Is the Samsung S23 Ultra good for Birdwatching? Yes!!
Moorhen at 10x zoom, 20x and 30x
My current bird watching gear is quite out of date. I use the Nikon D610 with the Tamron 600mm zoom, as well as digiscoping with a mid-tear level scope. While these have been okay at the time, I’m always looking for that extra reach and less equipment to carry while I’m bird watching.
Seeing the reviews and launch of the Samsung S23 Ultra, I just could not resist! It was all my bird watching gear compact into 4 little cameras on my phone. Bonus! So here is a review if you are looking to find out if the Samsung S23 ultra is good for bird watching, whether you want video, photos or to get that record shot for the big list - It’s incredible!
The new Samsung S23 Ultra
The main features of the Samsung S23 Ultra is the quad cameras, also known as the “space zoom” where you can take close ups of the moon.
1 12MP AF Ultra Wide Camera F2.2
2 200MP Wide Camera F1.7
3 10MP Telephoto Camera F4.9
4 10MP Telephoto Camera F2.4
The Camera specs
The cameras, including the space zoom which is 30X Space Zoom includes 3x Optical Zoom and 30x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. but zooming that far in may cause some image deterioration like softening rather than noise.
100X Space Zoom includes 10x Optical Zoom and 100x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. And is great for capturing birds high up in trees or on the water without getting close!
The Cameras also have stabilisation and will lock onto the subject, so you can avoid blurring completely!
The tests
Testing out the zoom capabilities on a clear, well-lit day shows the highest potential that this phone can do. I will have to do more tests on a cloudy or slightly darker day to see the differences.
Overall the video is incredible, the mandarin was at quite a distance away yet the zoom had no problem with capturing it beautifully. There is a lot of stabilisation but obviously, the more you zoom in the shake begins, but it’s not as bad as digiscoping with a phone. I imagine this on a tripod and it would be perfect.
You can view more videos on my youtube channel. where I zoom into a goldfinch high up in a tree.
