iPhone 12 Pro not taking HDR photos?

While it may be possible you are not actually taking an HDR photo its also entirely possible it is using HDR and the HDR process is not resulting in any significant change. ie if the scene is correctly lit, and there's nothing really to compensate it may not even apply HDR if Smart HDR is turned on.

Taking HDR photos will not always result in a marked difference with the regular photo unless there's lightning differences or other marked issues that need compensating.

It's not a magic switch that will improve every photo every time.

Some examples I just took with my iPhone:

With HDR:

Without HDR (cannot see out the window)

with HDR

without HDR

The second set are pretty much identical. Meaning there wasn't as much for the HDR to do there.

If you still want to supply Apple with information regarding the issue, use the Feedback page: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Make sure you have High Efficency Setting on in Formats under Camera Settings. I can clearly and obviously tell now the difference between the HDR and NON HDR versions of the photo I just took. Apple is not reporting it anymore but the camera is taking HDR photos. When I airplay them to my HDR tv and manually select HLG I see the HDR Version as it looks on my iPhone 12 Pro.

This screenshot shows that When you turn on HDR Video with Most Compatible, Videos will be in HDR or High Efficiency but Photos will be in most Compatible

nooga78 wrote:

If you follow the steps above...

I took two photos. In portrait. One with HDR enabled. One with HDR disabled. The photo with HDR enabled had visibly better dynamic range. Was there an icon on the display of the photos? No. Was there a visible difference? Yes.

Please log your request that Apple display an icon in the Camera app and in Photo App, for those photos using HDR: https://www.apple.com/feedback/

In the interim, maybe consider an EXIF-viewing app, and checking the HDR data there. HDR data can apparently vary by vendor, as there doesn't seem to be common agreement on how HDR images are tagged. This from a quick search on this topic.

I've used exiftool to access EXIF data on macOS, but haven't used an iPhone.

https://exiftool.org

https://routinehub.co/shortcut/1173/

...and various App Store apps.

Here's one of the previous threads on this topic:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252023069

And léonie has a related tip: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002653

Mac2H wrote:

...It would be great if someone could show evidence that HDR photos are actually being taken, despite the indicator not showing.

I've verified that HDR works on a local HDR-capable iPhone running iOS 14.6, duplicating the results of the images previously posted here. As that is seemingly insufficient evidence for some reading here, y'all will want to engage Apple directly. And as for the (lack of an) HDR tag in Photos app and Camera app, that's feedback best for Apple.

I'll quote what MrHoffman said in the previous page

MrHoffman wrote:

As that is seemingly insufficient evidence for some reading here, y'all will want to engage Apple directly. And as for the (lack of an) HDR tag in Photos app and Camera app, that's feedback best for Apple.

I can see a difference when HDR is turned on t when it is off. So I can only assume HDR is being applied. Otherwise, there's no reason to expect such changes on the same subject or scene with the same lighting and only a couple seconds between shots.

If the need to actually have them labeled is the crux of the situation, then as suggested, provide Apple feedback about it. If enough people do, Apple may add the HDR label to HDR pictures.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

nooga78 wrote:

Phil0124, thank you for your response. Please try this experiment:

*Take an HDR photo and a Non-HDR photo and compare in photo preview. You can do this by going into the camera settings and turning off Smart HDR.

This is what I did for the pics above. HDR on and off.

Yes, there is no label indicating HDR at the top of the photo, but there's a clear difference between the photos to suggest HDR is being applied. Otherwise both photos would look the same. i.e the window would be washed out in both and nothing visible through it.

The issue may be it not marking the Photo as HDR, rather than HDR not actually being applied. I can see a distinct difference in certain circumstances. While in others there is almost no difference.

Without HDR on:

With HDR on

You seriously not see the difference I the photos? The hat pictures, one is noticeably darker than the other.

The flowers, you can see the sky and clouds in one through the window, while it is completely washed out in white in the one without HDR.

As I can see the button for HDR when I am taking a picture, and I can see a difference when turning it on or off before I take the picture. I can see the label for portrait mode at the top yes but not for HDR next to it.

Once the photo is taken, it is not labeled as HDR either. Only portrait or live if using one of those options on top of HDR.

Do you really need an extra label to tell you its in HDR, if you have the HDR button turned on while taking the picture?

Again, if the issue stems from them not being labeled as HDR after being taken, and cannot identified as such, then yes, that is an issue that would need resolution.

Again, I suggest you use the feedback form to tell Apple you would like to see the label while taking the picture and after the picture has been taken.

Okay, so this was seemingly originally no HDR, and now it's seemingly HDR but with no indicator.

I'll leave it to others to verify or disprove any claims around a lack of HDR tagging in the EXIF data.

Please log your feedback with Apple directly (feedback link, posted earlier), or contact Apple Support (Get Support link, upper right).

I don't see a displayed icon for HDR in the Camera app nor in the Photos app for the camera roll, but I do see an appreciably better (less murky) photo when HDR is manually selected, and these two tests both run when Smart HDR is disabled.

Yes, I can see the HDR indicator in Portrait mode, and can turn if off and on.

And I can see a very small difference between HDR being on and off in portrait mode. Still the HDR label is not placed on the pics after the fact.

HDR ON Portrait Mode

HDR Off on Portrait mode:

I can also see the difference when switching HDR on and off during preview of the photo. In many cases its very minimal, but it is there.

Mac2H wrote:

How have you verified that it is an actual HDR? Any identifier in an EXIF tool, difference in photo size, etc? Merely looking at slight differences in exposure doesn’t tell a lot. An indicator above the photo saying “HDR” would tell for sure.

I'm not inclined to transfer the photos over to the Mac to check EXIF, nor to acquire an EXIF app for the iPhone, as I can see the difference in the images. Same still life—desktop subject picked for its lighting gradient, and not for any content or composition—and same iPhone physical position, one photo with HDR on, one off. Same results as the HDR and non-HDR images posted up-thread here, too.

Again, kindly send Apple your feedback, and/or contact Apple support.