The Expert RAW app for the Galaxy S21 Ultra brings 16-bit RAW support for all cameras and allows for manual control of all lenses, a feature that will be available for other Samsung smartphones too.

First announced last November, the Expert RAW app takes, according to Samsung, the power of the Galaxy S21 Ultra to even greater levels of epic. The app is only compatible with the Galaxy S21 Ultra running Android 12 for now, but Samsung says it will be available for other models in the future. The app, which has only been available in Korea, through the Galaxy Store, will also be available worldwide. An updated version of the app will be available on January 22, so maybe we will see Expert RAW being available for users in other countries besides Korea.

To promote the Expert RAW app Samsung released a video with wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung, showing how the photographer uses a Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G and tames the unpredictable beauty of nature and masters its imagery with a few taps. ProVideo Coalition readers will remember that last month Samsung released a video of wildlife photographer Yashas Narayan tracking and photographing tigers with help from his Galaxy S21 Ultra, for a documentary created in partnership with Discovery, as part of the Capture the World With Galaxy S21 series.

In the new video, wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung talks about the experience, and says that because in a safari “your subject could be as large as an elephant, or as small as a spider” the Expert RAW app is a welcome addition to the options available. “Switching between the lenses is important and now with this app, I have full control of my settings with each of these camera lenses” he says, adding that it’s “an absolute game-changer, especially for smaller subjects”. Furthermore, he adds, “the best part of the app is that it saves the photographs as linear DNG 16-bit RAW files”, and that Expert RAW “is also well-integrated with Lightroom and allows you to edit your pictures with ease.”

A real optical 10x telephoto reaching 240mm

With a price around $1200, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G costs more than some real cameras, a price that may deter those who, more than a smartphone, want a portable camera to carry with them all the time. Still, if you don’t want or need to compare smartphone pixels with those from regular cameras, than maybe this is a solution to consider, as the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers one of the most versatile camera setups available, including a real optical 10x telephoto (periscope type) able to reach 240mm, besides a real 3x telephoto (72mm), both paired with 10MP sensors, and the usual wide-angle, at 24mm, working with the 108MP sensor, and the 13mm (ultrawide) with a 12Mp sensor.

Covering, whit the quartet of lenses/sensors a focal range from 13 to 240mm, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G also does video at 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps and 720p@960fps. Here are some of the features of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra:

• The S21 Ultra has one of the most versatile camera setups, with real 3x and 10x optical zoom that bring faraway subjects closer. With the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s powerful zoom functionality, you can also reach 100x – called Space Zoom -, which includes 10x Hybrid Optic Zoom and 100x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. Be aware that zooming in past 10x – which is already an exciting 240mm equivalent – may cause some image deterioration, Samsung warns.
• The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s next-level camera comes with a function that helps even the most amateur of photographers produce high-quality shots – Pro Mode. Pro Mode lets you calibrate your camera’s shutter speed, contrast, saturation, ISO value and more manually, meaning that you can capture near-professional-level photos, all without the need for any external professional help or other equipment.
• The Galaxy S21 Ultra also features a Pro Video function. Pro Video lets you adjust your camera’s resolution to a stunning 8K, as well as manage the camera’s focus to be on your desired subject when shooting and even choose which direction you are recording sound from as you go, so you can be sure that your video recording is high-quality.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G will also feature, it seems, the same lens quartet, meaning Samsung has found the ideal compromise for the moment in terms of camera.