Best Samsung Galaxy S24 Camera Settings
A 50MP main camera and a 3x telephoto that do their best work in daylight, now on One UI 9.
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The Galaxy S24 takes excellent daylight photos with its 50MP main camera and 3x telephoto, and most of what goes wrong happens after dark. Reviewers found more noise than on the S23 and a telephoto that struggles at night. The tables below pair each situation with a starting setting, using the One UI 9 menu names.
Galaxy S24 camera specs
| Lens | Resolution / aperture | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.6x ultra-wide | 12 MP · f/2.2 | 13mm, 120° view, 1/2.55-inch sensor |
| 1x main | 50 MP · f/1.8 | 24mm, 1/1.56-inch sensor, Dual Pixel AF, OIS |
| 3x telephoto | 10 MP · f/2.4 | 67mm, 1/3.94-inch sensor, OIS |
| Selfie | 12 MP · f/2.2 | Dual Pixel AF |
Video: 8K at 24 or 30fps, 4K at up to 60fps, Full HD slow motion at 240fps, HDR10+ and Samsung Log
Signature features: Expert RAW · Samsung Log in Pro Video · Photo Assist editing since One UI 8.5 · Exynos 2400 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, by region
Settings to change first
| Setting | Recommended value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Composition guide | Grid lines and level | The level keeps horizons straight before you shoot. |
| Press Volume buttons to | Take picture or record video | A side key shakes the phone less than a screen tap. |
| Scene detection | On for quick shares, off when colours look overdone | It sits inside Photo enhancer on One UI 9. |
| Pro mode picture format | RAW and JPEG | Before One UI 9 this lived in Advanced picture options. |
| Quick tap shutter (Camera Assistant) | On | The photo fires the moment you touch the button. |
Settings by situation
Everyday and travel
GSMArena found daylight photos from the main camera hard to fault, with restrained sharpening.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | 1x for most scenes, 3x for details in daylight | The 3x delivered great detail by day in GSMArena's review. |
| Resolution | 12MP, or 50MP for bright landscapes | Use 50MP only in good light with the phone braced. |
| Exposure | Pull it down a little for bright skies | It's easier than rescuing a blown-out sky later. |
| Motion photo | On for people | Best face needs one to swap in a better expression. |
Portraits
The 3x is the portrait lens, as long as there's enough light.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | 3x in daylight or a bright room | It flattens features and blurs the background more than 1x. |
| Mode | Portrait, with blur below the maximum | Edges around hair look more natural with less blur. |
| Close-ups at 3x | Step back if it won't focus | The telephoto can't focus as close as the main camera. |
| Natural blur | Photo mode at 3x | It avoids cut-out mistakes around hair and glasses. |
Low light and night
DXOMARK measured more noise on the Exynos S24 than on the S23, and the 3x struggles at night.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | 1x after dark, and crop later | Cropping a 1x photo usually beats a noisy 3x frame at night. |
| Night processing | Let it run in dim rooms, and switch Night shot off on a well-lit street | GSMArena found Night mode smooths fine texture into a waxy look. |
| Pro mode on a tripod | Low ISO, 2 to 10 seconds | The shutter runs to 30 seconds for trails and moving water. |
| Grain you'll fix later | Expert RAW, then denoise in an editor | You keep more detail than the phone's own noise reduction leaves. |
| Halos around lights | Wipe the lenses and test without a lens protector | Smudges and protectors both cause haze. Our blurry photo guide covers the other causes. |
Action, kids and pets
Indoors, move people near a window before you reach for settings.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum shutter speed | 1/500s outdoors, 1/120s indoors | It's under Advanced Photo mode controls in Camera Assistant on One UI 8.5 and later. |
| Burst | Swipe the shutter to the edge | On One UI 9 the gesture is set in Camera Assistant. |
| Resolution | 12MP | Higher resolutions slow the camera down between shots. |
| Moving subjects in Pro mode | 1/1000s with ISO on Auto | A fixed fast shutter freezes movement in daylight. |
Video
GSMArena called the S24's stabilisation superb, while DXOMARK saw autofocus errors in video.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday clips | 4K at 60fps, stabilisation on | Smooth motion on every camera. |
| Focus hunting | Tap the subject before you press record | Tap again if focus wanders during the clip. |
| Footage you'll grade | Pro Video with Log | Samsung's developer page lists the S24 series for Samsung Log. Our Log video guide covers grading. |
| Walking shots | Super steady on | SamMobile found the S24 doesn't get the S25's Horizontal lock. |
| Slow motion | Full HD at 240fps | It plays back 8x slower on a 30fps timeline. |
RAW and editing
The S24 is on Samsung's Expert RAW list.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pro mode RAW | Photo format > Pro mode picture format | Set RAW and JPEG to keep a file for sharing. |
| Expert RAW | 24MP by day, 12MP for Astrophoto | It's the only way to get 24MP files on the S24. Our Expert RAW guide covers the workflow. |
| AI edits | Save as copy | Samsung says generated edits may be resized and carry a watermark. |
One UI 9 menu paths
The S24 launched on One UI 6.1, got One UI 8.5 from 6 May 2026 and started receiving One UI 9 (Android 17) on 6 October 2026 in South Korea, SamMobile reported. GSMArena lists up to seven major OS updates. The paths below use One UI 9 names checked on a Galaxy S25 Ultra running One UI 9, November 2026.
