As a photographer who owns loads of high-end digital camera gear, from pro-grade cameras to drones, a stunning variety of my images are captured utilizing my cellphone. Most folks as of late snap photos utilizing the cameras built-in into their telephones, and the standard of those cameras has elevated by leaps and bounds. Now, the most recent and biggest smartphones embrace the form of options that not solely attraction to beginner photographers, however to professionals as effectively.
Among these options are Apple ProRAW and Samsung’s Expert RAW, which let you seize and edit images with a considerably increased diploma of management over the method. Unlike a DSLR or mirrorless digital camera, these digital camera apps shoot utilizing multi-frame RAW, by which a number of pictures are captured and mixed collectively to offer you a picture extra akin to what you’d seize in a single RAW picture with a devoted digital camera.
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This isn’t an ideal answer, as to seize an Expert RAW or Apple ProRAW picture, it’s essential to briefly maintain the cellphone nonetheless because it captures a collection of pictures. As a end result, it’s not nice for shifting topics. Also, understand that each Expert RAW and Apple ProRAW pictures take up a ton of additional space for storing — greater than 10 occasions what you’d usually anticipate from a nonetheless picture.
If you shoot regularly in both multi-frame RAW format, the storage in your cellphone goes to replenish quick. I’m definitely glad I opted for the 512GB Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has loads of space for storing. Also, bear in mind that, when you do get some options from the traditional digital camera app like topic monitoring, there’s no portrait mode nor some other of the flashier automated options in multi-shot RAW. These modes are geared toward individuals who would fairly apply such results after the very fact in post-processing.
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It’s in post-processing the place multi-shot modes actually shine. Rather than being caught with what the digital camera thinks seems to be finest, you get to make exact changes in order that your picture comes out precisely proper.
The query is, who does it higher, Apple or Samsung? Let the battle begin!
Availability
Apple has been within the multi-shot RAW picture sport for a few years now, starting with the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. It’s additionally now accessible on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.
Samsung debuted Expert RAW of their newest and biggest Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, with the function additionally accessible on the older S21 Ultra 5G. In the long run, Samsung intends to broaden compatibility to the Z Fold 3, and to different high-end telephones going again to the S20 Ultra, S20 Note, and Z fold 2.
Winner: Apple, for now not less than.  Expert RAW is at the moment solely accessible on two Samsung smartphones in comparison with 4 Apple gadgets. Apple has additionally made it accessible on cheaper gadgets, whereas Samsung solely makes it accessible on their very high-end telephones. However, if Samsung follows by and expands Expert RAW to older smartphones, it will likely be marginally extra accessible.
Digital Trends / Andy Zahn
Accessibility
Apple ProRAW is built-in straight into the digital camera app and is even built-in into third-party apps resembling Moment Camera. To flip it on all it’s important to do is toggle it within the settings.
Expert RAW, nonetheless, doesn’t even come pre-installed on the cellphone and is a wholly separate app from the primary digital camera, accessible through Samsung’s app retailer. While putting in Expert RAW is simple sufficient, the difficulty is that it’s a trouble to modify between the traditional digital camera app and the Expert RAW app.
This issues while you’re capturing a scene by which time is an element. For instance, the opposite day I took a photograph of a rainbow with my S22 Ultra. I solely had seconds to take the shot, and by double-clicking the facility button, I used to be in a position to launch the common digital camera app with out having to unlock the cellphone. I bought my shot, however there wasn’t time to unlock the cellphone and launch the Expert RAW app. I might change the shortcut in order that Expert RAW would launch as a substitute of the usual digital camera app, however Expert RAW is situational fairly than common.
Winner: Apple
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Feature compatibility
Apple ProRAW works with SmartHDR, Deep Fusion, and Night Mode. The Expert RAW app is pretty spartan; it really works with Auto HDR, however not a lot else.
Winner: Apple
Image high quality
Whether Samsung or Apple telephones take higher images is a hotly debated matter, and largely comes right down to a matter of opinion. In phrases of multi-shot RAW, Expert RAW captures 16-bit pictures, versus Apple ProRAW, which maxes out at 12-bit. In concept, which means Expert RAW offers you extra knowledge to work with when post-processing.
Bit depth refers back to the tonal info saved within the picture. A 1-bit picture could be easy black and white, a 2-bit picture might have 4 totally different tones: white, gentle gray, darkish gray, and black. A JPEG is an 8-bit picture with 256 tones, 12-bit ProRAW pictures have 4,000 tones, and a 16-bit Expert RAW picture has an absurd 65,536 tones.
Keep in thoughts, although, that this drastic enhance doesn’t essentially imply that modifying functionality scales immediately with elevated bit-depth on a sensible degree. The distinction between JPEG and any RAW format is important, however past that, we encounter diminishing returns between 10-bit and 12-bit, and 12-bit and 16-bit.
Winner: Samsung

File dimension
With further bit-depth comes further storage necessities. The common JPEG picture from an Apple or Samsung system is roughly 2.5MB, whereas a 12-bit ProRAW picture takes up 25MB of house. A 16-bit Expert RAW picture takes up round 30MB, although in case you don’t thoughts shedding some knowledge, you need to use high-efficiency RAW format and shave a couple of megabytes off that quantity. With ProRAW you even have the choice to drop right down to 10-bit and lower your images down to simply 8MB, and nonetheless have a picture that, whereas not fairly as tonally wealthy as 12-bit or 16-bit pictures, nonetheless affords loads of wiggle room when modifying.
Winner: Apple
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Conclusion
While Apple ProRAW beats Expert Raw in most classes, Apple solely ever edges out Samsung by a hair in any of them. Both multi-shot RAW modes are very intently matched, and I wouldn’t select both cellphone with Expert RAW versus ProRAW because the deciding issue. With that mentioned, Samsung does must step up its sport by integrating Expert RAW into their default digital camera app, and by providing decrease bit-depth modes as a space-saving possibility. With these minor adjustments, Samsung could be the victor right here.

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