How to Use the Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera (2026 Guide)

The S25 Ultra comes with a 200MP main camera and four cameras on the back in total. It can also shoot Log video and Expert RAW files. And, of course, there's a bunch of AI-powered camera features.

But unless you mess with the camera settings, you'll be shooting 12MP JPEGs (from the binned 200MP sensor) in Photo mode, which is what we recommend for most shots. And you may not know that some of the S25 Ultra's other camera hardware and software features are tucked away in different shooting modes or deep in the settings menu.

In this guide, we'll show you how to set up the S25 Ultra's camera and explain which lens to use when. We'll also provide recommended camera settings for the S25 Ultra's Expert RAW, Pro, Night, Portrait and 8K video shooting modes.

A 60-second setup before you shoot anything

• Unless you specifically want to use the 50MP or 200MP modes (which should only be used for heavily cropped images taken in bright light per the discussion in our 12MP vs 50MP vs 200MP guide), the best mode to use for most images is the default one with the resolution badge showing 12M at the top of the viewfinder.
• Head to Camera settings → General → Composition guide → Grid lines and level (as named in One UI 9).
• Search for Expert RAW in the Galaxy Store and download it. Open it up once for permissions and head to the More menu to pin it.
• Head to Camera settings → Shooting methods → Press Volume buttons to → Take picture or record video (as named in One UI 9) to use the volume button as a shutter, as it is steadier than using your finger on the display.
• Head to Settings → Shooting methods → Voice commands → on (that’s where One UI 9 has it tucked away) and say 'Shoot' to take photos hands-free.

Whereas our S25 Ultra camera settings page just gives you an idea of what starting values to use in various situations, the S24 Ultra camera settings guide goes into greater detail. For the most part these settings will remain the same on the S25 Ultra, but you'll have a few more toggles thanks to Camera Assistant.

Know the four lenses

The S25 Ultra has four ‘stops’ on the zoom selector, which correspond to its four cameras. Sticking to these will ensure you’re using an optical zoom – any other number will be digitally cropped.

Zoom shortcuts added using Camera Assistant appear as buttons in the camera app. On the Galaxy S25 Ultra running One UI 9, you’ll see buttons for 2x and 10x. These are also digital crops of the high-res sensor.

Use Expert RAW for anything you'll edit

Expert RAW offers pretty much the same set of controls as Pro mode in the stock camera app, but also has a histogram and, critically, the ability to save DNG raw images. Raw files record considerably more information from the camera’s sensor, and that gives you lots more flexibility later on to recover bright highlights and dark shadows, and change the white balance. DNG files can be edited with any piece of raw-editing software, including Lightroom mobile and Snapseed.

The drawback is that they’re large files (we’re talking around 50MB each) and take a little longer to process, but disk space is relatively cheap, and cheaper than having to bin images you’ve blown. Our Samsung Expert RAW guide has the full workflow.

Night mode with and without a tripod

When shooting in Night mode (available on the main mode dial or under More if you haven’t pinned it), the S25 Ultra takes multiple pictures (exposures of 3 to 5 seconds if you’re shooting handheld, extending to more than 10 seconds if you’re using a tripod), then stitches and aligns them into a single photo. Use a tripod whenever possible, since the longer exposures (especially if you want to capture stars) aren’t forgiving of camera shake. Just make sure you don’t move while the countdown is running!

If shooting handheld, brace yourself against a wall or other stable surface and exhale before taking your shot. To avoid the slightest bit of shake that can result from tapping on the screen, use one of the volume buttons as your shutter release. With a tripod (even a cheap one will do the trick, see our tripod guide for Samsung phones), ISO can be dropped to 50, allowing a long exposure time. See our Samsung night mode guide for the full breakdown.

When to use Portrait mode, and when not to

The S25 Ultra's Portrait mode does a great job figuring out what to keep sharp and what to blur out. Edges are generally well-defined too, and tricky bits like hair and glasses are usually picked up on just fine.

