The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of our favorite devices of 2021, delivering incredible performance and industry-leading cameras for those looking for an extremely versatile device that can capture photos and videos in nearly any situation. The only downside of the Galaxy S21 Ultra is its $1200 price tag. While that’s not a bad price for what you get, it’s a whole lot more than what people are willing to pay for a smartphone these days.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Pixel 5a which sells for $450. It’s definitely not as powerful as the S21 Ultra and its camera hardware is three years old at this point, but it may just be good enough to go up against the Galaxy S21 Ultra when it comes to capturing photos.

To see if the $450 Pixel 5a can truly go head-to-head with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, check out our camera comparison for the results.

Pixel 5a versus Galaxy S21 Ultra camera specs

Pixel 5a 

• Rear cameras: 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (main), 16 MP, f/2.2, 107˚ (ultrawide)
• Selfie camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm
• Video capture: 4K@30/60fps (rear), 1080p@30fps (selfie)

Galaxy S21 Ultra

• Rear cameras: 108MP, F1.8, 0.8µm (main), 12MP (ultrawide), 10MP (3x telephoto), 10MP (10x telephoto)
• Selfie camera: 40MP, 80°, F2.2, 0.7 µm
• Video capture: 4K@60 (all cameras) 8K@24 (main)

Pixel 5a versus Galaxy S21 Ultra