It’s been quite a while since flagship smartphones have been capable of recording videos in 8k resolution. The Galaxy S20 Ultra introduced a 108-megapixel sensor that could record videos in 8k. Since then, the 8k video recording has seen significant improvements, and the process seems to continue with Samsung’s next flagship, the Galaxy S24 series.
Galaxy S24 Ultra may bring zooming capabilities to 8K recording
One of the limitations of recording in 8k on current Samsung flagships is that you cannot zoom or switch to the telephoto lenses while recording. This limitation arises from the fact that 8k is equivalent to 33 megapixels, and to record in 8k, the sensor must have a resolution equal to or greater than 33 megapixels. For context, both of the telephoto sensors on the S23 Ultra only consists 10-million pixels. So, they are incapable of recording in 8k in the first place.
Samsung is reportedly upgrading to a new 50-megapixel sensor for the 3x telephoto lens in the S24 Ultra. This means that the S24 Ultra may be able to record 8k videos using the 3x lens. In other words, it will be able to switch to the telephoto lens while recording in 8k, allowing you to get closer to your subject without having to switch to a lower resolution, sacrificing the detail you wanted to capture.
However, the exact information about the sensor has not been revealed yet, and it’s possible that the sensor itself does not support 8k recording. There’s more than the sensor’s resolution that determines the ability to record in a certain resolution. Additionally, this is a smaller sensor than the main one and they may want to take their time to better optimize the video processing algorithms with internal testing and not releasing the feature until another generation.
Nevertheless, the move Samsung is making appears to have greater intentions, and it may very well be possible that we could finally have the ability to zoom in while recording in 8k. Flexibility matters, and this move indicates that Samsung is working on the camera system to make 8k recording more flexible.
How important of an upgrade is it?
The reason smartphones today have multiple camera lenses is to extend the range of what you can capture. From wider shots to close-ups, all without having to physically move the phone towards or from the subject. This provides great flexibility. Being able to switch between lenses while recording a video means you don’t have to stop recording and end up with numerous separate footages to manage.
Recording in 8k is meant to preserve the moment as faithfully as possible. When you come across a great moment and want to preserve it, and the situation calls for a close-up shot, until now, till now you can’t zoom in without sacrificing the finer details.
Besides zooming into the 8k footage, the new 50MP sensor also offers something called 5x super-hybrid zoom for taking photos with greater detail in that range.
The 50-megapixel telephoto lens makes it possible to extend the range while recording in 8k. If they indeed implement this feature in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it will not only be one of the biggest upgrades in the S lineup of devices but also a groundbreaking improvement in smartphone video recording.
