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TurnstyleNYC
Known Participant
Dec 20, 2024 2:28 PM UTC
Answered

Does the Lightroom app's camera (on iphone) capture DNGs at the iphone's native full resolution?

Hi all, I'm trying to sort out a new workflow, and I'm considering using the Lightroom app on my iphone -- though I mostly use Lightroom Classic on my mac (with RAW photos from a Sony).

 

I thought I could capture full-res DNGs on the iphone with Lightroom's iphone app -- but from what I've read, the DNGs captured this way are not full res?

 

Is that correct?

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Jao vdLCorrect answer
Community Expert
Dec 21, 2024 3:06 PM UTC

I have a 16 pro and yes you have to use the native phone app to capture the 48 MP dng files. It can't be done in third party apps that I have found. Also, the proRAW captured using the native phone app are FAAAR better quality than anything you can do in a third party app currently. You can even run these through AI enhance and they are almost indistinguishable from my full frame high MP Z-series Nikon. Quite amazing but you can't get anywhere near that quality using the Lightroom camera widget. Pretty sure that is a restriction imposed by Apple currently.

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Adobe Employee
Charlie.D
Adobe Employee
Dec 20, 2024 5:38 PM UTC

The Lightroom camera captures raw (DNG) images at native 12-megapixel resolution, even on newer phones. 

 

I'm not sure if the capture APIs Apple uses to computationally generate 48-megapixel images from their 12-megapixel quad bayer sensor/filter are public and available to app developers, or private/restricted to Apple's native apps.  

 

This article describes how devices like newer iPhones and also Android devices are able to generate 48-megapixel images from 12mp quad bayer sensors: https://www.gsmarena.com/quad_bayer_sensors_explained-news-37459.php 

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TurnstyleNYCAuthor
Known Participant
Dec 20, 2024 8:49 PM UTC

Thank you, this is very helpful. So if I want to capture a RAW-like format that keeps its original resoltion (presumably more than 12MP) -- I need to use the dafault camera set to ProRAW and import from there into Lightroom on the phone -- meaning, I do that rather than use Lightroom's camera's DNGs?

 

If so, do I have to use the default camera app, or do 3rd party apps (I don't use one now, but I see some people do) such as maybe Halide produce full res DNG or ProRAW, rather than capped at 12MP?

 

Thanks again, this is exactly what I was hoping to sort out.

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Adobe Employee
Charlie.D
Adobe Employee
Dec 20, 2024 10:06 PM UTC

Apple's help page for enabling pro raw/48mpx capture; https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-advanced-camera-settings-iphb362b394e/ios 

 

For questions about other apps, it's best to visit sites for those apps directly.

 

Kind regards,

Charlie D.

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JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Dec 20, 2024 3:49 PM UTC

As you do not mention which iPhone, there is no way to tell you if that is correct. I have read reports that the Lightroom camera app does not always capture in full res on some iPhones with multiple sensors/lenses. My older iPhone XR only has one camera sensor, and the Lightroom app captures DNG images in full resolution on that phone.

 

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-- Johan W. Elzenga
TurnstyleNYCAuthor
Known Participant
Dec 20, 2024 4:03 PM UTC

My current phone is also older, I think 12MP -- which Lightroom mobile appears to support.

 

But I'm anticpating replacing it, and I gather those are now 24MP or 48MP -- but from what I little I seem able to find, that setup may still produce 12MP DNGs if I use the Lightroom mobile camera.

 

Thanks a bunch!

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