I tested Galaxy S25 Ultra and Derive X8 Ultra cameras, this one wins

Samsung wasn’t the principle company to popularize the notion of a periscope telephoto lens on a smartphone, but its amazing marketing prowess has redefined what we build a query to from the excellent smartphone cameras. 

For the reason that Galaxy S20 Ultra, the term “Ultra” has been outdated to characterize the excellent smartphone cameras a company has to supply. With the reputation of Samsung’s Ultra lineup, it used to be inevitable that rival cellular telephone makers would also commence competing choices.

Two weeks in the past, Oppo unveiled the Derive X8 Ultra, one among the excellent smartphone cameras currently accessible. It aspects 5 cameras — one greater than the Galaxy S25 Ultra — and is designed to clutch giant pictures at eight assorted focal lengths. 

How does it evaluate to Samsung’s present zoom flagship, and which must unruffled you buy upright now? I tested every cameras in the center of my time in China for the commence of the Derive X8 Ultra, and right here’s what I came upon.

Oppo Derive X8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera specs

First, let’s steal a explore at how every of these smartphone cameras compares on paper.

Every company has taken assorted approaches to its cameras. Samsung has opted for a colossal 200MP major camera and two telephoto lenses that supply 3x and 5x optical zoom, but with a pretty low overall resolution. 

Meanwhile, Oppo has opted for parity all over all its lenses, with the Derive X8 Ultra wearing four cameras with the identical resolution. The 50MP major sensor aspects a 1-hotfoot sensor form and is paired with two 50MP cameras, providing 3x and 6x optical zoom. The fifth camera is a 2MP real chroma sensor that’s designed to enable the cellular telephone to clutch as much as 40 assorted coloration temperatures within a single characterize.

On paper, the Derive X8 Ultra boasts a extra capable overall camera, no topic Samsung utilizing a main camera with a magnificent greater megapixel count. In theory, Oppo’s real chroma sensor must unruffled even be determined that that it captures coloration temperatures and light-weight extra precisely. 

However, does real-world efficiency match these expectations? Let’s obtain out!

Neatly-liked pictures in all lighting stipulations

To examine these pictures, I took 200 pictures with every camera in a style of lighting stipulations. Most were captured concurrently, but now and again, they were taken one at a time. Sooner than we dangle in tips two key areas — portrait and zoom pictures — let’s first explore how every handles the identical scenes in assorted lighting stipulations.

In this major sample, the Derive X8 Ultra (left) captures a extra brilliant characterize of the entryway, but does so on the expense of the blue sky. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra (upright) takes a darker characterize but has better coloration reproduction in the sky. I obtain the Derive X8 Ultra characterize to be extra brilliant; nonetheless, your need would possibly per chance presumably per chance fluctuate.

In this 2d shot, the Galaxy S25 Ultra (upright) characterize looks a bit blurry whenever you zoom in on the fundamental aspects. The Derive X8 Ultra will most seemingly be critically blurry, but to a lesser extent than the Samsung. However, it’s safe to negate this snort test is a plot, as neither totally outshines the numerous.

All of us like taking pictures of our food to post on social media, so which cellular telephone takes the excellent pictures? Here, there’s a particular winner: the Derive X8 Ultra. I ran this test with several assorted food pictures, and the Derive X8 Ultra continuously received, especially because it has a sooner autofocus that proves extra capable than Samsung’s camera. 

Winner: Derive X8 Ultra. The Derive X8 Ultra wins two out of the three tests; nonetheless, this is in a position to presumably per chance with out pain be a tie reckoning on personal preferences.

Portrait pictures and selfies

Oppo is positioning the Derive X8 Ultra because the king of portrait pictures, but does it bring? Samsung has one among my authorized portrait modes, identified as Color Point, but what about the commonplace portrait blur that every cellular telephone affords?

This first test compares the portrait pictures capabilities of every phones at 1x, 2x, and 3x zoom. As we attain the 3x portrait zoom, it’s sure that the Derive X8 Ultra captures the strands of hair better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, it’s rate noting that it is possible you’ll presumably per chance presumably moreover adjust the energy of the portrait blur on every phones after taking a characterize.

