29-03-2022 07:59 AM in
It seems ExpertRAW is just putting a JPG file into an DNG container.
I am comparing the dng files from ExpertRAW and the regular standard photo app. Samples are taken with the exact same settings.
ExpertRAW Dngs have:
- zero highlight recovery, reducing exposure and highlight settings makes it dull (that's how a jpg would behave, not a raw file)
- zero shadow recovery potential (unlike a real raw file)
- heavy JPG like artifacts and color tear-offs in dark areas of the image without any editing but maybe raising the shadows a little (not possible in real RAW)
- over sharpened details (sharpening should be done in raw processing not before), but this has become the least of the problems now
Those are very fundamental functions of a RAW file to adjust shadows and highlights. And it does work fine with the DNGs created with the regular app with the same exposure settings. Samples compare stock DNG vs Expert"DNG".
Stock App DNG left / Expert "DNG" right: Exposure and Highlights brought down a little, real DNG begins to show more details, fake DNG just gets dull like a jpg would, on neutral settings both looked similar
Expert "DNG" left / Stock App DNG right : minimal raise in the shadows showing jpg like soft compression artifacts in the fake DNG in dark areas
Stock App DNG left / Expert "DNG" right: same photo as a whole with noticeable detail loss
right-side over sharpening of ExpertRAW (1:1)
Expert "DNG" left / Stock App DNG right: color tear-offs like a jpg, no detail in shadows
29-03-2022 08:39 AM in
The first time I used this app I noticed a lot of post processing going on which shouldn't happen with a raw file. Very strange. It was one of the reasons I brought the phone.
29-03-2022 08:43 AM - last edited 29-03-2022 08:51 AM
Fortunately, the default app still produces correct raw files for all rear-facing cameras, but I still find this very misleading unless it's a bug or error.
And yes ExpertRAW is aimed to process the files differently (otherwise why would it exist as the stock app already does RAW) and can occasionally produce more details in the brighter parts of the image. But at the moment it is not really creating a RAW file and completely disregarding the darker parts of the image. There are examples for pre-processed raw files that are valid, like Adobe Lightroom has the ability to create HDR DNGs with all the features you would expect from a RAW, what Samsung does is not that.
29-03-2022 09:12 AM in
Also worth noticing: ExpertRAW creates 12MP files from the two 10MP tele cameras.
29-03-2022 10:25 PM in
Or is this just some really aggressive lossy DNG compression, cutting away to much?