I took over 500 photos with the Samsung S25 Ultra and Oppo Find X8 Ultra – the winner is very clear

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Oppo Find X8 Ultra performs better than its Samsung rival in almost every scenario.
• The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes close in ultrawide camera comparison.
• Oppo’s flagship has unique features like XPAN mode, Hasselblad color science, and Master mode.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra houses one of the most versatile camera systems on a mainstream phone, thanks to its two telephoto cameras and an ultrawide sensor coupled with a 200MP primary camera.

Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared the best Android phones, and it was very close

But the Oppo Find X8 Ultra is equally, if not more, versatile. It has bigger sensors on the four 50MP cameras on its back. Plus, the Oppo flagship is paired with a renewed Hasselblad partnership — for extra features like XPAN mode, better Portraits, and Hasselblad Natural Color Solution, re-engineered for mobile. 

I was confused about which phone to take on my trip to Sweden, so I took both and compared the results, which are… interesting.

Comparing the camera specs

Oppo and Samsung flagships are some of the best phones of 2025. Both sport four rear cameras, but the Find X8 Ultra houses bigger sensors on three of those. It is led by a 1-inch-type 50MP main sensor, which snaps better quality photos than Samsung’s 200MP primary camera. 

But it’s the rest of the sensors that help it take the lead. The 10MP 3x optical zoom Samsung telephoto camera stands no chance against Oppo’s 50MP 3x optical zoom supported periscope camera, while it competes closely in ultrawide shots and 50MP secondary 5x (6x on Oppo) periscope zoom photos.

Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared the best Android phones, and it was very close

There’s no doubt that the Find X8 Ultra has a better camera package than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, thanks to its bigger sensors and Hasselblad color science. But it can also be inconsistent at times, giving the edge to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s how the two compare in my vacation photos.

It’s all about the color science

The Oppo Find X8 Ultra exposes the subjects better in most scenarios. It tends to brighten the subject in harsh lighting conditions, making them look (almost) artificial, but I’d still prefer it over Samsung’s under-exposed shots. For example, in the above shots, my face looks better exposed in the left image than in Samsung’s 3x portrait. Samsung has a warmer undertone, while Oppo’s shot looks more lively.

Oppo can overdo the processing at times. Neither of the above shots is perfect, but I would pick the Galaxy S25 Ultra photo because it doesn’t look artificial. 

Also: Own a OnePlus phone? I changed 10 settings to significantly improve the user experience

While underexposed, it retains my skin tone and looks more real, whereas Oppo blows out the highlights to an extent. It is one of those inconsistent processing scenarios that happen once in a while, but it can ruin the vibe of the photo if you haven’t snapped a backup shot.

The inconsistent processing is limited only to harsh lighting conditions. Otherwise, Oppo’s Find X8 Ultra beats the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in every scenario. It consistently shoots better-looking shots in low light. Notice the bulbs on this lamp; Samsung couldn’t get the details, and the overall shot has more noise, while Oppo’s image is sharper. 

This story continues on their respective periscope zoom cameras. Oppo’s 6x zoom captures more details, natural bokeh, and no noise, even in low light. Samsung’s shot looks dull despite snapping a significant amount of details, while Oppo’s colors pop compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Samsung competes better in ultrawide images. Both phones process saturated colors with plenty of details for a low-light shot. Outdoors, the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Oppo Find X8 Ultra capture equally good-looking shots, but Oppo’s lively-looking color science appeals more to me.

Oppo takes the cake in Portraits

I would pick the Oppo Find X8 Ultra over the Galaxy S25 Ultra for portrait shots any day. Even at 6x, the portrait shots look fantastic, thanks to Hasselblad color science. In bright lighting conditions, it processes a natural-looking bokeh and adapts to the tone of its surroundings. 

For example, the above two photos were taken near the sea, so they have a cooler tone, but a portrait taken during sunset will have a warmer tone. 

To compare, Samsung’s shot looks less lively and tends to have aggressive blur around the edges of the subject, which makes a portrait shot look unnatural. While it retains the color of my shirt better, Oppo’s photo delivers the vibe of the place with its warmer tone in direct sunlight.

Also: Samsung is giving these Galaxy phones a big One UI upgrade – here’s which models qualify

There are multiple things — like 6x tele macro and XPAN mode — that you’ll only find on the Oppo Find X8 Ultra. For the unaware, XPAN mode is available on OnePlus and Oppo flagship phones. It is inspired by Hasselblad’s XPan feature, which allows you to capture panoramic shots in a unique 65:24 aspect ratio. 

I love it because how else would I be able to snap artistic ceilings in castles or panoramic-like views in scenic places? Definitely not with a regular panorama mode. 

Bottom line

Samsung gets a lot of things right, like not adding a Camera Control-like button, which hinders the landscape shooting experience on my Oppo phone. However, the South Korean giant needs to work on tuning the color science if it wants to challenge the likes of Oppo Find X8 Ultra. For now, I would happily pick the Oppo flagship over a Galaxy S25 Ultra for its Hasselblad colors, better portraits, Master mode, and XPAN mode. 

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