Samsung 100x Space Zoom: What It Can and Can't Do

On Galaxy S Ultra phones, the maximum level of digital zoom, dubbed Space Zoom by Samsung, is 100x. On present-gen Ultras, beyond 10x it digitally zooms in on a small area of the sensor and uses image processing to attempt to add detail. It’s great for working out what something is in the distance, but not so great for prints.

Which Galaxy phones have 100x zoom

Galaxy S Ultra phones have offered 100x Space Zoom ever since Samsung debuted the feature on the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020, per SamMobile. Samsung's comparison pages list the Galaxy S25, S25+, S26 and S26+ as having 30x Space Zoom. SamMobile writes that the Galaxy Z Fold7 has 30x Space Zoom according to Samsung. Galaxy phones that don’t have a telephoto camera have much lower maximum digital zoom.

Samsung's own CamCyclopedia reveals that the S21 Ultra was the first Galaxy to include dedicated 3x and 10x telephoto cameras. Instead of a 10x telephoto, the S24 Ultra has a 50MP 5x telephoto camera, of which the 10x is just a crop. The S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra do the same. Our telephoto lens guide covers each generation's lenses.

What happens between 1x and 100x

On the S26 Ultra, the 3x and 5x are true dedicated lenses, while the 2x and 10x are crops from the 200MP and 50MP (5x) sensors respectively (which Samsung still consider to be of optical quality). Everything in between will also be crops. Note that Samsung do state in the fine print that beyond 10x image quality degradation may occur, and that 100x Space Zoom includes 10x optical-quality zoom and digital zoom using Super Resolution technology.

On an S26 Ultra, you’ll likely find that the sharpest zoomed-in images will be at or below 10x. Our S26 Ultra zoom guide also has working distances for all the lenses, including the closest the 5x will focus.

Why can the Galaxy S26 Ultra take such a clear picture of a street sign at 30x, yet a less-than-stellar photo of a tree? Signs have hard edges and lettering, which don’t have much trouble standing up to image magnification. Grass and leaves, on the other hand, are nothing but texture that must be filled in with image processing. So is fur, for that matter.

The zoom map and Zoom lock

Zoom guide map (per Samsung’s S26 guide): When you’re zoomed in far enough you’ll see a mini map of the whole scene you’re framing with a box around the area you’re currently zoomed in on, handy for quickly locating your subject if you lose it due to a slight movement of your phone.

Zoom lock (per Samsung’s CamCyclopedia): Holding your Galaxy phone still for around 1.5 seconds when using over 20x zoom, or tapping on the screen, will trigger Zoom lock, a handy feature that combines optical and digital image stabilisation to give you a steadier image when zoomed in. This feature is available on Galaxy phones with more than 30x zoom, and Zoom lock will disengage if you move your phone around too much. You’ll see the border around the mini zoom map change to yellow when Zoom lock is engaged.

How to take a sharp long-zoom shot

1. 1

   Brace the phone

   At 30x and longer focal lengths even tiny movements will appear in the photo, so try to brace yourself or the camera against something solid such as a wall or fence post. A compact tripod is steadier still, and our tripod guide compares small ones that fit in a bag.

2. 2

   Zoom in stages

   After tapping 10x, make sure the subject you want to focus on is centred before pinching/dragging to further zoom levels (keep an eye on the zoom map!) because going straight to 100x will likely mean your subject will get lost!

3. 3

   Let Zoom lock settle

   Tap the subject so the zoom map border turns yellow, or wait about a second and a half for it to happen automatically. Hold the phone still for about a second and a half until the yellow border appears.

4. 4

   Fire without touching the screen

   It’s usually best to take a few pictures as at this magnification typically only one in a few will be totally sharp. Try not to disturb the picture when taking the shot (use the self-timer or volume key to take the shot).

5. 5

   Try a lower zoom and crop

   Try shooting at 10x or 30x as well and cropping later on using the Gallery app. You will find that sometimes the cropped images look even better/more natural than the original 100x ones.

Once you're zoomed in, keep it as simple as possible, as any movements will be magnified. Try and keep your elbows supported on something to make fine adjustments easier.

Subjects worth zooming for

• Signs and house numbers. Assuming good contrast between lettering and background, these will generally be OK at 30x and often beyond.
• Wildlife you want to identify. Smooth feather detail doesn’t necessarily equate to mushy images, as a bird on a distant branch could well be recognisable at 30x, and our wildlife guide will tell you all about that side of things. For birds, our bird photography guide will show you what to know about shutter speeds and tracking.
• Details on tall buildings (a clock face, say, or a carving). This is where you’d probably use between 10x and 30x.
• The moon. With Scene optimizer on (Scene detection on One UI 9), the camera recognises the moon at high zoom and adds its own detail processing, which our moon photography guide explains.

Where Space Zoom struggles

At 30x or higher, it can be difficult to keep a moving object centred and in focus because the object will move out of frame while the camera tries to focus. Shooting sports from the back of a stadium would be a good example of this because the players are moving so quickly that it’s nearly impossible to keep them centred at 30x or more. Instead, try shooting at 10x or less and cropping in post.

According to Samsung’s S26 guide, optical zoom may not work in low light conditions, and the phone will revert to using the main camera sensor with heavy noise reduction applied. If you absolutely must zoom at night, brace yourself for softer results even if the phone is stabilised.

Shooting during the day, especially on warm days, can create shimmering images when shooting at long zoom levels because of heat rising off roofs and pavement. Try shooting earlier in the day or shortly after it rains to minimise this issue. If possible, shoot over water instead of land because heat waves are usually less pronounced over bodies of water.