Samsung Galaxy S10 vs. Galaxy S20 Camera Comparison By M-Galaxy

Interestingly, it appears that in opposite to usual trend of increasing the HDR strength with each new generation, this time – we got decrease! In the result the S20’s picture certainly does look more natural but definitely less spectacular compared to the S10. In this one the Galaxy S20 was also able to capture colors of this ground area in a more true-to-reality fashion. …and here, the same picture shot from the ultra-wide-angle lens on both, again with the same difference in exposure and HDR department. I have to say that when I got my Galaxy S10 I had some doubts in terms of that HDR strength but now comparing both of those phones side by side gives an insight why someone may prefer that more processed look. It’s also worth to mention another difference related to the image processing – levels of exposure. The newer Galaxy S20 tends to produce darker pictures.

In case you wonder which one was more accurate in this picture, I would probably say the S20, but honestly something between the two would probably be ideal. That’s said some of you may like the results from the S10’s more. Although it’s worth to mention that the extra brightness in the older Galaxy sometimes can cause little sacrifice in from of elevated levels of noise, as in this example. I must say I didn’t expect Samsung would pacify HDR mode in this new Galaxy. Other than that they’re practically identical.

I don’t really see much improvements, even in the crop. Just to clarify HDR is still relatively solid on both but the difference is there and it is worth emphasizing. Now let’s jump to some close-ups – it’s good opportunity to talk about subtle differences in color tones. Of course this is still pretty much the same color science – so, no night and day difference, but you can notice the Galaxy S20’s pictures are a bit more saturated and vibrant compared to the old model. When it comes to the level of detail – I don’t see any major difference besides more shallow depth of field in the new Galaxy.

It also means less things are in sharpness/focus. That’s because of the new, slightly larger sensor and lack of variable aperture which was present in the S10. Again, same little difference in saturation and exposure. The S20 does feel more natural most of the time. …and I have to say I am super happy that manufacturers realize that not just software but the sensor size is one of the most important factors in building a good camera.

This time, though, the increase in the sensor size is so small that I am unfortunately not able to see those improvements. Anyway thumbs up for that increase; who knows? maybe someday we will get the proper 1-inch sensor on deck! The Michelin Tyre Man also confirms no major difference in the level of detail. Both are pretty crispy. Otherwise it’s worth to know about, I suspect, the limitations of optics in the S20. The bottom is line the distortion is there, sometimes but I don’t think it will always be that disturbing.

Another two things I have to mention – macro and autofocus. I don’t know if it has worse focusing distance or if it’s related strictly to the autofocus system but the S10 just seems much more predictable in macro photography. As you see I couldn’t get S20 to focus on this emblem. Same here, I tapped to focus on both and as you see I didn’t have any issues with the S10, just with the new S20. Now let’s have a look at the ultra-wide angle module on both.

There seem to be improvement in a corner sharpness. The S10’s picture looks a bit more warped in this area compared to the new model. As for the field of view, The ultra wide angle lens in the S10 is wider by about 3 degree in comparison with the S20. Not that I see any real difference. In regards to the telephoto – I was very disappointed when I’ve heard the S20’s zoom is no longer optical but instead it uses pixel binding from it’s high resolution 64MP sensor.

Having said that I am happy to report that the final results doesn’t differ much from the optical zoom found in the previous phone… and it now has quote on quote native 3x instead of 2x abilities to zoom. Now, let’s check the videography aspect! So, in my mind both have pretty much the same video quality. Once again – the S10 has less optical distortions in the edges and seem to be tad sharper. Although the level of detail, I would say, is comparable… …until we use the 8K resolution in the S20. Then it’s in a whole different galaxy.

If you have good lightning conditions it truly shines and shows it’s potential. Sadly it comes with huge drawbacks like poor framerate, worse stabilization, worse autofocus. and limited field of view, in case of the standard S20. All of those things makes it pretty unusable and unnecessary… …In the end I would prefer if they would’ve done for example oversampling of 6K to 4K but it is what is and 8K sounds much more impressive on paper I guess. As for low light, it seems like the new Galaxy handles noise in a slightly better manner.

There are less artifacts compared to the previous generation. We’ve also got an animation, just like in the iPhone, which shows how long you have to hold the phone still to get the best results possible. That’s nice! Additionally in some circumstances the S20’s lower level of exposure obviously mean you will end up having less noise. …and even in those poor lightning condition digital zoom on the S20 does a fairly good job, actually looks better than the S10 here. So probably it's biggest advantage in low-light performance is slightly lower level of noise.

It seems like night-mode also got little improvement. It handles bright parts of the scene better, or should I say more fancy compared to the S10. Just pay attention to those lanterns in the background. I believe now it also lets for slightly longer exposures because the S20’s night mode pictures are often brighter. In conclusion, without a doubt both phones provide with solid cameras but if you already have the Samsung Galaxy S10 – I would for sure skip the S20.

Don’t get me wrong, there are improvements like better behavior in low-light, slight upgrade in the ultra-wide-angle lens and more zoom. That’s said those changes are rather small and not worth the extra money, in my opinion. I know there is the 8K mode but in current form, at least for me – it is unusable. I would advise waiting for the next generation which will probably solve all of it’s current flaws. …and there are some noticeable downgrades from the S10 like optical distortions and autofocus issues which prevent me from recommending this new phone as an upgrade even more.

So there you go! That’s all for this video Tell me which one you think is better in the comments! This video was probably one of the most time-consuming I’ve ever made. So I’ll be very grateful if you comment, rate and share it. Also consider watching my other videos and subscribing if you want to see more of those smartphone camera comparisons and reviews. Thank you very much for watching and See you in the next one! Peace!.

Source : M-Galaxy