| What you want | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Grid and level | Camera settings > General > Composition guide |
| Volume keys as a shutter | Camera settings > General > Shooting methods |
| Scene detection | Camera settings > Intelligent features > Photo enhancer |
| RAW in Pro mode | Camera settings > Photos > Photo format |
| Log and video codec | Camera settings > Videos > Video format |
| Burst and shutter limits | Camera settings > General > Camera Assistant |
What the S24 can't do
- 4K tops out at 60fps.
- There's no Horizontal lock or Dual Recording shortcut, which the S25 got with One UI 9.
- Photo mode has no 24MP option. Expert RAW still shoots 24MP.
- The 3x is noisy and its colour wanders at night.
- There's no 5x lens or 200MP sensor.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best camera settings for the Galaxy S24?+
Use the 1x main camera at 12MP for most photos and turn on the grid and level. Keep the 3x for daylight portraits, stay on the 1x after dark and record 4K at 60fps for everyday video.
Why are my Galaxy S24 night photos grainy?+
DXOMARK measured more image noise on the Exynos S24 than on the S23, and GSMArena found the telephoto noisy at night. Use the 1x camera after dark, let night processing run and add light where you can.
Should I use the 3x or crop the 1x on the Galaxy S24?+
Use the 3x in daylight and crop the 1x at night. GSMArena found the 3x detailed by day, while both GSMArena and DXOMARK saw the S24 struggle in low light.
Does the Galaxy S24 record 8K video?+
It records 8K at 24 or 30fps on the main camera, according to GSMArena. For everyday clips 4K at 60fps is the better choice, since the files are far smaller.
Does the Galaxy S24 get One UI 9?+
Stable One UI 9 began reaching the S24 in South Korea on 6 October 2026, with other regions following. It adds My FanCam but not the S25's Horizontal lock. Our One UI 9 guide lists the changes.
Everything for your Samsung Galaxy S24
S24 camera guides
- → Galaxy S24 Camera Guide: Weak Spots, Fixes and Best Settings, weak spots, fixes and settings
Comparisons
- → Galaxy S24 vs S25 Camera: Same Hardware, Different Extras, what the newer phone adds
Features that work on your S24
- → Samsung Camera Assistant: Every Setting and When to Use It
- → Samsung Expert RAW: Pro Photography Guide (2026)
- → One UI 9 Camera and Gallery Changes for Galaxy Photographers
- → Samsung Night Mode: Sharper Low-Light Photos, when a longer capture helps
- → Samsung Portrait Mode: Sharp Subjects, Creamy Bokeh
- → Samsung Telephoto Lenses: 3x, 5x and 10x on Every Galaxy
- → How to Make Samsung Photos Look Natural (Less Over-Processed)
Thinking of upgrading?
More guides
- → Samsung Camera Blurry? Every Cause and How to Fix It, every cause of soft shots
- → Samsung AE/AF Lock: How to Lock Focus and Exposure, locking focus before you shoot
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