Two days ago, our cats Cali and Neko were beside themselves with excitement, as they sat transfixed—and chirping—looking at something outside in our apartment courtyard. I peeked through the window numerous times trying to see what, which typically would be a squirrel. I looked low when my eyes should have turned high.
A pigeon, or is it a dove, perched on the upper balcony railing directly across the way. My camera was in the office, so I used Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra to capture the Featured Image. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 64, 1/120 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 4:53 p.m. PST; composed as shot. The bird basked in the last rays of the setting sun.
Having 10x zoom on a device that fits in your pocket is an amazing benefit. But expectations must be set about how much, or more aptly stated little, to expect from a small smartphone sensor—even aided by computational magic performed by software. Still, what the photo lacks for image quality and color accuracy (that bird was gray bathed in sunlight, not orangey yellow), it makes up for by being good enough to preserve the moment.
My Galaxy S23 Ultra shipped from Samsung, yesterday. Tracking data estimates February15 delivery. Will the camera experience be better? The same? Or (gulp) worse. We shall see.