Was the Uncompressed RAW feature been removed?

[UltimaGaina]

Can someone clarify why the Samsung S20 series (including S24U) stopped generating uncompressed RAW files sometime in Q1 2023?

In Pro mode, we now have JPEG compression in a DNG container. It is a 12-bit JPEG.

Expert RAW has the same JPEG compression (on 16 bits, probably because of HDR) for S22U and S23U, while on S24U it shows as "Unknown (52546)" compression. According to an article I found on Samsung India, it is said that this is a new JPEG XL compression.

Why not offer the option to get again (as we had before Q1 2023) truly uncompressed mosaiced RAW, which works with the Lightroom Denoise AI algorithm, instead of the current demosaiced compressed Linear RAW, which doesn't.

[ArturJarosz]

I was raising this issue (RAWs - not RAWs) and others with e.g. wrong alignment map for stacking images in 50Mpix mode (smudges on fine details) a few months ago for my S23U to Samsung Support. I would not put many hopes on Samsung fixing that issue. From almost first week I am using GCAM and just after every update I take few shots the main Samsung camera app and expertRAW to check if something changed. No improvements or whatsoever regarding this topic, so.... Just return the phone or go to 3rd party apps like GCAM, but swallow the pill of having only 12 Mpix (but sooo much better than 12Mpix from Samsung).

[rawshooter]

For 12MP I could just buy a Sony and would get a modern eye tracking autofocus for animals and humans on top. And of course stock raw. 

[rawshooter]

This sounds interesting.

 

[stdmje]

Hopefully this applies to both Pro mode RAWs and Samsung Expert RAW.

[rawshooter]

At least the colorbanding was fixed with the latest app version. But yea, I'm not sure those ExpertRAW dng show any advantage over the ExpertRAW jpg either.

[stdmje]

Thanks for the info. Since i returned the device because of this i can't test anything so will be really helpful if you can keep posting changes/improvements in this subject.

[rawshooter]

What did you get? I was looking at Sony (real raw files and superior autofocus even with animal eye tracking). But Sony only does 12MP. So I'm still looking for alternative devices.

[stdmje]

I continue using my iPhone 14 Pro. Honestly, the 48MP Apple ProRAW output is amazing. If you compare it with Samsung Expert RAW is day and night. And also i can shoot RAW using third party apps like Halide.

I want to switch to Samsung because i am bored of Apple ecosystem but i can tell that at the moment, the S24U is garbage compared to the iPhone if RAW photography matters for you.

[rawshooter]

And you have a shutterspeed limiter. But Apple would be to much of a change + limited compatibility with Garmin.

[stdmje]

Yeah, i think that the max shutter speed is 1 sec on the iPhone. That sucks.