10 Best Tips and Tricks for Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Camera
Do you ever find yourself flipping through old photos, wishing they were crisper, clearer, and more vibrant? Enter the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – it’s not just a phone camera. It’s a photography powerhouse armed with a 200-megapixel sensor and AI wizardry that transforms ordinary shots into extraordinary memories. Plus, with features like dual recording, instant slow-motion, auto framing, and S-Pen, the possibilities are endless. Are you feeling overwhelmed already? Here are the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera tips, tricks, and hidden features you need to know.
Table of Contents
1. Capture Photos in 200-Megapixel Resolution
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a 200-megapixel primary camera. By default, it produces 12-megapixel photos through a process calledpixel binning. It combines multiple pixels into one ‘superpixel,’ which allows the camera to capture more light and produce brighter, clearer photos, especially in low-light conditions.
In situations with ample light, such as under direct sunlight, you may use the 200-megapixel mode to capture more details than the ones in a regular shot.
To capture full-resolution photos on your Galaxy S24 Ultra, open theCameraapp and tap theresolution icon (12M)at the top. Then, change it to200M.
Keep in mind that images captured in 200-megapixel resolution occupy more space and may appear noisy in low light. Alternatively, you can opt for the 50-megapixel mode, which offers a good middle ground between storage consumption and clarity.
When to Use the 200-Megapixel Mode:
When Not to Use the 200-Megapixel Mode:
In short, stick with 12-megapixel for everyday clicks. Use 200-megapixel for bright landscapes, detail-oriented subjects, or when you want to crop later.
To avoid overexposure in 200-megapixel mode, especially in bright scenes, tap the area with the most highlights to manually lock the exposure. Additionally, turn off Adaptive Pixel in Camera Assistant when shooting in full resolution. This will enhance output, but you’ll need plenty of light for good results.
2. Turn On High-Efficiency Photo and Video
While the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers up to 1TB of storage (depending on the variant), photos and videos can quickly eat into that space. To save storage, consider enabling high-efficiency modes for both, which use modern HEIC and HEVC codecs to get photos in smaller file sizes without sacrificing image quality. Here’s how:
1.Open theCameraapp on your Galaxy S24 Ultra. Go toSettings.
2.Go toAdvanced Picture Options.
3.Here, toggle onHigh Efficiency Pictures.
4.Go back and tap onAdvanced Video Options.
5.ChooseHEVC (high efficiency)under Video format.
6.SelectPrioritize video qualitywhen prompted to ensure your videos still look great.
On Galaxy S24 Ultra, high-efficiency images occupy 50-70% less storage space than regular. Similarly, high-efficiency videos are 20-30% smaller than the more compatible H.264 format.
High-efficiency mode saves photos in HEIC format and videos in HEVC format. Some apps and websites may not support these formats. So you’ll need toconvert imagesandvideosfor compatibility. Prefer using the more compatible formats if you plan on editing the photo or video later.
3. Use Dual Recording
Dual Recordingon the Galaxy S24 Ultra replaces the Director’s View feature that debuted with the S21 series. It allows you to record videos using two different rear cameras simultaneously, such as the ultra-wide angle and telephoto lens at the same time, or even from the selfie camera alongside a rear-facing lens.
Capture your friend’s birthday party on the main camera while your live reaction appears in a smaller picture-in-picture window. Or narrate your entire trip in a selfie-vlog, showcasing amazing landscapes or architecture from the rear camera. Another use case could be at a concert where you can record both a zoomed-in view and an ultra-wide-angle shot together.
1.Open theCameraapp and tapMorein the toolbar at the bottom.
2.Tap onDual Recordingfrom the available options.
3.TapSelect Lensesand choose the two cameras you want to use simultaneously (e.g., ultra-wide-angle and telephoto), and tapOK. To swap their positions on screen (main vs. PiP),tap on either lensafter your selection.
4.Tap theSave iconon the top to choose whether you want to:
5.Next, tap thelayout iconon the top right to choose your layout:
6.Finally, press thered record buttonto begin recording the video using both cameras simultaneously.
4. Use Single Take
Single Take is a unique camera feature that records a short video (approximately 10 seconds). It then uses AI to extract a variety of interesting photos and videos from the scene, applying different filters and modes tailored to the moment. You can then decide which ones to keep and which ones to reject.
Samsung introduced the Single Take feature with the Galaxy S20. For the Galaxy S24, they’ve upgraded the feature, allowing it to capture images and videos simultaneously using all cameras on the phone (including both front and rear-facing lenses). Here’s how to use it:
1.Open theCameraapp and tap onMore.
2.ChooseSingle Take.
3.Choose between the0.6x,1x,3x,5x, or10xzoom options. You can also shoot in 2x by adding the shortcut through Camera Assistant app (we’ll talk about later).
4.Tap theshutter buttonto record the 10-second video. You can make it 15 seconds by tapping the+5sbutton.
