X

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE camera testing: See how it compares to the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S21

The Galaxy S21 FE's triple-lens camera performs well for a $700 phone.

Lisa Eadicicco
Lisa Eadicicco is a senior editor for CNET covering mobile devices. She has been writing about technology for almost a decade. Prior to joining CNET, Lisa served as a senior tech correspondent at Insider covering Apple and the broader consumer tech industry. She was also previously a tech columnist for Time Magazine and got her start as a staff writer for Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide.
Lisa Eadicicco
gs21-fe-pink-flower-2
1 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, outdoors

The Galaxy S21 FE has a 12-megapixel wide camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 8-megapixel telephoto camera. This image of a flower was taken using the 12-megapixel main wide lens. 

gs21-fe-pink-flower-2
2 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 -- Wide lens, outdoors

Across the board, the Galaxy S21's photos were very similar to those taken with the Galaxy S21 FE. That's why I've decided to mostly focus on comparisons between the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S21 FE.

pxl-20220103-172956190
3 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, outdoors

Now here's the same photo taken on the Pixel 6, which has a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. It's not as bright, but the detail in the petals is a little sharper. 

gs21-fe-zoom-2
4 of 18

Galaxy S21 FE -- Telephoto lens, zoom at 20x, outdoors

The Galaxy S21 FE has an 8-megapixel zoom lens that can zoom optically up to 3x and digitally up to 30x. This photo was taken at a 20x zoom from across the street, and you can tell it looks crisp and clear. 

20220104-153955-1
5 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 -- Telephoto lens, zoom at 20x, outdoors

Here's the same image taken on the Galaxy S21, which has a 64-megapixel telephoto lens, under the same conditions. As you can see, there isn't much of a difference between this photo and the Galaxy S21 FE's. 

pxl-20220104-204024063
6 of 18

Pixel 6 -- Wide camera, digital zoom 7x

The Pixel 6 doesn't have a dedicated telephoto lens, so it relies on digital zoom. 

gs21-fe-ultra-wide-2
7 of 18

Galaxy S21 FE-- Ultra-wide lens, outdoors

Here's a photo taken with the ultra-wide-angle lens. 

pxl-20220104-203014678
8 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Ultra wide lens, outdoors

And here's that same photo taken on the Pixel 6's ultra-wide camera. You'll notice the colors look a bit more muted than the Galaxy S21 FE's, but I also think it's generally truer to the scene. 

gs21-fe-plant
9 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, outdoors

This is one of the best examples of how the Galaxy S21 FE's camera differs from the Pixel 6's. You'll notice that the shade of green is more vibrant in this photo than the one taken with the Pixel 6. 

pxl-20220104-203430941
10 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, outdoors

But again, the Pixel 6's image looks more accurate. There are notes of red in the top of the leaves in Google's photo that you can't even see in the S21 FE's image. 

gs21-fe-reindeer-1
11 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, outdoors

The same goes for this photo too. It's bright and colorful, but you can barely see the lights in the decoration, suggesting that it might be a bit washed out. 

pxl-20220104-203516832
12 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, outdoors

You can see the lights in the reindeer and sleigh much more easily in this photo compared to the Galaxy S21 FE's. 

gs21-fe-ladybug-1
13 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, outdoors

This is one of the rare instances in which I think the Galaxy S21 FE's color is less bold and a bit washed out compared to the Pixel 6. 

pxl-20220104-203604141
14 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, outdoors

The ladybug looks much more red and vibrant in this photo compared to the Galaxy S21 FE's. 

gs21-fe-cat-2
15 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, indoors

The Galaxy S21 FE's camera performs well indoors, too. This photo of my cat, Buddy, has plenty of detail and is well-lit. 

pxl-20220103-170922198
16 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, indoors

Here's the same photo taken on the Pixel 6. 

gs21-fe-night-1
17 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Galaxy S21 FE -- Wide lens, indoors, low light

The Galaxy S21 FE also takes clear photos in low light. You can't tell by looking at this picture, but I took this photo with all the lights turned off and the shade pulled down. 

pxl-20220104-205907543
18 of 18 Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Pixel 6 -- Wide lens, indoors, low light

Here's the Pixel 6's version of that image. The S21 FE's is good, but this one is brighter. 

Check out our full reviews of the Galaxy S21 FE and Pixel 6 for more details and full impressions. 

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos