All the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s new camera tricks and how to really use them

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra (what is officially for sale, along with the rest of the Galaxy S21 line), it already prove it packs a formidable camera, full of features to help beginners and professionals make brilliant recordings when they are around. This is not a dramatic overhaul of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, with head specs like the 108-megapixel sensor and 100x zoom commonly found on both phones. But there are some new tricks to know about.

Let’s dive in to see what features are new and how to use them.

Single shot

Single recording is a feature that allows the phone to record multiple images and video clips – each applied with a different effect – by pressing the shutter button just once. Its purpose is to enable you to take a whole range of interesting photos and videos of, for example, your child unpacking a birthday present, without having to decide in advance on a specific style, zoom lens or filter.

It was a feature that on the Galaxy S20, but it has been expanded to produce even more effects. It sounds complicated, but it is very simple to use. To get started, in single-shot camera mode, tap the mode button next to the shutter button. Then you just have to tap the shutter button and wait for the ten seconds it takes to capture everything. The idea is that you move around, maybe the camera will move between faces, so the phone has more material to work with to create all the different options for you.

Once you are done, you can go to the gallery and find your Single Take file and swipe up to see the different items it is manufactured. There will be still images, different clips of videos, GIFs, which will apply effects. You can save everyone or choose your favorites to share with friends and family.

Use the zoom

The S21 Ultra has a 3x optical zoom, a 10x optical zoom and can take digitally zoomed images up to 30x and 100x. It’s easy to use. In standard camera mode, you see small leaf icons next to the shutter button. A single leaf means to zoom in (ie to get closer to the leaf); the three-leaf icon means the use of the super-wide lens (ie capturing more leaves in one shot). When you tap on the icons, you are quickly zoomed to 3x or 10x, but you can also tap on the numbers that appear next to it.

It only works the same whether you zoom in when taking a still image or when recording your video.

Night mode

The real night mode on the S21 Ultra can be frustrating to see if you’re not a phone yet, and you may not even know it’s even there. The phone can take beautiful photos in low camera mode in low light, but browse when things get really dark More on the mode panel next to the shutter button and you will see a whole range of different shooting options.

One of these is called Night and is represented by a moon image. In this mode, the phone will take a few seconds to capture more light. While it uses image stabilization to keep the recording as sharp as possible, you can further help it by holding a hand as steady as possible, or even better by stabilizing your hands on a wall or other object to reduce hand shake.

Director’s view

A new feature for the S21, Director’s View, is a video feature that shows you thumbnails of what the scene you are shooting will look like with the different zoom lenses. You can find it on the same menu screen as night mode (tap More on the mode dial). Once there, you can see the different thumbnails instantly and can tap to record videos in each zoom length.

However, Director’s View has an additional feature that allows you to record video with the front and rear cameras at the same time. The idea is that you can film a scene in front of you, while also capturing your own reaction to it. If you’re in Director’s View, you will see a square box at the top right of the screen (if held in portrait orientation, or at the top left if held in landscape view). If you tap on this, you can choose how to display the front video; as a split screen view where your face occupies half the screen, or as a smaller picture-in-picture style, where you appear as a small window covered on the main view.

By tapping on one of these taps, your face is brought into the picture and by taking the recording, you can record video with both sides at the same time. However, keep in mind that the phone permanently bakes both videos in one file, so do not shoot with the front and rear camera immediately in the hope of separating it later into individual videos.

108 megapixel images

The 108-megapixel resolution of the main camera sensor is great and although it’s the same resolution as the S20 Ultra, some software tweaks have been given to improve it, so it’s worth checking out not yet done. Launch it in the standard camera mode to activate it, and you will see a few icons at the top of the screen (or left if you hold it in landscape mode), one of which is for the aspect ratio and will be indicated by numbers as shown 3: 4, 1: 1 or Full.

Tap on it and you will see the 108MP 3: 4 option. By tapping, the high resolution mode will be activated, but keep in mind that you will not be able to use the zoom lenses as it only depends on the image sensor of the main camera.

12-bit raw

Samsung has apparently boosted the S21 Ultra in its raw shooting capabilities with support for 12-bit raw files. Raw files are essentially ‘digital negatives’ that do not store information such as white balance or digital grinding, which gives a better base image to edit the recording later. Raw files are usually used by professional photographers who want the best control and quality of their images.

12-bit raw files, in theory, capture more dynamic range, which contains more detail in the highlights and shadows. This might be a pro feature, so it’s no surprise that you should enter More and then activate the Pro wise. It contains all the manual settings for exposure, white balance and autofocus, so it’s only worth experimenting with if you have confidence in your photography knowledge. To activate the mourning mode, take an extra step; tap on the settings wheel, enter Format and advanced options and switch on RAW copies, which allows the phone to take a raw image as well as a standard JPEG.

Keep in mind, however, that raw files take up much more space than JPEG images. So if you have little space, make sure you do not turn on this mode and accidentally fill your gallery with high resolution raw images of your pet. Unless that’s what you’re talking about.