[Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra] KingFatty:
Does anyone recognize this type of image distortion, and what settings can avoid it?

I'm guessing it's unavoidable as something baked-in to how the camera tries to do selective image stacking/bracketing on only certain parts of the image, and being too unsophisticated to do it right.

This motivates me to finally figure out how to install google camera.

Look at the weird outline around the bird's head:

View attachment 5611357

Here are the settings, also attached original JPG image:

Filename - 20220424_120754.jpg

ImageWidth - 4000

ImageLength - 3000

Make - samsung

Model - SM-G998U

Orientation - Top left

XResolution - 72

YResolution - 72

ResolutionUnit - Inch

Software - G998USQU5CVCG

DateTime - 2022:04:24 12:07:55

YCbCrPositioning - Centered

ExifOffset - 238

ExposureTime - 1/379 seconds

FNumber - 4.90

ExposureProgram - Normal program

ISOSpeedRatings - 50

ExifVersion - 0220

DateTimeOriginal - 2022:04:24 12:07:55

DateTimeDigitized - 2022:04:24 12:07:55

OffsetTime - -04:00

OffsetTimeOriginal - -04:00

ShutterSpeedValue - 1/380 seconds

ApertureValue - F 4.89

BrightnessValue - 9.18

ExposureBiasValue - 0.00

MaxApertureValue - F 4.89

MeteringMode - Center weighted average

Flash - Not fired

FocalLength - 30.60 mm

ColorSpace - sRGB

ExifImageWidth - 4000

ExifImageHeight - 3000

ExposureMode - Auto

White Balance - Auto

DigitalZoomRatio - 10.00 x

FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 240 mm

SceneCaptureType - Standard

GPS information: -

GPSLatitudeRef - N

GPSLatitude - 38 19 37.222679 (38.327006)

GPSLongitudeRef - W

GPSLongitude - 75 4 59.453041 (75.083181)

GPSAltitudeRef - Sea level reference

GPSAltitude - 26 m

Thumbnail: -

ImageWidth - 512

ImageLength - 384

Compression - 6 (JPG)

XResolution - 72

YResolution - 72

ResolutionUnit - Inch

JpegIFOffset - 948

JpegIFByteCount - 54701

Another example where I took a photo of a flock of birds, and you can see how the wings are flapping even though it was a single snapshot, not a video, suggesting again the weird image stacking but poorly done:

View attachment 5611361

Exif info:

Filename - 20220424_120710.jpg

ImageWidth - 4000

ImageLength - 3000

Make - samsung

Model - SM-G998U

Orientation - Top left

XResolution - 72

YResolution - 72

ResolutionUnit - Inch

Software - G998USQU5CVCG

DateTime - 2022:04:24 12:07:10

YCbCrPositioning - Centered

ExifOffset - 238

ExposureTime - 1/612 seconds

FNumber - 4.90

ExposureProgram - Normal program

ISOSpeedRatings - 50

ExifVersion - 0220

DateTimeOriginal - 2022:04:24 12:07:10

DateTimeDigitized - 2022:04:24 12:07:10

OffsetTime - -04:00

OffsetTimeOriginal - -04:00

ShutterSpeedValue - 1/613 seconds

ApertureValue - F 4.89

BrightnessValue - 9.89

ExposureBiasValue - 0.00

MaxApertureValue - F 4.89

MeteringMode - Center weighted average

Flash - Not fired

FocalLength - 30.60 mm

ColorSpace - sRGB

ExifImageWidth - 4000

ExifImageHeight - 3000

ExposureMode - Auto

White Balance - Auto

DigitalZoomRatio - 10.00 x

FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 240 mm

SceneCaptureType - Standard

GPS information: -

GPSLatitudeRef - N

GPSLatitude - 38 19 37.284599 (38.327023)

GPSLongitudeRef - W

GPSLongitude - 75 4 59.422081 (75.083173)

GPSAltitudeRef - Sea level reference

GPSAltitude - 21 m

Thumbnail: -

ImageWidth - 512

ImageLength - 384

Compression - 6 (JPG)

XResolution - 72

YResolution - 72

ResolutionUnit - Inch

JpegIFOffset - 948

JpegIFByteCount - 13200