iPhone 14 Pro Raw Photos Exposure Issue When Applying Presets.

[Pj Smith]

I'm having a persistent issue across all versions of Lightroom (iPhone, Mac, iPad) where, when applying a preset to an image shot using the iPhone 14 ProRAW image profile, the image has its exposure pushed down at least -1 to -2 stops.

The only profile presets in Lightroom I can use which don't result in this unwanted adjustment in exposure are (unsurprisingly) the Apple ProRAW profiles themselves (Colour & Monochrome).

When I shoot without using the ProRAW setting applied the issue isn't present.

Below I've attached a series of images that show a preset applied to a raw image and an out the box jpeg. I've also shared each original image for compare and contrast.

I've used the same profile (Agfa Optima 100, RNI FILMS) in both instances and have not applied any other editing (white balance correction etc).

I've used screens from my phone as reference – but – this isssue is persistent across all devices I use to edit photos.

Regarding my kit: I'm shooting on an iPhone 14Pro, 256GB, currently running OS 16.3. I have apple ProRAW set to 48MP.

I'm runing the latest versions of each Lightroom app on each device I use to edit. I use the auto-import feature that automatically pulls my photos from the camera roll into Lightroom. 

• iPhone:  V. 8.1.1 ED C997/23
• iPad: v. 8.1.1 EDC997/23
• Mac: Version 6.1 (20221207-0956-730bf3f Build)

Needless to say this has been a frustrating expreience as its rendered Lightroom unusable for me when paired with the power of the iPhone14 camera. 

Happy to supply any files or further screens to diagnose the issue.

Thanks team adobe. 

[Jao vdL]

This is normal behavior I believe. The Apple ProRAW profiles were added precisely because of this. The issue lies in how Apple uses the proRAW format. It includes a hidden mask that is used to dynamically tone the image. This is not possible in the Adobe standard profiles and default develop settings. So Adobe created the Apple proRAW profiles to mimic the default development your phone does on the proRAW files. proRAW files are not really raw files as we know them from other cameras. There are all kinds of tricks that Apple applies in the background that are not directly translatable to normal raw engines. If you want to generate real raw files using your phone, use the camera built-into Lightroom. It can generate normal dng files. They won't look as good out of the box as proRAW shot in the camera app though but are much more direct signals from the sensor. Apple does a lot of processing to the proRAW files behind the scenes.

[Pj Smith]

Thanks Jao,

Interesting — so currently, due to the fact that Apple is doing a bunch of extra behind the scenes processing in their ProRES format, it's rendered using anysort of profiles functionality uselsess within Lightroom with shots out of the standard camera app using a RAW format?  

Wish Apple would then allow for an ability to shoot using a 'traditional' DNG style file (unless they do and I've missed it in camera settings?) as the camera app is the most frictionless way (that I've discoverd thus far) for quickly capturing a photo on my phone. I don't need their processing on those full sensor shots (le sigh).

Would be interested to hear how other people have navigated this and what workflow they've built to account for this? (ie: like your shoot straight from LR suggestion). 

[Jao vdL]

I wouldn't call the Adobe provided profiles useless. They just represent a straight interpretation of the raw data in the file. You just have to edit then to get what you prefer. This is no different from other raw files. The result is actually not too dissimilar if you dialed in a HDR like mode on a Nikon or Canon camera. Those cameras when using those modes simply underexpose the raw file to protect otherwise blown out highlights and include a little metadata to have their own raw converter compensate for it but Adobe doesn't by default pick up on this so you end up with grossly underexposed images in Lightroom if you haven't fixed the default. Only when you apply the camera settings preset (or use that as your default settings for the camera) will it render the same as the in camera jpeg preview out of the box. Would be nice if this was more straightforward as many people like the normal camera app better than Adobe's as it simpler and quicker. You can indeed not shoot normal raw files with the Apple camera app. Only Apple's highly cooked version.