Samsung galaxy s23 ultra "EXPERT RAW" preview image/live view is not accurate

JoeJoe12345 · ‎28-02-2023

In "expert raw" the preview images are vastly different from the one that is saved. This is supposed to be fully manual so I can control exposure. Every time I get the exposure how I want I take a pic and Samsung applies a nasty filter/autohdr to my image making it utterly useless. So in fact I actually have no control over the image setting/exposure especially in indoor photos with decent lighting. don't even try it in low light. Please try it out yourself before you offer solutions.

and yes I've turned off auto HDR/ scene optimizer etc..

This is with the s23 ultra

SmallFish · ‎28-02-2023

I think there's a historical issue with Samsung mobile phone cameras in that it's impossible to truely turn their HDR off. I thought Expert RAW was meant to be the sole way of getting around that...

I have to say that I found RAW files from the S23 Ultra looked awful on my monitor... white was saturating the image... until I turned off the monitor's 'HDR' mode. I blame my Dell monitor more than I do the Samsung. HDR is a very 'subjective' 'standard'.

luisalduucin · ‎06-03-2023

+1 on this. Expert RAW on low light is absolute unusable, I always end up with a different image, even when I put the lowest ISO to avoid weird illumination effects.

S22 Ultra was better, less post processing which resulted in better images.

Any recommendations on how to get the best out of Expert RAW?

luisalduucin · ‎06-03-2023

No editing, straight out of Expert RAW. It looks like his face, hands and microphone were covered with Neon paint (they weren't). I exposed for the subject to be dark to preserve the background lights and then in post recover a bit of the shadows but with this post processing done to the image is hard to.

latest1 · ‎31-03-2023

One common issue is that the preview image/live view may not accurately reflect the final image that is captured when shooting in RAW format. This can be frustrating for users who are trying to capture the best possible image quality.

If you are experiencing this issue, there are a few things you can try:

Update your device: Make sure that your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is running the latest software update. Device updates often include bug fixes and improvements to features like the "Expert RAW" mode.
Adjust your settings: Try adjusting the camera settings, such as exposure compensation, white balance, or ISO, to see if this resolves the issue.
Use a third-party app: If the issue persists, you may want to consider using a third-party camera app that supports RAW capture. These apps may provide a more accurate preview image/live view and better control over the final image.
Contact support: If none of these solutions work, you may want to contact Samsung support for assistance. They may be able to provide additional troubleshooting steps or escalate the issue for further investigation.

In summary, there have been reports of issues with the "Expert RAW" preview image/live view on Samsung devices. If you are experiencing this issue, try updating your device, adjusting your settings, using a third-party app, or contacting support for assistance.

luisalduucin · ‎11-04-2023

If I wanted an answer from ChatGPT I would have asked directly.

Members_fGFGIsI · ‎29-05-2023

From what I've read, expert raw is a combination of a Raw file, plus computational photography, so you don't technically have to edit them, however if you're like me, you do !!!! So you can avoid that voodoo ***** by just shooting raw in the pro mode in the normal camera app

Arturo123 · ‎15-06-2023

Worth reading towards the end! These issues are still happening on 15/06/2023 with the lastest firmware and OS updates available to this day.

First of all let me start by saying that I have also disabled auto HDR and scene optimizer in ALL camera modes. I am having very similar issues with any RAW pictures the S23 produces with the stock camera app in the following 2 scenarios:

1: Pro mode: The RAW images will appear overexposed when I open it in lightroom mobile. (This does not ocurre with jpegs from the normal camera app. It only happens with RAW images produced by the Pro camera option regardless of image size or ISO/shutter speed).

Please see image below (Top is RAW file in Lightroom Mobile, Bottom is from the gallery and the way it looked when I took the photo):

I know it looks subtle but it is there and it can completely ruin your picture if you are exposing for the highlights. What is the freaking point of having a pro mode if yo have no control over what your final image looks like?

2. Expert RAW mode: This is even nastier and doesn´t even involve importing the image into Lightroom Mobile. It happens straight after you take the picture. when it is loading in the gallery you can clearly see how it applies some sort of HDR to the image (again, auto HDR and scene optimizer is turned OFF). So again, what is the freaking point of having Expert RAW mode if the freaking device is going to do whatever it wants to the file and you have no control over the final image in a freaking freaking RAW file. Please see image below: (Top is a screenshot of how the image looked when I took the photo, bottom is 2 seconds after opening it in the gallery after seeing the sort of HDR that it automatically applies to the image)

In short, both PRO mode and Expert RAW produce images which are vastly different from what the preview shows, and it doesn´t matter if you turn off Auto enhance / auto HDR, there still will be some sort of post processing applied to your RAW file. That sounds so stupid just to say it. SAMSUNG, I do not doubt the capabilites of the cameras on this device but for the love of god just give me an option to have a RAW file with absolutely NO AUTOMATIC POST PROCESSING applied to it. IS IT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

PEOPLE WHO USE RAW FILES EXPECT TO DO THEIR POST PROCESSING THEMSELVES AND NOT HAVE THE DEVICE RUIN THE FILE.

As a side note and a tip, this automatic post processing was also happening in the normal camera app when I opened the file in the gallery you could see the post processing being applied. I was able to get rid of it by installing camera assistant from the gallery store, then in camera options---camera assistant---capture speed---faster post processing. BUT THIS ONLY WORKS FOR NORMAL PHOTO MODE. IF YOU USE PRO OR EXPERT RAW YOU ARE BASICALLY SCREWED IF YOU EXPECT AN UNPROCESSED RAW FILE.

I have found very little information on this. Does anyone know if Samsung is planning on fixing this anytime soon? Or do they just not give 2 Fs about the photography community that shoot RAW and want to do their own editing ?

Thanks for reading!

Asheesh · ‎10-09-2023

@JoeJoe12345 wrote:

In "expert raw" the preview images are vastly different from the one that is saved. This is supposed to be fully manual so I can control exposure. Every time I get the exposure how I want I take a pic and Samsung applies a nasty filter/autohdr to my image making it utterly useless. So in fact I actually have no control over the image setting/exposure especially in indoor photos with decent lighting. don't even try it in low light. Please try it out yourself before you offer solutions.

and yes I've turned off auto HDR/ scene optimizer etc..

This is with the s23 ultra

The only solution, so to speak, I have found for this is opening the Raw image captured from Expert-Raw in Lightroom mobile. It changes exposure/whites/saturation back to how it was in viewfinder. I just think it is terrible. Keep all processing in auto camera mode. Leave "expert" mode alone.

See the two images. One from camera gallery, another (the way I actually shot it) in Lightroom