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Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

Started 8 months ago | Discussions
seri_art
seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

I recently bought a Galaxy S22 to replace my old S7. As a camera, I'm quite pleased with the results from the "normal" 1x lens. but after a few tests using the 3x zoom lens, not one of the images is very sharp. Anyone else had that experience?

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atom14
atom14 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,299
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

Is this using the 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm 3x optical zoom lens, or is it somehow doing a 3X digital zoom on the 50MPx camera?

If the latter, I would certainly expect a lower quality image. I know on my A33 that any digital zoom is no "write home about" quality, even when using its 48MPx camera.

atom14.

seri_art
OP seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens
1

atom14 wrote:

Is this using the 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm 3x optical zoom lens, or is it somehow doing a 3X digital zoom on the 50MPx camera?

If the latter, I would certainly expect a lower quality image. I know on my A33 that any digital zoom is no "write home about" quality, even when using its 48MPx camera.

atom14.

It's the 3x optical zoom.

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Nigel Clifford Senior Member • Posts: 1,012
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

I’ve just done a few test shots with my S22 U, 1X  v 3X, and the 3X looks pretty good. When testing in portrait mode you do have to be careful to nail the focus area as the phone/camera will blur the surrounding areas.

Nigel

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seri_art
OP seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

Nigel Clifford wrote:

I’ve just done a few test shots with my S22 U, 1X v 3X, and the 3X looks pretty good. When testing in portrait mode you do have to be careful to nail the focus area as the phone/camera will blur the surrounding areas.

I didn't (I think) use portrait mode; I just tapped the "3". I think I'll go back to the T-Mobile store I bought it from and try a 3x photo on one of their sample S22s and do the same with my S22.

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Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: Do you mean S22 or S22+?
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Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: Do you mean S22 or S22+

I have the S22+ which has 3X optical zoom and find that if I am too close to my subject I will get soft images.

You have to not be too close and also tap on the screen where you want the subject to be in focus.

I do find that the phone tends to smooth out skin a bit too much.  I'd like to see more texture.

Here's a 3X zoom in Portrait mode,with the background blue option.

I take a lot of flower and plant photos for which I find the 3X zoom very helpful.

I really would have preferred the 10X optical zoom and macro of the Ultra but did not want such a big phone or one with its curved sides.

Isabel

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seri_art
OP seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Re: Do you mean S22 or S22+?

S22 (not +).

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seri_art
OP seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Re: Do you mean S22 or S22+

I just tried it again, about four feet away, and I made sure to first tap where I wanted it to focus. I'd say the result was quite a bit better (although I don't have my RX100M3 with me now to test against.

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redtailboas Regular Member • Posts: 420
Re: Do you mean S22 or S22+

Just to note the tele sensor is 1/3.94"... Yikes it's tiny...I'm not sure should expect much from it. The pixel 6 pro tele is 2x as big (1/2"). But that's also a $900 phone though I'm seeing them up on eBay for as little as $500+

Isabel Cutler
Isabel Cutler Forum Pro • Posts: 19,188
Re: Glad to hear the tapping helped! (nt)

seri_art wrote:

I just tried it again, about four feet away, and I made sure to first tap where I wanted it to focus. I'd say the result was quite a bit better (although I don't have my RX100M3 with me now to test against.

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jackwelch Senior Member • Posts: 1,087
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens

Why don’t you post some samples?

S22 should be very capable phone. If it’s zoom you want (and not for portrait) you don’t really need to spend so much to get a good phone with telephoto zoom, check out the moto edge 20 pro, it’s going around $300 these days and packs the same 5x optical lens that the Oneplus 10 pro does (and this phone is close to $900).

seri_art
OP seri_art Veteran Member • Posts: 3,063
Re: Dissapointed in IQ of my S22 3x zoom lens
3

jackwelch wrote:

Why don’t you post some samples?

Here you are. 100% crop of the S22 using 3x zoom lens. I'd call that quite sharp (or at least sharp enough). As I said above, this was a second test in which I first tapped the screen where I wanted it to focus. It's MUCH sharper than the first test in which I didn't first tap the screen for focus.

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