Samsung Camera Assistant update adds multiple Pro mode features and more

Samsung has released an update to the Camera Assistant app for Galaxy devices running One UI 8.5, and it brings a treasure trove of features that will make regular users of the camera's Pro photo and video modes very happy.

The list of new features includes support for Pro mode presets. This lets you save your preferred Pro mode settings and quickly apply them again later instead of adjusting everything from scratch each time.

Each preset saves the ISO value, shutter speed, exposure value, focus setting, and white balance. The preset also remembers which camera was used when it was saved, so switching between presets will also switch the camera lens. You can even save presets by using an existing photo from the Gallery.

Samsung has made focus peaking customizable. Focus peaking highlights the areas of the image that are in focus, making manual focus easier to use. On One UI 8.5, you can now change the color of the focus peaking overlay and adjust the thickness of the outline. You can also choose whether focus peaking stays on all the time instead of only appearing while you’re adjusting focus.

If you thought that’s all, you’d be mistaken. Samsung is also letting users add Pro mode controls like white balance and exposure value to the standard Photo mode. While you can’t manually adjust ISO or shutter speed, you can set limits for the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed. This can be useful if you want to reduce noise in low-light photos or avoid motion blur.

The Camera Assistant app also lets you choose how autofocus and autoexposure behave when recording video in Pro mode. You can decide whether both focus and exposure remain adjustable while recording, or if only autofocus can be changed once recording has started.

If you’ve ever wanted the option to completely disable image stabilization on your Galaxy phone, Samsung is now making that possible. Until now, the camera app only let you turn off video stabilization, which disables electronic stabilization. With the latest version of the Camera Assistant app, you can now disable optical image stabilization as well.

Samsung has also added support for Tilta wireless lens controllers. These controllers are typically used in video setups to control focus and zoom more precisely using a physical dial instead of on-screen sliders, which can be especially useful when the phone is mounted on a gimbal or tripod.

Camera Assistant also adds new options for customizing the indicators shown in Photo and Video modes at the top of the screen. You can choose whether indicators such as flash, timer, resolution, exposure, and Motion Photo are always visible or only appear when they’re actively being used. Very useful for those who find the default camera interface too cluttered.

Lastly, Camera Assistant adds the ability to enable or disable the Dual Rec and Single Take modes from appearing in the camera’s Modes selection screen.

The new version (4.5.00.13) of Camera Assistant should be available on the Galaxy Store for devices running One UI 8.5. If it doesn’t show up, you can download the APK file from Google Drive (or this alternative site), transfer it to your phone, and manually install the app by opening the file in the My Files app.