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Samsung launches Expert Raw camera app for photo enthusiasts

The app brings multi-frame RAW support to zoom cameras as well, while also letting you export RAW profiles to Lightroom.
By
November 24, 2021
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera housing close
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
  • Samsung has released the Expert Raw camera app.
  • It offers a variety of pro camera functions, as well as multi-frame RAW support.
  • It’s only available on the Galaxy S21 Ultra running Android 12 for now.

Samsung‘s camera app is pretty full-featured already, offering functionality like Single Take, Director’s View, 8K Video Snap, and more. But what if you need more enthusiast-level features? Well, you’ve got features like RAW support, but the company has just released a separate camera app too.

The Expert Raw camera app has been released in beta by Samsung on the Galaxy Store (h/t: Tizen Help), and it brings features like multi-frame-based 16-bit RAW support to the main, ultra-wide, telephoto, and periscope cameras. By comparison, the standard app only allows for RAW shots when using the main and ultra-wide cameras.

A Samsung community moderator added that the multi-frame approach means you can expect RAW shots with improved sharpness, detail, and dynamic range.

The functionality doesn’t stop there either, as the Expert Raw app also offers HDR functionality, lossless JPEG support, pro mode controls (e.g. ISO, shutter speed, exposure, manual focus, and histogram), and the ability to export RAW profiles to Adobe’s Lightroom.

Perhaps the biggest downside is the limited release, as the app is reportedly restricted to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Android 12 right now. But the Samsung moderator noted in a comment that additional devices, including the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy Tab S5e, would support the Expert Raw app later. For what it’s worth, I tried it on the Android 11-toting Galaxy S20 FE (Exynos) and it crashed upon launching.

Popular tipster FrontTron has linked to an APK, but we’d recommend you install it via the Galaxy Store if it’s available for you (or wait for an official release if you don’t know what you’re doing).