Search for the keyword " iPhone 12 , over-sharpening" on the Internet, and you will hear many users complain about it. Under the lens of the iPhone 12 series, people become "old" and pets become "dirty".
Is the iPhone 12 camera too sharp? Here are some solutions:
▲The left side is the live animation of Kogie, and the right side is the still photo taken with the iPhone 12. This picture is from: u/betrai
Is there a way to solve the problem of over-sharpening? The answer widely circulated on the Internet is to turn off the HDR (High Dynamic Range) display of the camera during the setup process.
However, this method does not fundamentally eliminate over-sharpening, which is a bit of a cover.
So how can we effectively eliminate over-sharpening? Don't worry, let's find the crux of the problem first.
computational photography makes people love and hate
As early as 2018 when the iPhone XS series was released, Apple introduced the Intelligent High Dynamic Range (Intelligent High Dynamic Range) function.
One year later, the iPhone 11 series equipped with deep integration function has become a new height for Apple to play "computational photography".
To put it simply, the iPhone 11 series will automatically turn on the deep blending function indoors or in low-light environments at night.
When you press the shutter button, the iPhone will automatically take 9 photos.
Among them, before pressing the shutter, the iPhone will take 4 photos at a higher shutter speed. Four photos with standard exposure time were taken afterwards. When the shutter is pressed, the iPhone will also capture long-exposure photos.
Then the Deep Fusion function will automatically merge these 9 photos, and finally output a photo in HEIC or JPEG format with a size of about 3MB.
▲At the press conference, Apple used a portrait wearing a sweater to show the effect of deep fusion technology
In this process, the bionic chip analyzes photos with pixel-level accuracy, including Evaluate a series of image elements such as skin, walls, buildings, and sky, and then separate high and low weights for fusion optimization.
So Deep Fusion looked very beautiful at the time, which made the iPhone's imaging level suddenly improved from the algorithm level.
Computational photography also shines, and some people even think that this is the future of photography.
It was not until the advent of the iPhone 12 series that people discovered that computational photography seemed to be subverted.
IPhone 12 claims to bring more powerful intelligent HDR 3 functions and better deep integration.
In some scenes, as mentioned in the press conference, the details of the sky and the ground are richer, the various textures are clearer, and the photos taken in dark environments are brighter.
However, Apple seems to have gone too far.
IPhone 12 series pulls the contrast at the edge of the object too high, resulting in too high picture clarity.
▲ iPhone 12 Pro Max will find that the edges of buildings and leaves are too sharp
In other words, Apple wants to make your photos clearer. This algorithm is clear, unnatural, and even a bit "dirty".
During the 8-month use of iPhone 12 Pro Max, we found the following patterns:
1. Over-sharpening of night scenes is more serious than daytime
2. Over-sharpening of telephoto More serious than wide-angle
3. The more complicated the line, the more obvious the over-sharpening
How to solve the problem of over-sharpening? We have found the following methods.
For IPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max users, please see here
Compared with the normal version, the iPhone 12 Pro series has a unique advantage: it supports the RAW function of Apple Pro and can be used in Take pictures in RAW format in your own camera program.
Friends who love photography should learn more or less about RAW format .It is equivalent to a piece of unprocessed jade, which saves the information of the photo to the greatest extent and is convenient for later modification.
So for users of the iPhone 12 Pro series, the first method is to take photos in RAW format, and then adjust the sharpness of the photos in the photo editing software.
In practice, there is a very simple method. When viewing the RAW format photos in the album, click "Edit", you will find that the sharpness of the photos will automatically decrease.
At this time, you only need to use the editor to make some adjustments, such as adjusting the tilt of the photo, and then click "Finish" to get the new photo, and then the sharpness will return to normal.
The second method is to use a third-party application.
Currently, NOMO RAW is a rare photo application that can reduce sharpening. This feature can be turned on on its settings page. However, it is currently limited to the iPhone 12 Pro series.
i
This is not to "discriminate" ordinary users of iPhone 12. Because NOMO RAW weakens the sharpening effect, use Apple ProRAW to achieve it.
I took a lot of photos with NOMO RAW in the past. Humanized interaction logic, "toxic" color schemes, and scientific exposure strategies are all recommended reasons, not weakening and strengthening.
It is worth noting that NOMO RAW is not a free application. The monthly payment is 13 yuan/month, and the annual payment is 63 yuan/year. If you are a subscriber of a NOMO PRO member,You can use NOMO RAW for free.
For iPhone 12/12mini users, please see here
IPhone 12 and IPhone 12 mini do not support Apple ProRAW, so we can only take RAW photos with third-party apps.
Based on comprehensive experience, the interaction and effect of the Halide Mark 2 and ProCamera are better. Even if your phone is not a Pro series, they can still take photos in RAW format.
Let's start with Halide Mark II. One of its developers, Sebastiaan de With, used to be an Apple designer, and he did a good job of interaction. The original photos taken by
Halide Mark II do not involve intelligent HDR 3 and deep fusion algorithms. Although there is a little more noise, the overall picture is softer than the original camera and looks more flattering.
Then let's take a look at ProCamera. This application is also very powerful, the interface is refreshed, the interaction is simple, and it can take photos in JPEG format and RAW format at the same time.
ProCamera's widget is also a bright spot. It can display the sunrise and sunset time and the blue time zone of the day, which is convenient for professionals to view.
Halide Mark II and ProCamera are both paid applications.The former can be purchased at one time for 15 yuan/month or 88 yuan/year, and the price is 258 yuan. The latter is a buy-in system, the price is 60 yuan, and you can pay to subscribe to advanced feature packages such as automatic viewing angle correction, and the price is 7 yuan/month or 28 yuan/year.
From the perspective of comprehensive cost performance, ProCamera may be a more suitable choice.
Summary
From guiding the user's aesthetics to catering to the user's aesthetics. To be honest, the pictures of the iPhone 12 series are a bit disappointing.
Although its computational photography technology is still ahead of the industry, its aesthetic orientation does not seem to be as elegant as before.
In the eyes of some users, clear, high-contrast images may be "good quality" but for video enthusiasts or professionals, this is not advanced.
Using third-party camera applications or post-retouching is not always the best strategy. We hope that Apple will be aware of this problem and provide an optimized solution in the updated iOS version to allow the iPhone to regain the title of image master.
.
