Galaxy S20 'Moon Photography' Trend... "No Need for DSLR"

The Ultimate Phone Camera 'Galaxy S20 Ultra'
Captures the Moon's Surface Clearly, Once Just a Dot
Unprecedented Camera Specs and Image Sensor
Zoom Innovation Perfect for Concert and Performance Shooting

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] # A trend is emerging of taking pictures of the moon's surface with the Galaxy S20. The moon, which once looked like a dot, is magnified 50 times, brightening the view right before your eyes. Going further to 100 times magnification reveals the moon's rugged surface in sharp detail. Thanks to the Space Zoom feature applied to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it is now possible to capture the moon's surface on a smartphone.

# Looking from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA, a very small island appears like a dot. When this dot is magnified 30 times with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, its identity is revealed. It is Alcatraz Island. This island was once an uninhabited island operated as a prison but has now been transformed into a tourist destination accessible by a 20-minute boat ride. Using the Galaxy S20 Ultra's 'Space Zoom' feature (up to 100x zoom), you can identify the shape of buildings from afar without even visiting the island.

# Photos taken of nighttime scenes with the Galaxy S20 Ultra show even dark alleyway drains clearly. There is no light flare from street lamps, and you can identify trash discarded under the streetlights as well as the text on posters. Photography communities have evaluated it as "better than taking night shots with a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera."

Will the Galaxy S20 Become a Digital Camera Destroyer?

The Galaxy S20 series demonstrates how far phone cameras can evolve. This is thanks to the 'zoom' innovation that vividly captures everything from the moon's surface to distant buildings and people. As a result, there are evaluations that the Galaxy S20 will accelerate the decline of the digital camera market as a 'market disruptor.'

The Galaxy S20, launching on the 6th of next month by Samsung Electronics, boasts the best camera specifications compared to any smartphone released so far. The Galaxy S20 Ultra features a record-breaking 108-megapixel lens. The image sensor technology, which determines camera performance, has also been significantly improved.

As camera pixels increase, pixel size becomes smaller, reducing light intake, but Samsung Electronics has developed technology to prevent interference between sensors and light loss, enabling clear photos. The Galaxy S20 Ultra's camera module is equipped with the 'ISOCELL Bright HMX' sensor developed by Samsung Electronics' LSI division. Samsung Electronics explained, "It is the largest sensor applicable to smartphones," adding, "Compared to the Galaxy S10, the sensor size has increased by 2.9 times."

Perfect for Concert Fan Cam Use

Zoom performance has also been greatly enhanced to capture desired scenes even from long distances. The Galaxy S20 Ultra model features the 'Space Zoom' function, supporting 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. This allows you to vividly capture the appearance of desired individuals from afar at concert halls, performance stages, or sports venues. This feature is made possible by a technology called 'Folded Zoom.'

A tiny prism is embedded in the smartphone to refract incoming light through the lens, effectively increasing optical pixels. Thanks to this, zoomed-in shots remain clear without blurring, and it is strong even in night photography, which was previously a weakness of phone cameras. A Samsung Electronics official explained, "The most important factor when purchasing a smartphone is the camera, and the Galaxy S20 addresses the frustration with cameras that produce blurry images and low zoom quality in dark environments."

The market anticipates that the Galaxy S20 will accelerate the decline of the already shrinking digital camera market. According to the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) of Japan, global digital camera shipments last year decreased by 21.7% year-on-year to 15.21 million units. This year, shipments are expected to decline by 23.3% to 11.67 million units.