Samsung’s Expert RAW app is now available on more Galaxy smartphones. You can now use the app on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, and Z Fold 2 for more professional control when taking photos. Learn how the Expert RAW app works.
- Expert RAW is already available on Galaxy S22, S21 and Z Fold 4
- You can download the app from the Samsung Galaxy Store
- The app requires at least 8 GB of RAM and features like a 2x telephoto lens
Samsung released version 1.0.05.4 with no new features added. Rather, it’s an update designed to extend app support to Galaxy smartphones with compatible camera modules.
What is the Expert RAW app for?
Expert RAW is a standalone camera application. It was originally reserved for some Galaxy smartphones with telephoto lenses and Bayer RAW technology. The great thing about this app is that it offers more flexibility in setting up various options for the photo module that aren’t available in the standard app. While shooting, you can adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance, manual focus, and more.
Download the Expert RAW app from the Galaxy App Store
Another key feature is the ability to shoot 16-bit RAW DNG images as well as multi-mix HDR files. These formats are mainly used for post-processing by amateur or professional photographers. You can also use the direct link to Adobe’s Lightroom app.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is compatible with the Expert RAW app / © kwgeek
Galaxy smartphones compatible with the Expert RAW app
Using Samsung’s Expert RAW application requires certain technical features. Currently, it can be downloaded to smartphones with 2x optical zoom, Bayer RAW technology, at least one Snapdragon 865, and 8 GB of RAM. Therefore, Expert RAW is compatible with the following models:
However, there is a downside to using the Expert RAW app on older Galaxy smartphones because it requires more power. Processing times may vary, and older models may experience slower processing times, Samsung says. It’s unclear if the South Korean manufacturer plans to extend the Expert RAW app’s compatibility to other models, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Z Flip 3.
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How to take better photos with the Expert RAW app
The first thing you’ll notice is that the Expert RAW app lets you choose all available focal lengths. The Samsung original camera app only allows you to choose between ultra-wide and wide-angle lenses in Pro mode. Other than that, the Expert RAW app looks a lot like the Pro mode of Samsung’s standard camera app.
You can now manually control all camera lenses! / © kwgeek
As you can see in the image below on the left, you will be able to manually adjust the ISO value, shutter speed, exposure value and focus, or you can leave them in automatic adjustment. At the top of the screen, you’ll find icons for settings, Selfie, metering mode, and a display histogram. The latter can be used to estimate whether your manually set exposure is correct.
The Expert RAW app itself doesn’t have many settings, and unlike the standard Samsung camera app, it can still take RAW and JPEG photos at the same time.
You will be able to change some settings / © kwgeek
Why shoot photos in RAW format? As we said, the standard camera app’s auto mode usually produces good results. But the resulting JPEG image after software processing doesn’t leave too many possibilities.
For example, white balance is built into the image as well as exposure. By processing RAW files yourself, not only can you better adjust color and exposure settings, but you can also preserve some detail, as shown in the comparison below.
See how the details are clearer with a RAW image / © kwgeek
While shooting RAW photos can be a bit of a hassle for newbies, the quality difference you can see from the photos above is definitely worth it. Once you understand how each option changes, a whole new world of photography crafting will open up before you, and your Samsung Galaxy smartphone will prove to be a great tool.
Do you use the advanced features of your smartphone camera app or prefer to take pictures in automatic mode?