Each and every phones compose admirably on this test, and the outcomes are remarkably discontinuance. There are refined variations between the two, but it comes down to personal need. I’m pretty impressed by the efficiency of the Galaxy S25 Ultra at all zoom lengths, but I elevate out prefer the vibrancy and saturation of the pictures captured with the Derive X8 Ultra.

These two portrait tests characterize the color science of every cellular telephone’s algorithm. The Derive X8 Ultra is designed to clutch smoother pores and skin and brighter tones, however the Galaxy S25 Ultra takes arguably extra natural pictures. It’ll near down to personal need all yet again, and I’m torn between the two.

Each and every phones also abet you make spend of the entrance-going by camera in portrait mode, but how elevate out they evaluate? The 32MP entrance-going by camera on the Derive X8 Ultra takes wider pictures than the 12MP snapper on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the extra resolution proves to be extra capable at differentiating between the foreground and background of an image. The Galaxy S25 Ultra will most seemingly be very aggressive in the portrait selfie and doesn’t acknowledge multiple matters in the characterize.

Winner: Derive X8 Ultra, actual. There’s tiny or no distinction between these two phones, but at a pinch, I’d give it to Oppo actual for better clutch of strands of hair and the much less aggressive portrait selfie mode. However, neither camera stands out greater than the numerous.

Attempting out the zoom efficiency in sunlight hours

The largest reason to buy both cellular telephone is the zoom efficiency, which is one thing we’ve practically about build a query to from any smartphone with the Ultra branding. Zoom is integral to the final providing, and every phones dangle equivalent choices by capacity of focal lengths and max zoom length, so which does it better?

In this major test, the Derive X8 Ultra struggles to preserve focused on the test in the distance at a few of the significant smaller focal lengths, but totally outshines the Galaxy S25 Ultra once the telephoto lenses kick in. The natural bokeh in the 6x characterize is in particular spectacular, especially brooding about it used to be not taken in portrait mode.

Even as you attain the longer focal lengths, the Galaxy S25 Ultra begins to combat. It’s unruffled in a position to capturing a characterize that looks to be like giant in isolation, but when when put next to the Derive X8 Ultra, it lacks the detail and vibrancy that the Derive X8 Ultra achieves.

The equivalent effects are noticed on this test, with every phones reasonably evenly matched on the lower focal lengths, and Oppo proving to be extra capable at longer distances. You would possibly per chance presumably per chance moreover gaze the diversifications in the color temperature between the 3x and 6x pictures captured on the Derive X8 Ultra, so Oppo has some work to preserve out to in the discount of this disparity. 

Specialise in the 10x pictures in the slider above, and also you’ll gaze there’s almost no distinction between the two lenses. I’m pretty impressed by the detail captured by every phones, especially for the reason that 10x characterize on every makes spend of a hybrid zoom, in situation of providing a dedicated telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom.

In this test, the Galaxy S25 Ultra performs vastly worse than the Derive X8 Ultra, especially at longer focal lengths. In loads of of the pictures, the Derive X8 Ultra captures extra detail, but all yet again, it is possible you’ll presumably per chance presumably moreover gaze the variation in the colors captured by the 3x and 6x telephoto lenses.

This test is the principle time we gaze the true distinction between the two lenses. Here’s one thing I’ve noticed when subjectively evaluating assorted scenes captured on these two phones, however the Galaxy S25 Ultra lacks appreciable detail when put next to the Derive X8 Ultra.

In this test, every phones are reasonably evenly matched all yet again, even at 10x zoom. There’s tiny to set up from between the two, and the identical traits are noticed all yet again, with the Derive X8 Ultra proving to be brighter and extra brilliant, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra proving to dangle better dynamic vary.

This test unearths equivalent dynamics to many of the zoom tests all yet again, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra missing sharpness and detail in pictures captured on the increased zoom lengths. Meanwhile, the Derive X8 Ultra proves extraordinarily capable even at 30x zoom.

