Image Processing

Why Your Phone Camera Preview Can Look Different From the Final Photo

You frame a photo on your phone, tap the shutter, and then notice that the saved image does not look exactly like the viewfinder did a moment earlier. Shadows may be brighter, highlights may be less intense, colours can shift slightly, or fine detail may look sharper or smoother. That does not necessarily mean the camera captured the wrong image. The live preview and the finished photo have different jobs. The preview must update quickly enough to help you compose the shot, while the final photo can receive additional processing after you press the shutter.