Exposure is a key parameter that determines the brightness and saturation of your photos. On smartphones Samsung Galaxy with cameras from 12 MP to 200 MP an incorrectly adjusted exposure can ruin even the best shot: overexposed sky, dark faces in the sun or blurry details at dusk. Unlike professional SLR cameras, where exposure compensation is placed on a separate wheel, on Android devices this parameter is often hidden in the depths of the menu.

In this article we will look at 7 working methods lower exposure - from basic settings in the standard application Camera to manual control through Pro mode and third-party applications. We will pay special attention to the nuances for flagship models (Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold5) and budget lines (Galaxy A54, Galaxy M34), where the image processing algorithms are different. You will also learn how to fix the exposure for a series of shots and why the automatic mode sometimes “deceives” the user.

1. Quickly change exposure in real time

The easiest way to adjust the brightness of the frame is to use exposure compensation slider right in the camera interface. It is available in all main shooting modes (Photo, Video, Portrait), except Professional (where the settings are made separately).

How it works:

  • 📱 Open the application Camera and select the mode Photo.
  • 👆 Point the camera at the subject. A yellow focus square will appear on the screen.
  • ☀️ Next to the square or at the top of the screen, find vertical slider with a sun (icon ±0.0).
  • 🔄 Move the slider to the left (to the side –), to reduce the exposure. The correction range is from –2.0 to +2.0.

On models Galaxy S22/S23 and newer, the slider appears automatically when you touch the screen. On older devices (Galaxy A50, Galaxy Note 10), you may need to first touch the screen to focus, and then swipe up/down on the side scale.

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If the slider is not visible, check if the mode is activated HDR (In some Samsung firmware, it blocks manual correction). exposure.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with One UI 5.0 and higher (for example, Galaxy S23+) with a strong decrease in exposure (–1.5 and lower) it can be activated night mode automatically. This is normal, but it leads. to an increase in noise in photographs.

2. Using Pro mode for fine tuning

For advanced users Samsung offers Professional mode (or Pro), where exposure is adjusted through three key parameters:

  • Shutter speed (in seconds) - the time for which the shutter is opened. The shorter, the darker the frame.
  • ISO - light sensitivity of the matrix. Low values. (for example, ISO 50) reduce the exposure, but may make the photo too dark.
  • Aperture (available only on models with variable aperture, for example, Galaxy S9+ or Note 9, the higher the value f/, the less light reaches the area). matrix.

Action algorithm:

  1. Open Camera → swipe left to mode Pro (or Professional).
  2. Touch the icon ISO and reduce the value to 100–400 (depending on the lighting).
  3. Touch on Shutter speed and select value 1/1000 or shorter for daylight.
  4. If available Aperture, set f/2.4 instead f/1.5.
Parameter To reduce exposure Effect
ISO 50–200 Less noise, but risk of underlighting
Shutter speed 1/2000–1/4000 Motion freeze, dark frame
Aperture f/2.4 (if available) Less light, more sharpness

On Galaxy S21 Ultra and newer in Pro mode, the function Exposure Lock (exposure lock) is available. Activated by a long tap on the screen - useful for a series of frames with the same brightness.

📊 Which camera mode do you use most often?
Auto
Pro
Portrait
Night
Other

3. Exposure adjustment via AE/AF Lock

Function AE/AF Lock (Auto Exposure/Auto Focus Lock) allows you to “freeze” the current exposure and focus settings, even if you change the composition of the frame. This is useful for shooting a series of photos with the same brightness or when the automatic Samsung constantly “jumps” between dark and light areas.

How to enable:

  1. Open Camera and point the lens at the subject with the desired exposure.
  2. Press and hold your finger on the screen for 1–2 secondsuntil appears inscription AE/AF Lock.
  3. Release your finger - now the exposure is locked. To unlock, touch the screen again.
⚠️ Attention: On some models (Galaxy A73, Galaxy M53) function AE/AF Lock works only in Photomode, but not in Video or Panorama.
Why does automatic exposure “jump”?

This happens due to an algorithm Samsung Scene Optimizerthat analyzes the scene in real time. If there are contrasting areas in the frame (for example, a window and a dark room), the camera tries to “average” the brightness, which leads to jumps. You can disable the optimizer in the camera settings: Settings → Shooting options → Scene optimizer (turn off).

4. Using third-party applications

Standard application Camera from Samsung limited in functionality, especially on budget models. To fine-tune the exposure, you should pay attention to third-party applications:

  • 📸 Camera FV-5 —full manual control over ISO, shutter speed and aperture (if supported by hardware.
  • 🎥 ProCam X - supports shooting in RAW, which allows you to adjust the exposure at the post-processing stage without loss of quality.
  • 🌓 Lightroom Mobile - does not replace the camera, but allows roll back exposure after shooting (useful for photographs in DNG).