The dearth of detail in the wicked of the lantern in the characterize captured by the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the largest indicator that Samsung’s camera flagship can now and again combat at increased zoom lengths. It’s pretty surprising, especially supplied that the 50MP resolution of the 5x telephoto matches that of the 6x telephoto lens outdated in the Derive X8 Ultra.

It’s turning actual into a habitual theme that Samsung struggles to clutch fundamental aspects at above 10x zoom, and that is in particular obvious when photographing matters with intricate fundamental aspects. Neither cellular telephone makes use of pure optics to preserve out pictures on one of the best possible zoom lengths, so it comes down to how powerful every company relies on AI to fill in the lack of detail.

Pondering that, it’s sure that Oppo makes spend of AI greater than Samsung does. In some instances, this would possibly per chance increasingly lead to oversharpening of pictures, but in scenes like this one, there’s no query that I’d pretty dangle the image captured by the Derive X8 Ultra than the one captured by the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If utilizing AI capacity we dangle usable pictures at longer focal lengths, that’s a tradeoff I’m willing to honest accept.

In the beginning, I hadn’t supposed to consist of this sample characteristic, but upon inspecting the fundamental aspects at 10x magnification, I used to be forced to rethink. Each and every phones steal equally dazzling pictures at most distances, but it’s on the 10x zoom that it is possible you’ll presumably per chance presumably moreover gaze the tender variations between the two.

In snort, the Derive X8 Ultra captures extra detail in the topic’s face than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and extra precisely reflects the true colors of the topic. These are refined variations, but noticeable, and the Derive X8 Ultra produces a better overall characterize this capacity that.

Winner: Derive X8 Ultra. You most often buy an Ultra cellular telephone for its telephoto efficiency, and the Derive X8 Ultra proves extra capable at increased focal lengths in most of my tests.

Attempting out the zoom in lowlight

The Derive X8 Ultra would possibly per chance presumably dangle received the zoom test in sunlight hours, but does it also beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra in low-light stipulations? The Derive X8 Ultra’s real chroma sensor will most seemingly be designed to yield vastly improved coloration reproduction in low-light stipulations, but does it bring?

This test is in particular attention-grabbing, because the Derive X8 Ultra captures extra upright colors in every the topic and the blue skies, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra struggles to atone for two assorted coloration profiles, resulting in washed-out skies.

The equivalent elevate out is seemingly to be noticed on this test. The Galaxy S25 Ultra targets to balance the colors of the sky with these of the brilliant structures and lighting, but struggles to preserve out so, resulting in muted colors in the structures and a duller sky.

The final test is one among my authorized scenes from my trip to China. It used to be the final characterize I captured on this scenic park in Xi’an. Each and every phones steal spectacular pictures at every of the numerous focal lengths. It’s rate mentioning that I like the duller blue in the Galaxy S25 Ultra pictures, which makes all of them pop, however the Derive X8 Ultra is extra upright. 

Even as you zoom to 30x, you also gaze how the Derive X8 Ultra captures vastly extra detail than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This reaffirms the pattern I’ve noticed in the center of this test: Samsung is reasonably capable at lower focal lengths, as much as 10x, but most often struggles to clutch fundamental aspects at increased focal lengths. Basically the most surprising ingredient is that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is supplied with a Reputation Zoom characteristic that promises to clutch pictures at 100x, however the outcomes aren’t as impressive as these of the competition.

Which camera wins? Oppo Derive X8 Ultra or Galaxy S25 Ultra?

General, this camera comparability yielded many attention-grabbing results. First, every phones characteristic very capable cameras at a style of focal lengths. 2nd, it’s also sure that every can steal consuming portrait pictures, and also you’ll seemingly be cushy with both cellular telephone. 

However, upon nearer examination, it also becomes sure that the Galaxy S25 Ultra lags leisurely the Oppo Derive X8 Ultra in capturing fundamental aspects at longer focal lengths, to boot to in low-light stipulations and go portrait mode scenes. 

The Galaxy S25 Ultra performs better than I had expected, per my testing at assorted occasions; nonetheless, the Derive X8 Ultra is the final winner. Crucially, it’s extra fixed than Samsung, and even supposing there are variations in coloration reproduction between the many lenses, it’s the easier camera overall.