Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 5X Periscope Camera Has a Disadvantage

Galaxy S26 Ultra has officially launched, bringing many needed upgrades. These include the new Privacy Display, as well as better camera apertures for the main and 5X tele cameras. However, Samsung may have quietly made another key change to the 5X periscope camera. More importantly, it might not make some of you happy.

Disclaimer: We do not have official confirmation that the Galaxy S26 Ultra features a W-style periscope camera. However, in our testing, we noticed that the minimum focus distance is longer than that of the S25 Ultra. 

Galaxy S26 Ultra reportedly has a new W-style periscope camera

According to @sondesix on X, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a W-style periscope lens for the 5x zoom camera. In a traditional periscope camera, you basically have one right-angle bend. Light enters, hits a prism, and runs sideways to the sensor. It works efficiently and delivers solid results.

The W-style periscope, on the other hand, bends the light multiple times, creating a more complex folded path inside the periscope assembly. The shape of the optical path matters because it affects how much focal length you can fit into a limited internal space and determines how light travels. Moreover, it affects where light is reflected inside the module. Additionally, it affects how sharp and accurate your zoomed photos can be.

A W-style path adds one more bend, like a zig-zag pattern. Instead of light just turning once and heading to the sensor, it turns, reflects again, and then heads to the sensor. This forms a rough “W” visually if you mapped the light path.

Advantages and downsides of W-style periscope lens

The main advantages of a W-style periscope lens are: more optical path without extra thickness and without making the phone thicker, less distortion, and better edge detail when zoomed. You can create a better 5X or over 10X optical zoom camera, and you can do so without making the phone thicker. Alternatively, you can do so without making a bigger camera module.

The downsides, however, are that those extra mirrors and precise prisms are more expensive. The main downside is that it brings more problems if you want to shoot macro shots with the 5X telephoto lens. This also brings potential light loss. Every reflection off a mirror or prism reduces the light slightly. With a W-style path adding extra reflections, there can be more light loss than a simpler periscope.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra already sports one of the most advanced camera systems Samsung has shipped. If it indeed has a W-style periscope lens with an extra-folded light path inside the zoom module, that could help explain why zoom shots will feel more detailed at long range. This is especially true compared to standard periscope phones.

However, if you’re shooting tele-macro photos and videos, you might be disappointed with the new W-style periscope lens. This is because it is harder to shoot macro shots with the 5X camera due to its longer minimum focusing distance.

It’s important to note that other geometric changes within the camera module, such as a larger aperture with the same sensor size, could also affect the minimum focusing distance. Regardless, we can confirm that the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t focus as close as its predecessor, making it difficult to capture macro shots with the 5x lens.

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