This is a marked improvement over older Galaxy phones, but don't forget that the lens you shoot with will have the biggest say in how your Portrait mode pics turn out.

• 1x main: not suited to portraits; can result in distorted faces when used up close
• 3x telephoto: the go-to for portraits as it will give that classic portrait look of slightly flattened facial features (similar to shooting on an 85mm lens on a full-frame camera)
• 5x periscope: can be used for portraits but best for headshots and requires space to stand further away from the subject

You can play with the simulated f-stop using the slider at the bottom of the screen. Values in the range of f/2.8-f/4 seem most natural, but f/1.4 clearly reveals the depth map because of excessive blurring.

8K video and the Log profile

Video sees the best YoY improvements on the S25 Ultra. The default 4K 30fps is excellent, but the real news is in Pro Video → Log. Log recording provides a flatter, ungraded image with increased dynamic range, which is ideal for colour correcting in apps like LumaFusion, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, etc.

• For everyday footage, shoot in 4K 30fps with standard colour and Super Steady turned on.
• If you want your videos to have a more cinematic look, film in 4K 24fps with a LOG colour profile and manual white balance.
• Save 8K for special occasions, as the file sizes are massive and difficult to work with in editing. For slow-motion footage, 1080p 240fps will be more than enough.
• If you film vlogs and typically hold the phone yourself, use the front-facing camera’s Auto Framing feature, which will keep you centred in the frame as you move around.

What One UI 8.5 and One UI 9 changed on the S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra got stable One UI 8.5 (back in May 2026), and later One UI 9 starting from late September (it began rolling out on September 28 in Korea, on October 5 in the US, and on October 6 in Europe).

Most of the new camera-related features are actually within the Gallery app, while some are exclusive to the Galaxy S26 line.

• Underwater photos can suffer from poor colours, but Expert RAW on the S25 Ultra can help with that using Ocean Mode (added via an update in April 2026).
• Horizontal Lock makes sure the horizon stays level even if you rotate your phone. Introduced in One UI 9, it works with Super Steady and supports videos up to QHD 60fps.
• You can access Dual Recording from quick controls when you’re in Video mode. One UI 9 also brought support for splitting the screen vertically.
• Rather than watching lifeless Log footage while you film, you can see what it’ll look like after applying a LUT thanks to live preview.
• Want to edit photos with text prompts? Gallery’s Photo Assist has you covered. It can even incorporate elements from another photo and shows previous edits.

Expert RAW’s Virtual Reflector has made it to the S25 Ultra too. We checked on an S25 Ultra running One UI 9 (November 2026), and it sits in Expert RAW’s Labs menu (the flask button) next to Ocean mode and Virtual aperture. Older options, such as the Night shot toggle and the separate Night mode, stick around on the S25 Ultra. Some features stay exclusive to the S26 series, like Photo mode’s Night control (Off, Auto, Max) and 24MP size option. So do additional Pro video frame rates and the APV codec (on the S26 Ultra). Expert RAW can also capture 24MP images on the S25 Ultra. Some features, though, such as the S26 Ultra’s wider f/1.4 main camera and f/2.9 5x camera apertures, are hardware-based and won’t make it to any older phone. Our One UI 8.5 photo features guide has the feature-by-feature table.

Common S25 Ultra camera mistakes

• Don’t clean your phone’s camera lens with your shirt. Use a microfibre cloth to avoid permanently scratching the lens and degrading image sharpness.
• Lock white balance. Auto white balance may fluctuate from shot to shot, compromising consistency.
• Avoid shooting Portrait mode with the 1x lens as it’s too wide and can result in distorted facial features when subjects are up close. Use 3x instead.
• Avoid using Scene Optimizer (also known as Scene detection under Photo enhancer on One UI 9) when shooting in RAW or if you plan on doing any post-processing as it can result in overly saturated colours and crushed shadows.
• Don’t pinch to zoom beyond the focal lengths indicated. Tap on the magnification options instead.

Frequently asked questions