Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera Tips for Beginners

The newest top-of-the-line smartphone from the Samsung family, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a lot of notable features -- but one of the real highlights of this release would have to be its 200 MegaPixel main camera. In this article, TechPinas will guide you on how to make the most of this amazing smartphone's imaging capabilities. It is by no means a guide for professional photographers but aimed more at a casual user who will still prefer using auto instead of pro mode or people who are upgrading their phone and want to know the new features. 

Now, without further ado, let’s jump into the rest of the article!

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Capabilities, Specs, and Features

This new flagship smartphone is very versatile in everyday use. One of the unique features that allow the deivce to give users maximum productivity is the built-in stylus called S Pen. With it, you are able to edit photos smoothly, erase people from the background, play the newest games, you can use the included S Pen, gestures in order to command the phone, you can use the phone for work or entertainment. Many hobbies or activities need to be done in person, but with this phone you can make some of them remote. You can write articles, crate songs due to the included S Pen, try out online betting and much more instead of going to the physical place. There are tons of features, but we need to pick one so that is why here are all the camera settings for Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a remarkable blend of cutting-edge features and stylish design. Its dimensions of 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm and weight of 234 g provide a substantial yet ergonomic feel. The device boasts a robust construction with a glass front and back, both using Gorilla Glass Victus 2, encased in an armor aluminum frame, making it highly durable. Its IP68 dust and water resistance ensures protection against the elements.

The centerpiece of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals. With HDR10+ support and peak brightness of 1750 nits, this display delivers vibrant and lifelike colors even in challenging lighting conditions. The 1440 x 3088 pixel resolution results in a pixel density of around 500 ppi, contributing to exceptional clarity. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 provides added protection against scratches and minor impacts. The always-on display feature further enhances usability.

Running on Android 13 with Samsung's One UI 5.1, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset built on the 4 nm process. Its octa-core CPU configuration combines high-performance Cortex-X3 and Cortex-A710 cores with power-efficient Cortex-A510 cores, offering a balanced and efficient processing experience. The Adreno 740 GPU ensures excellent graphics performance for gaming and multimedia tasks. The memory options range from 8GB to 12GB of RAM paired with internal storage capacities starting at 256GB, all using the fast UFS 4.0 technology.

The camera setup on the Galaxy S23 Ultra is nothing short of exceptional. The quad-camera array includes a groundbreaking 200 MP main sensor, accompanied by periscope telephoto lenses offering both 10x optical zoom and 3x optical zoom capabilities. An additional 12 MP ultrawide sensor and a 12 MP selfie camera complete the imaging package. The camera system supports features like 8K video recording, 10-bit HDR10+ video capture, and gyro-based electronic image stabilization. The inclusion of an integrated stylus with Bluetooth capabilities adds further versatility, while the device's Ultra Wideband (UWB) support opens up possibilities for advanced spatial awareness applications.

The device's audio features stereo speakers, delivering high-quality sound with 32-bit/384kHz audio support tuned by AKG. The absence of a 3.5mm audio jack is compensated by the inclusion of USB Type-C audio and wireless audio capabilities. The Galaxy S23 Ultra excels in connectivity with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and various global positioning systems. Security features include an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, while Samsung DeX provides a desktop-like experience. The 5000 mAh battery can be charged at 45W wired and 15W wireless speeds, with the added convenience of 4.5W reverse wireless charging. With its impressive feature set and diverse color options, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cements its position as a flagship smartphone offering top-tier performance and innovation.

Get Samsung Galaxy Camera Assistant

If you're a beginner in using the Samsung Galaxy S23 camera system,  I would suggest that you first download an app called Camera Assistant. You can download it from the official Galaxy Store. It is an application that unlocks and gives users many more options and settings to play with in the normal Camera application.

Now after opening the normal Camera application, you should have more options in the settings menu. 

First what we want to do is to visit settings. In order to do that hit the settings icon in the top left corner of the screen. Then going from the top, we want to leave scene optimizer on, however turn off the tips and QR code scanner. The QR code thing is a matter of preference, but you can use QR code scanner either way from the apps, and it will not scan the code while taking photos, which could lead to some unwanted QR code scans on the restaurant menu for example.

