Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Camera Review: Nightography, Up to 100x Zoom, and Video Stabilisation

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Series features a camera system with significant improvements in three key areas: low-light performance through the latest generation of Nightography, long-range zoom capabilities, and video stabilisation that can now replace external gimbals.

The main camera on the Galaxy S26 Ultra now uses an f/1.4 aperture, up from f/1.7 on the S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra. This change allows the lens to capture up to 47% more light than previous generations. In practice, night photos appear brighter, with more detail and less noise, even in very limited lighting conditions.

For night video, the Galaxy S26 Series uses an AI ISP that works in real-time during recording, brightening the scene, sharpening details, and reducing noise without sacrificing natural tones.

This feature is also active on the front camera, so selfies and video calls still produce detailed facial images even with limited ambient lighting.

In real-world scenarios, users recording a night concert with minimal lighting will be assisted by the AI ISP, which maintains facial detail and reduces noise without making the stage lights appear overly saturated.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra features a Next-Gen AI Zoom that is more aggressive in reducing noise while maintaining natural textures. As a result, when shooting objects from a distance, photos appear rich in texture and colour depth.

This technology works in real-time, analysing every pixel, making it a reliable tool for capturing moments that were previously out of reach for smartphone cameras.

Horizontal Lock is a new video stabilisation feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra that is not available on the S25 Ultra or S24 Ultra.

By combining a gyroscope, accelerometer, and OIS, Horizontal Lock automatically keeps the horizon level, even when recording in intense motion. The result is stable, professional-looking footage without the need for additional gimbals.

For users who want full control over their photos, Expert RAW on the Galaxy S26 Ultra allows manual adjustment of ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure.

The RAW format produced provides a wider dynamic range for maximum editing flexibility. Virtual ND Filter support also opens up possibilities for artistic motion blur and long exposure effects without the need for additional professional cameras.