Why does my iPhone 12 Pro Max Photo auto adjust exposure of a photo taken with the Camera app?

I believe “creative controls” and “exposure adjustment” under preserve settings are just to keep the settings on the camera so that if you exit the camera then you’ll have the same settings after you come back. It don’t affect the gallery after taking the pic, Unless there’s a bug.

This is so frustrating. I would still be okay if it enhances the pictures. But I take good photos and the phone adjusts it later and makes all my pics look so bad, as if all photos were taken in very low light and from a cheap quality phone. The video is good, it appears bright. Is there a way I can contact the apple support via email or something? I’ll try to find.

Slightly off topic, but do you know how I can preserve the way an HDR photo shows in the Photos app with the "View Full HDR" option on and carry it over to any 3rd party app? Currently, HDR photos only show the dynamic range in the native Photos app and look flat and stripped from the dynamic range when opened in any 3rd party app, such as Instagram.

Any ideas? I posted this separately here too: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252586160

I had same issue! I had preordered iphone 12, thought it might me the unit itself so I returned! And got iphone 12 mini! Same issue with it! Returned it again! Thinking Maybe I got bad batch and went to apple store to buy from them myself! Got iphone 12! Walla same issue! Apple is not addressing these issues with update and on youtube all I hear is best camera bla bla bla! Seems like they get paid to review them! I don’t believe them now! This is frustrating! Camera is the only thing I hate on iphone 12 now! I did talk to support and it seems they can’t do **** about it!

I am sooooo disappointed. I have iPhone 12 Pro (iOS 14.4.4) and have the same problem. I bought it, since apple advertised it as best smartphone camera on the planet. I tried to switch on/off Camera Settings in different combinations but nothing helped really. The photos looks good initially but after few seconds background processing they become worst. Another problem is the selfie mode, when I take a selfie my face look so unrealistic as I would apply filters to soften my skin. Shame on A...

I've moved on! After 8 yrs in apple ecosystem! I'm happy with samsung s21 now after trying 3 iphone 12 and an iphone 12 mini with same issue! Apple will not do anything! Maybe they'll do things differently on the next iphone 13! Can u imagine what will happen if they admit fault! They'll avoid it! Sorry guys who r stuck with the current iphone 12! I'm glad I got to return them on time! My wife's older iphone XR has better! Disappointment

I’ve been having this problem for quite some time now on my iPhone11. Im now on the Iphone13 and the problem persists. Unfortunately some of the setting mentioned on this thread no longer apply to iOs 15 as the camera settings have changed. Really starting to get annoyed by all of this.

As you can see the image below of my dog looks as if her hair is greasy and dull - in reality it’s much fluffier and softer (looking) irl and in the photo preview

I have made a picture which looks better with the "view full HDR" option. I. e., when I view the picture in the Photos app, first it looks less natural (the bright light of the sun is corrected too much), then after e few seconds of processing it looks more natural. It actually looks really great and I would like to find a way to share (export) the processed "view full HDR" version of the picture. I have not succeeded so far. Even on my MacBook Pro I can only see the "original" version of the picture.

Has anyone found solution? I have a iPhone SE 2nd gen on ios 15.1 and this issue wasnt there until now. Photos look too much exposed and more contrasty and this is annoyingly awful. I always take photos with my iphone and the exposure used to look exactly the same in the photos app as they were taken in the camera app.

I really wish they would fix this! If you are trying to take more artistic pics using shadows and light this completely destroys the ability to do so. These pictures with everything turned off and in raw are still way over processed!! Apply fix this garbage. IPhone 12 Pro Max.

I’ve noticed on mine iPhone 12 pro max as well, and I can’t find any video on YouTube talking about this.

I have the same problem and I never turned on the Pro Raw option

I tried that and it still changes the picture. You’re so lucky that you were able to get it to work!

I have “creative controls” and “exposure adjustment” off, and it still changes the picture. :/

Happens to me too and i tried every method that I’ve seen here and still nothing

i really want to return my phone now