Example of setting in Camera FV-5:

1. Set ISO to 100–200.

2. Select a shutter speed of 1/1000 for daylight.


3. Activate the histogram (graph icon in the upper right). corner).


4. Adjust the exposure until the peak of the histogram moves to the left of the center.

On Galaxy S20 FE and similar models with Exynos processors third-party applications may be slower than the standard camera due to limitations. API Camera2. Test performance before important shooting.

Install the application from Google Play|

Grant permissions to camera and storage|

Disable battery optimization for applications|

Check RAW support (if necessary)-->

5. Exposure correction after shooting

If the photo has already been taken, but it turns out overexposed, you can correct the exposure in post-processing. Samsung offers two tool:

  • 🖼️ Samsung Gallery — built-in editor with basic settings (Brightness, Contrast, Shadows).
  • 🎨 Samsung Expert RAW —application for shooting and processing RAWfiles (available for flagships Galaxy S21 and newer).

Step-by-step guide for Samsung Galleries:

  1. Open the photo in Gallery → click Edit (pencil icon).
  2. Go to the tab Adjustment (slider icon).
  3. Reduce the parameters:
    • Exposure — by –0.3…–0.7.
    • Light —by –10…–20.
    • White - on –5…–10 (if the sky is overexposed).
  • Save changes (Done → Save as a copy).
    • ⚠️ Attention: When editing JPEGphotos in Gallery Samsung the quality deteriorates with each save. For critical images, use RAW or export the original before editing.

    6. Features for specific Samsung models

    Image processing algorithms differ depending on the processor and version. Below are the key nuances for popular lines: One UI. Below are the key nuances for popular lines:

    Model Features exposure Recommendations
    Galaxy S23 Ultra Automation is prone to overexposure in 108 MP. Use Pro mode with ISO 100 and shutter speed 1/2000.
    Galaxy A54 There is no manual aperture, weak HDR. Shoot in Pro mode with short shutter speed priority.
    Galaxy Z Fold5 Different exposure settings for external and internal screen. Calibrate the exposure separately for each camera module.
    Galaxy M33 No Pro-mode, only basic correction. Use third-party applications like Open Camera.

    On devices with Exynos 2200 (for example Galaxy S22 for the European market), automatic exposure works more aggressively than on Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. If you notice constant overexposure, try disabling Scene optimizer in the camera settings.

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    On Galaxy S20 and older when shooting in RAW through Expert RAW the exposure can be adjusted by ±3 steps without loss of quality - this is 1.5 times wider than in a standard camera.

    7. Resetting the camera settings to factory settings

    If all methods have been tried, but the exposure is still the same. gets lost, the problem may lie in a failure in the application settings Camera. You can return everything to factory settings without completely resetting the phone:

    1. Go to Settings → Applications.
    2. Find Camera in the list and open its page.
    3. Click Storage → Clear data.
    4. Confirm the action. Attention: this will delete all user settings, including saved filters and modes.

    After resetting, check the camera operation in mode AutoIf the problem persists, update. firmware via Settings → Software update or contact the service center Samsung —there may be a hardware defect in the matrix or camera module.

    What to do if the exposure “floats” when recording video?

    In video mode, exposure is adjusted separately. Samsung exposure is adjusted separately. Try:

    1. Switch to Pro Video (if available).

    2. data-i="283">—it sometimes conflicts with automatic exposure. Stabilization — it sometimes conflicts with automatic exposure.

    3. Use third-party applications like Filmic Pro for manual control.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about exposure on Samsung

    Why do photos become noisy when you lower the exposure?

    Noise appears due to increased ISO in low light conditions. To avoid this, reduce shutter speed instead ISO or use a tripod for stabilization.

    Is it possible to save exposure settings for future sessions?

    Yes, in Pro mode click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Save custom settingsThey will be available when. next startup.

    Why is there no exposure slider on Galaxy A34 ?

    On budget models Samsung Sometimes they hide this interface element. Try touching the screen to focus, and then swiping up/down on the side scale (if there is one). If not, use Pro mode or third-party applications.

    How to lower the exposure for only part of the frame (for example, for the sky)? summary

    For this, the mode HDR or manual correction in the editor is suitable (for example, in Lightroom using a mask GradientOn themselves Samsung there is no such function - only). global setting.

    After updating One UI, the exposure became worse. What should I do?

    Updates sometimes reset the camera calibration Try:

    1. Clear the application cache Camera.
    2. Roll back to the previous firmware version (if available).
    3. Use alternative applications like GCam (requires manual settings).