Camera settings on 12 pro max

Yes, go to settings>camera>preserve settings>switch creative controls on. (Plus any other settings you want to stay as you set them last time)

Not that I know of - though that would be really useful.

But there is a little camera icon on the lock screen, you can click immediatly the screen has come on. Pick up phone, click icon and you are in camera. You don't have to unlock the phone to use it. Thanks for asking the question, now I also know about it 😃