its main camera with variable aperture capabilities while doubling down on its 5x lens to capture distant details with a 200MP sensor of its own.

It sounds reasonable on paper, but this rumor has me more than worried. Not because Samsung’s 3x camera has been a must-have feature on recent Ultras. I agree with the commenters who aren’t exactly in love with Samsung’s mid-range telephoto lens. While it may be useful for portraits, the level of detail leaves a lot to be desired and has proven to be incredibly noisy in low light. However, today’s bigger and better 3x zoom lenses have quickly become my favorite tool on the market. best camera phones.

Take the lead OPPO Find X9 Ultra, vivo X300 Ultraeither Xiaomi 17 Ultra. All three feature large 200MP sensors with wide apertures, OIS, and other top-notch camera features, and they’ve bundled them into a familiar 3x telephoto package. The results speak for themselves. On the other side of Android Authority team, we have marveled at the results of each of these powerful 3x shooters. Just take a look.

These three phones lend themselves to wonderful portraits thanks to the natural compression blur effect of their 3x cameras. They can capture exquisite detail at moderate distances, offer macro shots with better depth than ultra-wide lenses, work very well in low light conditions, and generally make framing shots much easier, with better results. It looks like Samsung is giving up on the idea of ​​a great 3x lens, just as other brands have demonstrated the technology to finally make them really bright.

At the same time, I’m far from convinced that a single powerful 5x lens is the solution to the phone camera versatility problem. For one thing, the typical 120mm focal length ends up in relative no man’s land. It’s too narrow for natural-looking portraits, which ideally require a lens in the 35-70mm range. Even the latest and greatest 3x cameras tend to sit at the higher end of this ideal. At the same time, very long distance photography for wildlife, sports and the like usually starts at 200mm (around 10x). Although 400mm and up is better for turning distant shots into close-ups, hence the last trend in mobile lens extender kits.

That’s not to say that 5x cameras are useless. They’re still very useful for zooming in on landscapes, offering macros without zooming in, and with enough pixel data and good lighting, they can also provide the coveted 10x capabilities. They can be good shots in their own right.

The biggest problem is that there is a lot of missing utility between the 22mm main/wide camera and a 120mm 5x camera which this setup will always struggle with. My time with the latest Pixel Pro models has been a frustrating experience, as I’ve struggled with questionable quality between the 1x and 5x lenses. Portraits, in particular, suffer from a lack of both natural blur and fine detail. As you can see in the image below, the higher resolution sensor crops can be maintained in the overall presentation, but they don’t benefit from the natural compression of true focal length lenses.

Compared to the quality I’ve been capturing with the aforementioned Chinese Ultra phones, the 2x to 4x Pixel 10 Pro XL just doesn’t compare in quality. Whether it’s details at medium distances, macro and portrait shots, or solid HDR capabilities in low-light zoom, these phones feel light years ahead. If Google’s computational photography hasn’t been able to solve the problems with a modestly sized triple camera formula, I’d be very surprised if Samsung could do better, even with 200 megapixels on its main and telephoto cameras.

This brings me back to my initial concern: as welcome as an improved main camera and improved 5x zoom would be for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, it seems like a wrong bet given what the best in the business can currently do with a powerful 3x camera. Photography is much more than having impeccable megapixels, white balance and HDR, which seems to be the mantra of Google and Samsung.

Of course, cropping 50 or even 200 megapixel data technically allows you to achieve 2x and even 4x zoom levels with a “lossless” 12MP output, but that has its caveats. The benefits of pixel binning are lost, which means more noise, worse HDR, and less detail from discarding pixel data. More importantly, the camera still shoots with the same optics, with the same depth of field and background compression settings as at 1x, resulting in flatter, busier images that make it harder to be truly creative. A great camera allows the photographer to make the most of whatever they are photographing: portraits, landscapes, a concert, or even pets. To do this, you need the right focal lengths, along with the hardware and software foundations.

Personally, I’d go for a more modest main camera and even get rid of those iffy ultrawides if it meant I could just have a powerful camera closer to the 50mm sweet spot. But don’t take my word for it, read any recommendations for the first lens a budding photographer should buy for their lovely new mirrorless. You always come back with the same answers: a good 35mm prime or an 18-70mm variable. Because? These are the most versatile and realistic focal lengths for shooting.

So no, I’m not convinced that the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra dropping its rightly mocked 3x telephoto lens is as good as it might seem. It would be much better to redouble our efforts and build the best 3x camera that modern technology can offer. I hope the rumor is wrong.