Note 20 ultra lens selection

[userJDJgCwwydE]

Dear Samsung,

All my indoor photos using 5x zoom are awful. Running some test it seems the camera software falls back to the f/1.8 lens when there's "not enough light" (therefore using digital zoom) and doesn't actually say anything to the user while doing so.
Either fix this or better yet; let the user choose the lens. This bug (yes, it's a bug) was already present on the S20 Ultra I believe. How did you not fix that yet?

[TheRabbi]

All phones do the same. Even the iPhone will crop a main sensor shot if conditions dictate. The periscope lens on the Ultra has a 3.0 aperture; you do NOT want low light shots from that sensor. If you're not happy with the results, you should really consider returning the phone for a refund while you can, because it's not a flaw. Another option might be to find a third-party camera app that can force the 5x lens. 

[userJDJgCwwydE]

Thank you for your comment. The reason I entered the original complaint is that the actual light condition was good enough that the result using the periscope lens is far better at 5x (again with the same "average" light condition) than with the f/1.8 lens.
As demonstrated in these two photos the ambient light was more than adequate. The top photo (Normal lens) has no details and the text is barely readable. The bottom one has far more details and the text is sharp. Of course f/3.0 forces a higher iso (800 instead of 320) but the result is still far far better with the periscope. 
Normal LensPeriscope

[myapps1989]

I have the same complaint on s20 ultra. I brought this to their attention (posted in community) but they haven't responded yet. At least give an option to choose lens.

[userUagRzt0CsF]

I'm 100% agree, it is a bug. I bought phone with 3 lenses and I want control which one to use. I do not care if image dark, why Samsung have to dictate how I take photos!?!

It is OK for a person who does not care. BUT if I want freedom of choice which lens to access why I can't get it! Why so called PRO mode does not allow to control such simple thing as lens choice??? I can control everything (ISO, aperture, time) but stuck with one lens, main one and not even with 108M?

SHAME ON Samsung, please fix it or get bad a publicity. I will start big revolution, petition and noise in 30 days.

Note 8 still take better photos.

[usergZHsq5Pzkw]

Yes, fully agree. I personally prefer to have an optical zoom vs a digital one.

And Samsung muat let users chose the camera in the Pro Mode. It is a big miss I feel. 

[user3gdoIFC05r · Accepted solution]

Actually i think its the laser focus causing this not the aperture thing. I've testet multiple times even in low lights when the laser reads the distance to object is close, doesn't let you use the periscope zoom.  But if you're far enough even in low lights it can use the 5x periscope lens

[usersgdBg6HLOz]

I think you are right. On my S21 Ultra, the phone switches to cropped main camera when I cover the laser with my finger.