Then the scroll function is dependent on your preferences, keep watermark turned off and now let’s dive into the advanced settings options. Here you should leave high performance images off and the Pro format if you intend on using it should be either RAW or JPEG and RAW. RAW files make it easier to edit afterwards.

Then go back and turn on the automatic FPS and video stabilization on, in advanced video settings you can setup the video settings to prioritize quality or space saving. You can turn the HDR on, but we personally left it off, because the colors were a bit better for our liking, but feel free to play around with this setting. Other settings here leave on default. Now going back to the previous list, go down and here u can turn on the grid lines, it helps in creating composition or centering your images, leave everything else on default and finally we come to the Camera Assistant button.

Go into these Camera Assistant settings and first of all, turn HDR on or off depending on your preferences, then lower the smoothening of the photos to either medium or fully off. It makes images a lot more natural. You can also leave the automatic switch of the lens and adaptive pixel on. If you know what you are doing you can choose it manually but for our purposes, it’s best to leave it on Auto for amateur and casual photographers.

Then turn on fast shatter mode. It will make it so when you press the shutter button to make the photo it is taken much, much faster than usual and it was also a common complaint point in the previous Samsung devices, but here you can make it exceptionally smooth. Then we set the speed to balance between speed and quality, but if you want to take photos of object in the move then set it to speed. All of the other settings here leave on default.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera To-Do List for Beginners

Having access to additional settings via Samsung Galaxy Camera Assistanty, you should certainly feel more confident in doing these tasks on your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

1. Explore Camera Modes: The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a variety of camera modes that cater to different scenarios. Experiment with modes like Pro mode for manual control, Night mode for low-light photography, and Panorama for capturing wide landscapes.

2. Understand Zoom Capabilities: The S23 Ultra's periscope telephoto lenses provide impressive zoom capabilities. Familiarize yourself with the 10x and 3x optical zoom options, and remember that digital zoom can degrade image quality.

3. Use HDR for High Contrast Scenes: HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode helps balance exposure in scenes with both bright and dark areas. It captures multiple shots at different exposures and combines them for a well-balanced photo.

4. Utilize Ultra Wide Angle: The ultrawide lens is perfect for capturing expansive landscapes and group shots. It can also produce creative perspectives. Just be mindful of distortion around the edges.

5. Steady Your Shots: The Galaxy S23 Ultra supports Super Steady video and gyro-based EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization). These features help reduce shake and blurriness in videos and photos, especially when shooting on the move.

6. Experiment with Night Mode: The Night mode enhances low-light photography by using longer exposure times. This is great for capturing well-lit photos in dimly lit environments, but use a tripod or stable surface to prevent blurriness.

7. Capture 8K Videos: The S23 Ultra allows you to record videos in 8K resolution. While this may be overkill for casual use, it provides more flexibility for editing and cropping while maintaining high-quality results.

8. Learn Manual Settings: In Pro mode, you can adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. This gives you more control over your shots, especially in challenging lighting conditions.

9. Clean Your Lenses: Keep the camera lenses clean to ensure clear and sharp photos. Use a microfiber cloth or a lens cleaning kit to remove smudges and fingerprints.

10 Backup Your Photos: The S23 Ultra might have ample storage, but it's always a good practice to back up your photos to the cloud or an external storage device to avoid data loss.

11. Edit with Samsung's Photo Editor: Samsung's built-in photo editor offers various tools to enhance your photos. You can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and even apply filters right within the Gallery app.

12. Quick Access to Camera: You can quickly launch the camera by double-pressing the power button. This is handy for capturing spontaneous moments.

13. Use Gridlines: Turn on gridlines in the camera settings. This will help you align your shots and use the rule of thirds for more visually pleasing compositions.

14. Try Different Lighting Conditions: Experiment with shooting in different lighting conditions – bright sunlight, golden hour, indoors, and low light. Each situation requires slightly different settings for the best results.

15. Practice, Practice, Practice: Becoming proficient in mobile photography takes practice. Experiment with different settings, angles, and subjects to discover your style and improve your skills.

Remember, photography is a skill that develops with practice. Don't be afraid to make mistakes – they're a part of the learning process. As you experiment with your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera, you'll gradually become more comfortable and creative with your shots. Eventually, you may also explore online photography communities and resources. By doing that, you can learn a lot from others' experiences, techniques, and tips to become an even better mobile photographer using the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.