The camera system of the S22 Ultra helps it compete with the best phones out there. This is because of the phone's diverse features, which include a wide-angle sensor, a 3x telephoto, and a 10x periscope zoom.
Settling for the default settings won't be enough on a phone that appeals to power users. You want to try the features and settings that are Pro-grade. If you're interested, here's what to expect from these powerful features.
The best way to use the S22 Ultra is to use the powerful image signal processor and artificial intelligence engine, which is why it has been specially modified by the company. The software is what we are looking at.
A negative on a film roll is the equivalent of a RAW file, and anyone who has spent enough time fiddling with cameras would have heard of it. It is a minimally compressed version of an image. It is possible to retain more detail in a picture taken with a RAW image than a picture taken with a.JPEG or.PNG image.
The details stored in aRAW file allow you to improve the image through editing, giving them a different mood or changing the vibe dramatically. Red Bull has the same effects on photographs as RAW has on your body.
I will show you how to shoot in RAW on the S22 Ultra and why I would recommend it to anyone who is limited by the phone's stock camera mode.
I don't mean to say that images shot in JPEG are worse than those caught in RAW. Preprocessed images are great for our phones and can be uploaded to social media. If you want to quickly add a filter or do some minor editing, JPEGs are the best choice.
Images are compressed after being shot to preserve space. The camera compromises on details in areas of the image that are poorly lit. Many of those details are preserved in a RAW file, but to exploit them, you have to be proficient with tools like Adobe's Camera RAW or Adobe's Lightroom.
Only some of its top-tier devices have access to the additional camera app called Expert RAW. The stock Camera app's Pro Mode interface is identical to the one in the Expert RAW app, but instead of images saving as JPEG files, they are saved as RAW files.
I took a set of images using the stock Camera app and the ExpertRAW app on the S22 Ultra, while walking around the Qutab Minar in New Delhi, India. I will use sets of at least three pictures to demonstrate the ability to transform an image. Each set includes a photo taken with the main Camera app, an edited version of the photo taken with Expert RAW, and one or more edited versions of the same file.
Click on each photo in the gallery below to enjoy all the images without compression. At the end of this section, I have included them in a Flickr gallery for a better overview.
The minaret and the surrounding landscape are captured in the first set of images taken with the primary camera on the S22 Ultra. Both images have enough information for you to see them on a phone screen. The bricks used in the structures behind the tree are visible in both. The shadows blend the tree's leaves into one while the contrast on the minaret makes it more noise.
Look at the edited version of the image. The capital city's pollution is almost invisible due to the highlighted sky. Most of the details on the trees have been restored, whereas the brickwork on the minaret has been highlighted well. Warmer greens and brighter yellows give the image a summer afternoon look.
The central complex of the tower has one of the entrances shown in the images. You can see the carvings on the walls from the 13th century.
The blue sky and some details on the domed structure outside are retained in the JPEG, but it lacks details. It appears pale and blanched compared to the RAW next to it. The stone wall from the golden hour sun retains more details and warmer tones, but the arch below the dome and the tree outside become exposed to the sky.
The first edit of the file is the third image. The light has been reduced in order to have a more dramatic effect. The top of the dome has been restored. There was no compromise in the details.
There is an alternative approach to it as well. The below image is my second edit of the same file, and it focuses on a more vibrant look. The red limestone wall has been oxidation for centuries. The tree outside and the dome complement the blue sky.
I think the second edit will have the same effect as the first.
The images show different cultures. The minaret in the background was built before the structures and pillars in the foreground.
The structures in the front of the building are captured in the raw and the colors on the brick wall behind are washed out. The tower in the background is faded in both photos.
The tower's colors were restored and its sharpness was improved with minimal editing. The stock camera of the company does an equally good job of producing a well-defined image of the structure in the front. I will leave it to you to decide on the color temperature here.
The pillars shown above are the focus of the images. The images have good details. The camera captures a warmer color when the pillar faces west.
I choose to restore the natural color of the pillar while choosing a cooler undertone to make the image look better.
My next set takes advantage of the camera's ability to shoot straight into the sun. The setting sun's rays soak everything that coincides with their path, and this was taken in the evening. The sun's visibility is compromised by the JPEG and the sun's brightness causes the sun rays to be diffracted by the minaret behind the stone pillars.
The sun is better captured by the raw version but at the expense of dimmer shadows and a faded arch.
The arch and leaves in the same area of the image are improved by the edited RAW. The inscriptions on the minaret can be seen more clearly in this version.
My wife was asked to take portrait shots with the 3x telephoto camera on the S22 Ultra. The first image in the set has a background blur that complies with the portrait mode settings. The blur feels too aggressive and almost as if I'm standing in front of a fake background, and I don't like the result.
The unedited versions have a warmer tone in response to the sun.
For the edited image, I went for more neutral whites, which helped me regain the pillars' color without affecting my skin tone. I added a background blur to the edited image to make it look more realistic and appealing, and I am happy with the results.
The minaret is lit up at dusk. The sky is brighter than it actually is because of the unedited JPEG. The sky looks gray and gloomy because of the air pollution. The yellows from the amber light on the ground are retained on the leaves.
I went for a more dramatic look because this is one of my favorite shots. I deliberately dulled the shadows to focus on the minaret in the edited RAW. The saturated yellows make it look more attractive. The minaret looks like a rocket ship with different galleries dividing it into sections.
After a day of walking, everyone is required to replenish their blood sugar, and that's the excuse I gave myself to be able to enjoy this delicious granita topped with a marshmallows. The warm mood lighting makes the dessert look like sand.
To fix that, I restored the tones of the granita to its original color while also adding a cooler undertone to the light gray background to help the colors pop out while making the marshmallows look more natural.
You can find all of the images in this gallery.
There are some limitations that I must point out, because I have sung praises of how well Expert RAW improves the quality of the images above. The ISO scale is limited to a minimum of 50 and the stock camera can capture images at lesser ISO values. If you are wondering why that matters, higher ISO means more noise in the dark parts of the picture. The exposure in the image is increased by increasing the ISO, but it also comes at the expense of details. When there is a significant difference in lighting between the bright and dim parts of a frame, lower ISO allows the stock camera to capture a higher dynamic range.
The only way to take noise-free images in low light is to decrease the shutter speed or increase the time that the camera sensor is exposed to light. Unless you are using a tripod, even the smallest noise can ruin the image. The stock camera app takes a series of images at high shutter speed, but different ISO levels and then superimposes them for a more precise night shot. Unless you have the patience to take multiple images using a tripod and then superimpose them manually, you are at a disadvantage with any app with a Pro mode.
One perk of my job as a tech reviewer is that I get to try a lot of phones and take pictures with them. I have used a lot of phones in the last few months, but the one that I find to be the best performer is the S22 Ultra, because of its high-quality images that can go on my social media.
The urge to outdo myself and brandish my skills keeps creeping in. I turned to the RAW mode on the S22 Ultra. I believe the examples I shared are convincing enough to show that the Camera RAW on the S22 Ultra makes a significant difference and helps images stand out, given you have the patience to sit through and edit them.
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