Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera review: Testing a 200MP lens on a foldable
We've been snapping pictures with Samsung's new $2,000 folding phone, and they're pretty good
I’ve been skeptical about the quality of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera system since it first leaked, but after spending a little over a day with the phone, I can say that you can leave your worries at the door – this is a good camera.
Samsung’s newest large-format folding smartphone, which launches on July 25, has the most versatile and power camera setup of any Galaxy Z device to date. The company aims to provide its foldable smartphone with an experience reminiscent of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, complete with a range of high-end features, including fast performance, a slim design, larger screens, and strong cameras.
The Fold 7’s cameras are one of the most interesting areas of the device. Samsung swapped the old main camera on the Z Fold 6 for a new 200MP lens, the same one that’s in the S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Edge. Couple with a familiar telephoto and ultra-wide duo, the system wants to be closer to what you’d find on a Galaxy S Ultra than ever before. But the question is: does Samsung’s hard work pay off?
For the most part, yes, but some things seem to be the same compared to last year. Let’s break it down camera-by-camera.
💰 Samsung pre-order deals upfront
Extra $50 off Galaxy Z Fold 7 + up to $1,150 trade-in value + double the storage
Extra $50 off Galaxy Z Flip 7 + up to $720 trade-in value + double the storage
Buy a phone, get 10% off a watch, 30% off Buds3 Pro, or 15% off Buds 3
Galaxy Z Fold 7 200MP main camera
The biggest camera upgrade the Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes with is the 200MP main sensor. It’s the first time Samsung has included a camera of this caliber on a folding phone; it’s been a part of the Galaxy S Ultra lineup for a few generations, but only in 2025 did Samsung start bringing it to more phones.
Now that it’s on a foldable phone, the big question is whether the photography experience can match that of a normal phone. I’m happy to report that it can, at least with this sensor.
Like the S25 Edge, the Z Fold 7 benefits tremendously from the 200MP camera. The pixels are larger than on previous Z Fold devices, allowing for more light and detail in every photo. The gallery I included above has a number of great examples of this; the West Village buildings at sunset have great color reproduction and detail, while nighttime shots keep their integrity with good sharpness and clarity.
As is typical for Samsung phones, the processing algorithm (which the same ProVisual Engine as the Galaxy S25 series) can oversaturate or blend colors in some photos. Cityscapes at night are a particular challenge for this phone, but buildings in dim light with minimal details can come out totally fine. (The Yext building above is a great example of this.)
Indoor shots at Starbucks Reserve and a basement bar across the street also looked sharp. If you capture a photo in the full 200MP mode, you can get even more detail, which is ideal if you want to print your photos. I’ll have to do more testing in this mode, but it seems solid nonetheless.
Video quality is another area I need to test more, but early clips I’ve captured seem pretty good. This video of a bartender pouring out shots of sambuca is clear and more life-like than other 4K videos I’ve captured on previous Galaxy Z Fold devices.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 12MP ultra-wide camera
Samsung carried over the same 12MP ultra-wide camera as the Galaxy Z Fold 6, except it’s a bit tighter with a 120-degree field of view instead of 123 degrees.
The sensor is mostly fine, albeit during the day. In my early test, I could snag a few good-looking wide-angle shots that produced colors and detail well. However, once the sun started setting, it got tougher to get photos I would want to share to social media. The low-light images above have a lot of crunched-together details that fall apart when you zoom into them, and colors run askew in certain places.
I’ll have to test this camera more, but right now, it doesn’t seem all that solid.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 10MP telephoto camera
It would’ve been super cool to see Samsung include the same periscope telephoto camera as the S25 Ultra on the Z Fold 7 to enable 100x zoom, but instead, we got the same 10MP 3x telephoto camera as the Fold 6. That’s honestly fine by me; the camera seems to produce photos that are comparable to the main camera, at least in my early testing.
3x photos are sharp and clear, with good detail and color. Even at night, the sensor can pull off some shots that look like you took them with the main camera, which is nice to see. At night, the camera struggles to collect enough light to get as much detail as you can during the day, but it’s not the same fate as the ultra-wide camera.
You can zoom in 30x with this camera, which gives you photos that look like water color paintings more than anything else. This is something the S25 Ultra can mostly avoid (until you get to 100x, of course), so I’m definitely missing its more capable zoom camera here.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 selfie cameras
I need more time to test the selfie cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, especially the wider 10MP sensor in the hole-punch cutout on the folding screen. I’ve taken some at night that came out looking pretty good, but once I collect a few more, I’ll update this article.
Our Galaxy Z Fold 7 review continues
We’re still cranking away at our full Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, which is coming next week. Be sure to subscribe to The Shortcut so you don’t miss it when it drops.
👀 Also see
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, Country Central, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.