I put the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra through a 10-round photo face-off — here’s the winner
Other than its smaller battery, a huge trade-off that many level out about the Galaxy S25 Edge is its digicam system. In contrast to the remainder of the S25 lineup, the Edge solely will get a twin digicam setup — a 200MP essential sensor paired with a 12MP ultrawide.
The one factor the S24 Edge is missing is a devoted telephoto digicam, which shouldn’t be too unhealthy, proper?
Nicely, it’s more durable due to its $1,099 value, which isn’t too distant from the $1,299 sticker value connected to the S25 Ultra. Sammy’s flagship comes with two devoted telephoto cameras, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP one with a barely longer 5x optical lens. They complement the S25 Ultra’s 200MP essential sensor and 50MP ultrawide.
There are clearly variations between them, however I point out in my Galaxy 25 Edge overview how its essential digicam performs simply pretty much as good as the S25 Ultra. Nonetheless, it’s going to take greater than that to persuade folks the Edge is the one to get.
It’s no shock that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the greatest telephone and greatest digicam telephone you will get proper now, made higher by its longer battery life and added S Pen utility.
I’ve taken each telephones with me to seize the similar scenes, then preview them on my pc to examine their variations. On this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off, there can solely be one which comes out on high.
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Daytime
After taking numerous pictures with their essential cameras, I can say that their performances are roughly similar — which is a good factor. Overlooking Bryant Park’s sprawling garden, it’s nearly exhausting to inform the two aside as a result of they’re comparable.
Each telephones do a wonderful job of exposing the whole scene, together with the shadows throughout the timber in the background. Particulars in the foreground, like the chairs with Bryant Park etched on them and the picket field, all look the similar. Farther away in the background, the surrounding buildings and skyscrapers all maintain the similar quantity of element.
Winner: Tie
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Ultrawide
That is another excuse why you may’t at all times choose a digicam by its specs. On paper, evidently the S25 Edge is at a drawback with its 12MP ultrawide digicam — particularly towards the pixel packed 50MP ultrawide of the S25 Ultra. However since the telephones by default downsize photographs to 12MP, their performances look very comparable.
At the nook of Broadway and forty second avenue close to Instances Sq., I pointed each cameras straight as much as see how a lot of the scene they may seize. Though Samsung hasn’t disclosed its subject of view, it seems as if the Edge has a wider one over the Ultra.
In the meantime, the publicity of the shot and particulars all through the scene, like the a method and Broadway indicators to the left, all seem similar. However since the S25 Edge has a smidge wider attain, I’m giving it the win right here.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Colours
With out switching to different shade profiles, it’s clear that Samsung’s signature fashion is clear in how they produce colours by default. It’s all about the saturated tones with these pictures within Entire Meals by the produce part.
A lot of the colours look like the similar, like the yellow peppers on the center shelf and inexperienced squash to the proper. Nonetheless, the pink peppers on the high proper and center cabinets are way more oversaturated with the S25 Ultra. I personally don’t thoughts, but it surely’s extra of an unrealistic look in comparison with the Edge — which continues to be saturated in tone in my view.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Dynamic vary
Their essential cameras once more seem to haven’t any main variations, as these pictures from Bryant Park beneath the timber ship the similar publicity. I like how they prioritize the publicity on the timber, so the areas in shadow are brightened up a bit.
With the buildings peeking from behind the timber, they’re overblown by the two telephones, however neither one appears to be higher or worse with this.
Winner: Tie
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Panorama
Sticking with their essential cameras for capturing panoramas (as an alternative of their ultrawide cams), it’s one other comparable final result between the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra.
Most notably, they solid the similar publicity from left to proper — struggling a bit with the brighter spots in the center, which is because of how they compensate for the shot ranging from the left. That space was in shadow when I began the shot extra so than the relaxation, which explains the overexposure in the center.
Winner: Tie
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Selfie
Each telephones have 12MP (f/2.2) selfie cameras, and based mostly on all the selfies I shot of myself, I can say they’re similar. I actually like how they seize the similar superb particulars round my face, like my hairline and slight stubble.
The S25 Edge and S25 Ultra seize the similar particulars in the cloth of my hoodie. And eventually, I don’t see any distinction in how my pores and skin tone seems to be — which will get the publicity therapy to brighten me up a little.
Winner: Tie
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Portrait
With my colleague Ryan Epps as my mannequin, the portrait pictures from the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra seem similar at first look. There’s correct subject-background separation when I shot these portraits at 2x zoom, together with correct blurring throughout the edges of Ryan — together with the two areas between his arms that may typically hold up some telephones.
However when I zoom into his face, I discover an over-sharpening impact utilized to the S25 Ultra’s shot, which does draw out a little extra element. It’s additionally price mentioning that the S25 Ultra additionally presents portrait mode in 3x and 5x zoom, which I really feel are higher fitted to portraits. In distinction, I’m locked into both 1x or 2x zoom with the S25 Edge.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Macro
One among the trickiest elements of capturing macro pictures with each telephones is getting the similar focus between them, because it’s actually slender the nearer I get to topics — and that is a kind of examples. I will say, although, that each telephones take distinctive macro pictures which can be wealthy intimately.
Total, I like how the pictures got here out with this yellow flower. Not solely are the petals effectively outlined, however in addition they seize the water droplets throughout it. Nevertheless it in the end comes all the way down to focus, which on this case goes to the S25 Edge.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Zoom
To date on this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shoot-out, it’s been largely a shut race with neither one proving to me its cameras are significantly higher. However as I’ve alluded earlier on, the lack of a devoted telephoto digicam with the S25 Edge may very well be a huge trade-off for these needing to get nearer.
I captured these telephoto pictures at 10x zoom, seeing that’s the place the S25 Edge maxes out — whereas the S25 Ultra goes to an ridiculous 100x zoom.
Immediately, there’s a noticeable distinction in what they seize with extra element and definition from the S25 Ultra’s devoted 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. I could make out the particular person bricks and different decorative particulars round the constructing, which seem as nothing greater than streaky particulars with the S25 Edge.
For all the optimizations and enhancements that Samsung applies with the Galaxy S25 Edge’s shot, its efficiency simply can’t match what an optical lens presents.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Low gentle
Regardless of the wet and windy situations, the low gentle pictures I captured with each telephones seem to ship the similar qualities — which I’m not shocked given how comparable their essential cameras behave. The scene above was really darker than what the photographs present, which proves how effectively they’re at brightening up darkish situations with their night time modes.
I don’t see a lot distinction between the S25 Edge and S25 Ultra right here, as they correctly enhance the publicity to attract out the hidden particulars round the tree, whereas additionally mitigating the robust gentle supply in the background. Relating to low gentle, they’ll flip any dim scene and make them vivid.
Winner: Tie
Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Verdict
Technically this Galaxy S25 Edge vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shoot-out is a tie after tallying up the outcomes, but it surely’s not in my view. Whereas the Galaxy S25 Edge wins in classes like colours and ultrawide, its margin of victory is slender in these rounds.
In distinction, the Galaxy S25 Ultra proves to be superior relating to its portrait and telephoto performances. The previous isn’t a large stretch over the S25 Edge, however its telephoto efficiency can’t be ignored due to the quantity of element it’s capable of seize. This provides the S25 Ultra an inherent benefit for capturing topics farther away.
I’m not saying that the $200 distinction separating the two is justified solely by the S25 Ultra’s telephoto efficiency, but it surely’s simply certainly one of many issues that will persuade me to purchase the Ultra over the Edge.
Based mostly on its efficiency, I would suspect the S25 Ultra would even have a profit with video recording with its telephoto capabilities. All of those causes validate my sentiments of the S25 Ultra being the higher telephone general.
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