You will get a minimum of four results including the original video, a boomerang, the best photo, and a cropped shot. Choose the ones you like and delete the rest.
5. Adjust Intelligent Optimization in Photos
Your Galaxy S24 Ultra utilizes Artificial Intelligence to automatically improve your photos. It detects the scene or object you’re trying to capture and adjusts camera settings like color balance, saturation, brightness, contrast, and more accordingly.
While enabled by default, you can customize the intensity of AI optimization in your photos. Here’s how:
1.Open theCameraapp and tap onSettingson the top left.
2.Tap onIntelligentoptimization.
3.Choose your level of optimization:
You’ll find another AI feature,SceneOptimizer, on the same screen. It detects objects in the frame and adjusts exposure, contrast, white balance, and more to tailor the photo to those objects. It recognizes over 32 things, including babies, dogs, cats, people, food, landscapes, beaches, sunsets, cities, and more.
Photography is a very personal hobby, so experiment and mix and match the available settings to find what best suits your style. I keep optimization set to medium with Scene Optimizer turned off.
6. Turn On Auto Framing to Keep Subject in Frame
Tired of trying to keep moving subjects in focus while filming? Try Auto Framing on your S24 Ultra. When recording a video, it detects people and automatically adjusts the framing to keep them centered and in focus.
To use it, open theCameraapp and switch toVideomode. Tap theAuto Framingicon on the lower-right corner. It needs to turn yellow with a notification indicating that auto-framing has been turned on.
Start recording andtap the object or personyou want to keep in focus. Your Galaxy S24 Ultra will automatically zoom in and out to keep them centered throughout the video. It pans smoothly to give you a jitter-free video, even if you aren’t actively moving the phone yourself.
Note:When you turn on Auto Framing, you’ll see 0.6x and 1x zoom options on your screen. We recommend using 0.6x, which uses the phone’s ultra-wide-angle camera and offers more space for cropping and panning to keep the subject in frame.
7. Use Focus Enhancer to Capture Macro Shots
Like many other flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra lacks a dedicated macro lens. Instead, it relies on its ultra-wide-angle camera for close-up shots. If you’re struggling to capture a macro shot or focus on a nearby subject, try using Focus Enhancer.
To do so, open the Camera app andbring the phone close to the subject. TheFocus Enhancer iconshould automatically appear in the lower-left corner– tap it, and it’ll use the ultra-wide lens to focus. You can now capture a detailed macro photo by staying close to the subject while keeping it sharp.
8. Instantly Turn a Video Into Slow Motion
When you record a traditional slow-motion video, your phone captures many frames per second and stretches them out during the playback. This creates a smooth, slowed-down effect when you watch the video. But with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you don’t always need to plan to get this effect.
The S24 series has a unique feature calledInstant Slow-Mo.Long-press on a recorded videoin the Samsung Gallery app. The phone’s AI will analyze the frames and create new ones to slow down the footage artificially. The results look quite acceptable for an AI-powered effect.
Instant Slow-Mo currently only supports 8-bit videos shot between 720p to 8K resolution and in the MP4 file format. Samsung might add support for 10-bit videos and the MOV format in the future.
9. Unlock Secret Camera Features on Galaxy S24 Ultra
Like other Samsung phones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra supports Camera Assistant, a Good Lock module packed with helpful tips and tricks to enhance your camera features.
To get started, downloadCamera Assistantfrom the Galaxy Store or theGood Lockapp. Then, access it viaCamera Settings>CameraAssistantor directly from your app drawer.
Here are the additional camera options you get to play with:
10. Use S-Pen Features in Camera
The S-Pen bundled with your Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra packs some interesting features. you may launch camera, click pictures, switch between different modes, and use air gestures and the button onboard.
To view Air Actions for Camera, open theSettingsapp>AdvancedFeatures>SPenand selectAirActions>Camera. Or openCameraappand tap theS Pen iconto see the list of pre-defined air gestures, also mentioned below:
Also Read:13 Best Samsung Camera Settings to Use It Like a Pro.
Master These Galaxy S24 Ultra Camera Tips and Tricks!
These camera tips and tricks can help you enhance and improve your Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera performance. My favorites include Single Take, Dual Recording, and Auto Framing. Then there’s a slew of other AI features, including photo remastering and Generative Edit, which uses artificial intelligence to remove objects and fill in empty areas. Overall, there’s a lot you can do with the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s cameras, and it’s only going to get better with updates.
Ritik Singh
With over 7 years of experience in tech, Ritik currently heads content at Techwiser.com. His journey started by sharing knowledge and helping others in online communities. That passion soon turned into a career in tech journalism, backed by a formal education in Electronic Media. He’s held editorial roles at GadgetsToUse and PC-Tablet, and has contributed to popular publications like HowToGeek and TheWindowsClub. With over 2,000 how-tos, reviews, and in-depth guides under his belt, Ritik has helped millions of readers get more out of their tech—from smartphones to smart homes.
