[GUIDE] [ROOT] Enable RAW capture in the stock EMUI camera app

[zgomot]

If this is common knowledge, I apologize for the redundancy of this post, however I doubt it, since I searched for a way to do this for quite a bit of time, until I finally found a way.

As you probably know, if you're into photography, the P9 Lite supports Camera 2 API which allows for the capture of RAW pictures in .dng format.

This is especially useful for editing, as RAW images contain lots more information, especially in the shadows and highlights.

While there are several 3rd party camera apps that allow RAW capture, having tried most of them, none even comes close to the stock camera app. They're either clunky to use, or they're ugly as sin (I'm looking at you Open Camera, which is both).

To enable this feature on the P9 Lite is actually very simple, but it DOES require ROOT.

This is how to do it:

1. Ensure your device is rooted
2. Use a root file explorer and navigate to /system/emui/lite/prop/local.prop and open the file as text.
3. Change the value of ro.build.hw_emui_lite.enable from true to false
4. Save the file
5. Reboot the device
6. Open the stock Camera app
7. Enable Pro Photo mode
8. Go to settings and enable RAW.

Happy shooting, happy editing.

 

[Mara-X]

Already had that line disabled for other reasons. Didn't know it also makes shooting in RAW possible. Thanks!

 

[ZeusftW97]

I had it disabled for the transparent notification panel, bit yeah...I needed this so much!
Thanks!

 

[zgomot]

I had it disabled for the transparent notification panel, bit yeah...I needed this so much!
Thanks!

Haha, to each his own.

Personally, I dislike the transparent notification panel. I would like to keep it solid black and still have RAW, but hey... I'll take what I can get, and RAW capture is more important.

 

[Chisetdel31260]

Cool, https://www.xda-developers.com/guide-enables-raw-capture-in-the-stock-huawei-p9-lite-camera/

 

[Medvosteri]

Nice, also seems to work for the (Huawei) Honor 6X. Thanks.

 

[zgomot]

My joy at this discovery was short-lived, but then again, isn't that the very nature of joy?

Poetry aside, here's what's wrong.

Shooting RAW, the camera takes one compressed .jpeg and one RAW .dng. However, no matter the shooting conditions, the RAW .dng always comes out blurry and very soft.

I used a tripod, very very fast shutter speeds, in broad daylight and the .dngs ALWAYS come out unfocused.

Anyone able to chime in an maybe offer some insight?

 

[Mara-X]

My joy at this discovery was short-lived, but then again, isn't that the very nature of joy?

Poetry aside, here's what's wrong.

Shooting RAW, the camera takes one compressed .jpeg and one RAW .dng. However, no matter the shooting conditions, the RAW .dng always comes out blurry and very soft.

I used a tripod, very very fast shutter speeds, in broad daylight and the .dngs ALWAYS come out unfocused.

Anyone able to chime in an maybe offer some insight?

It seems like the default gallery app doesn't render the RAW files properly. View them in another gallery app with RAW support or import them to your prefered photoeditor and they look fine

 

[zgomot]

It seems like the default gallery app doesn't render the RAW files properly. View them in another gallery app with RAW support or import them to your prefered photoeditor and they look fine

You're right.

Imported into Lightroom, the .dng is actually quite a bit sharper than the .jpeg.

Thanks muchly!

 

[maia58]

Thanks, im wating for this a long time

 

[simo255]

hello
gallery app of p9 can read .dng picture
it works well in our p9 lite

 

[zgomot]

hello
gallery app of p9 can read .dng picture
it works well in our p9 lite

It can read them, but not properly. It shows them really blurry, like they're not focused.

 

[ZeusftW97]

Can you recommend me good raw viewer if you use one?

 

[zgomot]

Can you recommend me good raw viewer if you use one?

I don't use any. I open the files in either Snapseed on my phone, or Lightroom on my PC and edit.

 

[ZeusftW97]

I don't use any. I open the files in either Snapseed on my phone, or Lightroom on my PC and edit.

Ok, thanks!
Last time when I tried to open raw photos in snapseed it didnt work, and yeah...that was after they added the support for editing raw photos, but I tried now and it works!?

 

[zgomot]

Ok, thanks!
Last time when I tried to open raw photos in snapseed it didnt work, and yeah...that was after they added the support for editing raw photos, but I tried now and it works!

probably user error

 

[Heuxhog]

Thanks, is there anyway to disable jpeg format?, It's very annoying both Jpeg and raw Messing in gallery.

 

[zgomot]

Thanks, is there anyway to disable jpeg format?, It's very annoying both Jpeg and raw Messing in gallery.

Sadly, I'm afraid not. At least not to my knowledge.

 

[roxy2j]

raw without pro mode

Just wanted to ask if it captures raw in all the modes like light painting and night and even in just normal photo mode. does it works only with pro mode ?
Please reply.

Thanks in advance.

 

[zgomot]

Just wanted to ask if it captures raw in all the modes like light painting and night and even in just normal photo mode. does it works only with pro mode ?
Please reply.

Thanks in advance.

No. Only in Pro Photo mode.

But you can do light painting in Pro Photo mode with longer exposures and get the best of both worlds. RAW and light painting.