I bought a new smartphone last month: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. I decided on Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra for its camera, battery, and complete package.
As amateur photographer, I have been interested in photography for 25 years. I have gone thru many different types of cameras: point-and-shoot, fully manual fixed lens, APS-C DSLR, Full Frame DSLR, and APS-C mirrorless cameras; and now smartphones. Since Covid, I have been shooting exclusively on smartphone, and my Sony a6400 mirrorless camera just stayed in the closet. Even on international trips to Mexico, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, etc, I only brought my smartphone. So I wanted a smartphone with very capable camera.
But how to define what is good vs bad camera? On YouTube, most reviews use Standard Photo mode, shot in automatic mode, and then compared straight out of camera (SOOC) JPEGs. Is that the best capability of the camera? What if user is wants to shoot in RAW and and tweak the images?
Based on what I read on reddit, many people use these smartphone cameras as-is. Then there are also those who want to make manual tweaks. I'm in this latter group. Without having the smartphone in hand, it is difficult to understand the additional camera capabilities. In this blog post, I will compare the 3 main camera modes of S23 Ultra. Note these are camera modes that are used for typical conditions, not special modes to be used in select conditions (such as portrait, food, night modes).
The behavior of Samsung's camera modes are quite different than typical cameras, such as those from Canon, Nikon, or Sony. Typical cameras have a single JPEG algorithm or pipeline. That SOOC JPEG is based on camera manufacturers and their in-house colors. Of course, the user can apply picture profiles to modify the colors, saturation, details, sharpening that will be baked into the JPEG. The JPEG doesn't change depending on the camera mode.
Samsung's 3 camera modes will output 3 different JPEGs with extreme levels of processing that look completely different. I'm not sure why Samsung does this, if it is technical limitation or just oversight. As a user, this is not a good thing. I want consistency and predictability. If I know the behavior of the camera, I can choose the mode and shooting conditions to fit my preference.
The 3 modes are:
Photo mode: this is the standard mode where output is JPEG only. User can control the AF/AE by tapping on the screen; and adjust EV using slider. And there are automatic intelligent features like scene optimizer, where the camera will try to detect the scene and apply its algorithm.
Pro mode: This mode can output RAW, JPEG, or RAW+JPEG. User has full control over shooting conditions. This acts like shutter priority, as user can adjust the shutter speed; camera will adjust the ISO accordingly, while apertures are fixed on these lenses. User can also over the EV and have full control of exposure. The RAW output is in Adobe DNG format. This mode's output behaves like a normal RAW file, but if I look into the file details, it is already linear RAW format, so it is already demosaic'ed and has some processing done.
Expert RAW mode: This requires additional download from Samsung's Galaxy Store. On user shooting experience, it is very similar to Pro mode; user can take full control. Biggest difference is the output DNG is linear profile. So technically, this Expert RAW DNG output has the most data to work with. However, I'm not too familiar editing with linear profile, so something I am learning on-the-go.
Comparison #1:
This 1st comparison is an easier scene for the camera. It is not too contrasty, so HDR is not needed. Let's compare the JPEG from the 3 different modes:
Photo mode (JPEG):
Pro mode (JPEG):
Expert RAW mode (JPEG):
First photo above is Photo mode's JPEG. This is quite typical out most JPEG output. It is slightly saturated and sharpened. This was shot early morning with overcast clouds. In addition, the scene does not have much colors to begin with. You might have heard about Samsung images being over-saturated. That is definitely true. But that doesn't show up in these examples, due to the scene. Among the 3 modes, Photo mode is middle of pack in processing, having intermediate levels of saturation and sharpening.
Second photo above is Pro mode JPEG output. The odd thing is that this mode's JPEG appears almost unprocessed: flat, underexposed, and muted in color. There is actually some post edit already baked in; a bit of saturation and sharpening added, when compared to the RAW. But compared to the Photo mode, image looks unprocessed. This JPEG as is it not really usable as-is, unless you really want this "unedited" look.
Third photo above is the Expert RAW mode JPEG output. If you think Samsung Photo mode has saturated colors, Expert RAW JPEG is like on acid. It is extremely over-saturated and also over-sharpened.
Next, let's look at the RAW images. The final output depends on how user edits the photos. As with any RAW, each RAW editor has its own interpretation of the camera's profile and output. And then from there, it is up to the user taste. I typically do go a bit more saturated than average, but not as much as SOOC JPEG. However, because these photos are quite flat and colorless, I added a bit more punch than typical.
Pro mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
Expert RAW mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
The point is not to compare the 2 RAW edits with each other. I'm just making my edits on how I see the files. And it depends on user's editing skills and preference. If I take the time, I probably can make them look same/similar, but that is not the point. The point of the RAW is to compare versus JPEG, to see how much more data is available for highlights and shadows.
Pro mode's RAW is quite typical of RAW output. In RAWTherapee, it starts off similar to Pro mode's JPEG output. Flat, muted, lacks color, and unsharpened. So my edits are mainly to pull shadows, add contrast, add saturation, sharpening. The scene is quite muted, so I modified more than typical to get the image to pop.
Expert RAW mode's RAW output is using linear profile. On RAWTherapee, the file is completely underexposed, by around 4 stops. If I apply the Auto matched curve, then very extreme hyper-parabolic tonal curve is applied. Maybe Lightroom has a better starting point for this linear profile. On RAWTherapee, the starting point is quite extreme. Also, it appears to have slightly detail than the Pro Mode. I don't know if this means there is more data, or some sharpening is already baked in.
Even in this lower contrast image, the RAW mode edits look better than the Photo mode's SOOC JPEG. Later, with more challenging scenes, the RAW mode advantage will stand out.
