Though the Galaxy Note 20 comes with a huge camera bulge, the camera is versatile and can pull off a variety of stunts—be it zooming the camera to a distance or tracking moving objects. What’s more, this time, Samsung has gone out of its way to improve the Pro Camera mode. Even though Samsung has lowered the scope of the periscope camera to 50x zoom (Note 20 Ultra) and 30x zoom (Note 20), the zoom levels are impressive. So, if you are looking to get the most out of the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra camera, here are the best camera tips, tricks, and settings that you can explore. As it’s going to be a long one, let’s jump straight in, shall we? Buy
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Check out the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra if you haven’t already.
1. Master the S Pen Gestures
It would not be wrong to call the S Pen the magic wand of the Note 20 phones. This little pen lets you write memos on your screen or scroll through long blogs. One of its most helpful features is that you can click on the pen button to capture a photo. And it doesn’t end there. You can even cycle through the different camera modes, switch to the rear camera from the selfie camera, or even tweak the zoom with the S Pen. Indigenous, right? To see all the S Pen’s supported gestures, head over to Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > Air Actions, and tap on Camera. All the supported gestures will be displayed right there. After that, take out the S Pen and let it do all the magic.
2. Zoom All the Way
It might not be news to you when I say that the Note 20 Ultra has 5x optical zoom and a 50x super-resolution zoom. If you tap on the Zoom icon in the Photo mode or the video mode, it immediately jumps to the 5x zoom. At the same time, you can also see the other zoom options at the bottom, all up to 50x zoom settings. While at times, they turn out to be super helpful. However, the best option is to zoom in smoothly, especially when you are recording a video. To do so, gently pinch on the screen (yeah, old school style), and you will see a bar on the side come to life. Now, tap on the screen and gently drag your finger up. Pro Tip: When you use the 20x or the 50x zoom settings, you will see a small window at the side with the zoomed-out frame of the picture you are trying to capture. You can use this image as a reference guide, especially if you want to grab a picture of distant objects.
3. Fun With the Pro Mode
The Video Pro Mode is one of the innovative new features in the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. As suggestive of the name, this feature lets you manually adjust the various aspects of the video such as ISO, White Balance, Exposure, etc. But the feature that piqued my curiosity the most interesting was the Zoom feature, which lets you control the speed of the zoom. So if you want to zoom in slowly while recording your video, you can do that now. And well, the reverse is also possible. All you need to do is tap on the Zoom button and then drag your finger slowly over the slider. The slower you move your finger across it, the smoother will be the zoom. Cool Tip: Tap on More > Edit button to edit the placement of the camera modes. With this option, you can have the Pro Video on the Modes Tray and have easy access to the said mode.
4. Capture the Right Sound
Did you know you can connect a Bluetooth microphone to capture your video’s sound in all its glory? Yep, you read that right. Your new phone comes with 5 additional options to record audio when using the pro video mode. So, yeah, you can set it to pick up sound from the front camera, rear, or via a plugged-in USB device or paired Bluetooth device. You can specify the volume of the audio via the meter at the bottom. To find these options, open the Pro Video mode and tap on Audio’s option on the far-left. Pick the appropriate option from the menu and get going.
5. Stabilize your Videos
The Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra come with both OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) to record smoother videos by canceling out bumps and jitters. Whenever you start recording a video, the OIS and EIS kick in automatically. However, if you want to take video stabilization to a new level, say hello to the Super Steady mode. As noted earlier, it takes stabilization to a new level, and the result is a video with minimum jitters and jerks. To enable it, simply tap on the hand-shaped icon at the top.
6. Add a Warm Tone to Selfies
Do prefer selfies with a little warm tone? If yes, you should check out the Selfie Tone option in Settings. This one automatically adds a warm tone to your selfies. Or, you can switch it to a cold tone as well. Simply enable the option which suits you the most. Did You Know: The Galaxy Note 20’s selfie camera automatically switches to a wide view when it detects more than one person in the frame. Cool, right? Of course, it needs to be enabled via Settings first.
7. Motion Photos
It’s 2020, and motion photos do not need an introduction anymore. This feature, which became popular with the Apple iPhone and then the Google Pixel, records a few seconds of video before you hit the shutter button. The best part is that you can create a GIF from the motion photo or take a screenshot. To enable it, tap on the little square icon on the left side. To watch the Motion Photos in play, open the photo via Gallery and tap on the View Motion Photo option. Next, scroll to the location which you liked the most and tap on the Screenshot button. Yeah, you can thank me later. But let me tell you, it’s the GIF button that you will use the most. Cool Tip: Speaking of GIFs, did you know you can capture cool GIFs right from the viewfinder. To do so, tap on the Shutter button and drag it to the edge without lifting your finger. There, you will have a nice-looking GIF in no time.
8. Master Single Take
Single Take was one of the most talked-about features when the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy S20 Ultra were launched. The feature makes a comeback in the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, only this time, it comes with a quirky upgrade. While previously, the mode captured a 10-second video by default, now you can specify the period. If you want to wrap up the recording mode in 5 seconds, tap on the little timer on the lower-right corner and drag the slider right. Single Take can go up to 15 seconds.
9. Scan Documents like a Pro
With the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you can skip adding scanner apps since the phone comes with a built-in ability to scan documents. However, the option needs to be enabled first. To do so, head over to the camera settings > Scene optimizer and switch on the option for a Document scan. Now whenever the camera senses a document in front of it, it will show you a yellow Scan button.
Take Photos Like a Pro
Other than the above, do not forget to explore the other options such as Food Mode, Super Slow-Mo, or the Live Focus Video. The Food mode captures incredible food photos, and the best part is that you can automatically blur some parts of the photo. Speaking of Super Slow-mo, did you know you can record sharp slow-motion videos through the front camera? The Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra packs an impressive set of cameras that churn out bright and sharp videos and photos, whether they are low-light shots or normal day shots. All you need to do is explore the camera to the fullest to get the most out of it. Next up: Looking to give more meaning to your photos and make them more creative? Take a look at the article below to see how to create impressive double exposure photos. Buy
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Check out the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra if you haven’t already. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.