On Samsung, I prefer Photo mode's JPEG and Pro Mode's RAW file. I prefer Photo modes medium saturation and sharpening. Pro mode JPEG is OK for some scenes, but when there is some dynamic range, Pro mode tend to underexpose to keep the highlights. I hate Expert RAW mode's JPEG, as it is way over-done. For RAW file, both Pro and Expert RAW modes are fine. I'm just more used to Pro mode's profile, compared to Expert RAW mode's linear profile.
But in order to get Photo mode's JPEG and Pro Mode's RAW file, I have to shoot in 2 different modes and take 2 photos. In comparison, on typical camera, I can take a single photo using RAW + JPEG output, and I will get a standard JPEG and I have the RAW to work with in post processing. This is huge limitation. User has to decide ahead of time which mode to use, and the resulting JPEG output will be different.
Comparison #2:
This 2nd set is more difficult but still quite typical scene. There is more sky; some parts blue and some parts cloudy. There is more dynamic range in this scene than the 1st photo.
This 2nd set of JPEG outputs result is very similar to the 1st set. Photo mode's JPEG output is in the middle. Pro mode's JPEG output is flat, underexposed, and muted. Expert RAW mode's JPEG output is the most processed of the three.
Photo mode (JPEG):
Pro mode (JPEG):
Expert RAW mode (JPEG):
In this scene, the RAW mode advantages start to stand out more. In the JPEGs, the sky appears to be all clouds and blue sky is missing. Details in the clouds are also lacking. In RAW files below, I can recapture the patches of blue sky and details/contrast in the clouds. This allows for more dynamic and dramatic edit.
Pro mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
Expert RAW mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
As with 1st comparison, I prefer Photo mode's JPEG and Pro Mode's RAW file.
Comparison #3:
This 3rd set includes sun partially behind clouds. It has high dynamic range and the most difficult of the 3 scenes.
Photo mode use HDR for sure. It actually has decent results, but with limitation of JPEG. In both Pro and Expert RAW modes, the JPEGs are underexposed to protect the highlights. In this case, JPEGs from both modes are not usable as-is. RAW has to be used.
Photo mode (JPEG):
Pro mode (JPEG):
Expert RAW mode (JPEG):
Next, are the 2 photos in RAW edited. In this scene with high dynamic range, the advantage of the RAW file is very apparent. The details in the sky can be easily recaptured. And shadows can be increased to a normal scene. Difference is quite dramatic versus Photo mode's JPEG.
I believe Expert RAW has HDR in the image, whereas Pro Mode does not. So technically, Expert RAW file has the most data to work with. However, I'm new to editing linear profile. So if you find that Pro mode's RAW edit looks better than Expert RAW mode's edit, then it is likely due to my editing skill and lack of experience with linear profile, not the file itself.
Pro mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
Expert RAW mode (RAW edited in RAWTherapee):
Comparison #4:
As mentioned earlier, the previous comparisons were shot in the morning with overcast sky; plus the scene themselves are quite dull. So it is hard to evaluate the saturation. Here is another example of the saturation, using JPEGs only.
Photo mode (JPEG):
Pro mode (JPEG):
Expert RAW mode (JPEG):
Ranking these from most post-processed to least: Expert RAW mode, Photo mode, Pro mode. Expert RAW mode's JPEG is out of this world in saturation. Photo mode's JPEG is next. And Pro mode's JPEG is least saturated. In this particular example, Pro mode has more contrast. The dark background is darker, so the flower stands out more. It might seem like Pro mode is quite saturated, but it is actually the least saturated of the group.
Conclusion:
With my previous cameras, I shot RAW + JPEG. For 95% of the photos, I used the SOOC JPEG. Then for the 5% that I deemed 5-star (for my amateur level), I edited the RAW file. That worked great for my shooting and post process workflow. I didn't have to make a decision on RAW vs JPEG while shooting. I can focus on the shooting conditions.
The issue with Samsung S23U Ultra is that JPEG from each of the camera's mode are different. The best JPEG and RAW comes from different modes. There is no way to shoot 1 mode and get the best of JPEG and RAW. This is quite limiting and frustrating.
Standard mode (JPEG only): Result is in the middle/intermediate/average in saturation and sharpening. This is the most usable JPEG, in my opinion.
Pro mode (JPEG): In high contrast and HDR conditions, JPEG is underexposed. In these conditions, this JPEG is not usable as-is. User can manually pick the AE point or adjust the exposure, but that risk blowing out the highlights in the RAW.
Expert RAW mode (JPEG): In typical and slightly contrasty scenes, exposure is fine. In HDR scenes, it will be under exposed. But the biggest issue is the over-saturation and over-sharpening. The image is over-baked and way over-the-top for my taste.
Pro mode (RAW): This is fine. I can edit this RAW file as needed. But I don't want to edit every single photo's RAW, as I just don't have the time. So my issue is with Pro mode's JPEG.
Expert RAW mode (RAW): RAW is also fine. Require some learning curve to edit the linear profile. Again, the issue is the JPEG output. I cannot stand the over-processed JPEG from this mode.
After 1 month with this camera, I have 2 realistic options:
Shoot in Standard mode. Be limited to JPEG and forget about RAW.
Shoot in Pro mode. Manually expose photos so JPEG is correctly expose. And hope that highlights are not blown in RAW.
I list this as a possibility, but I don't see this 3rd option as a long-term solution. Shoot some photos in Photo mode; and others in Pro mode. But then I need some criteria to decide on switching between the modes.
Next: details on Pro mode and Expert RAW mode RAW/DNG file: Link