The iPhone camera is highly regarded not only by general users who enjoy shooting everyday, but also by professionals.I asked Apple's camera development staff what the development was.
It is big that we are developing both hardware and software in-house
Louis Dudley, iPhone Product Manager at Apple's headquarters, first emphasized that the iPhone 13 series has further improved camera performance.
"The iPhone 13 series is equipped with the latest A15 Bionic, further evolving computational photography. Two new features, cinematic mode and photography style, should be noted as features that only Apple can offer. The iPhone 13/13 mini is equipped with the largest sensor and sensor shift type camera shake correction mechanism to further enhance the beauty of photos and videos. The iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max has a macro function added. With the improvement of the iPhone and the telephoto lens, we have taken the shooting performance of photos and videos to a different level than before. We are pleased to be able to deliver professional cameras to many people. "
One of the greatest strengths of the iPhone camera is that Louis Dudley develops both the camera hardware and software in-house. In this regard, Graham Townsend, vice president of camera hardware engineering at Apple headquarters, said, "The biggest advantage is that we can work with software developers. Sensors, lenses, actuators, etc. Hardware development has been carried out from an early stage in close collaboration with the software and firmware development departments, which has led to the production of the best. "
Many smartphone manufacturers have adopted a method of purchasing a general-purpose camera module that integrates sensors, lenses, actuators, etc. and mounting it on their smartphones. Although it has the advantage of speedy and low cost development of smartphones, it has the disadvantage that the performance of the camera is greatly influenced by the module, and it is difficult to incorporate unique functions and "taste".
For example, the iPhone camera is a bespoke suit, and many smartphone cameras are so-called "hanging" off-the-shelf suits.
Computational photography that instantly performs complex processing to polish your photos
The iPhone 13 series cameras are equipped with a wealth of excellent hardware such as a larger sensor, a sensor shift optical image stabilization mechanism, and the latest A15 Bionic. However, Jon McCormack, vice president of camera software engineering at Apple headquarters, said, "The iPhone 13 series is incomplete, although the hardware itself is groundbreaking. The iPhone is the best camera. The existence of computational photography is indispensable for the refinement. "
Computational photography is often thought of as post-shooting image processing, but with the iPhone it's not that simple. When you press the shutter button when taking a picture, multiple frames are captured in an instant, and while the subject and the sky spreading behind it are separated, if the subject is a person, the hair and skin color are determined by machine learning, and each is used. We are doing complicated processing in an instant, such as finishing a single photo after properly processing the image.
In particular, the iPhone 13 is compatible with Smart HDR 4, so even if multiple people are shown in one photo, it can be separated individually and what kind of light is shining on each person. It is possible to grasp the color of the skin and accurately express the tone of the skin. Jon McCormack said, "With the iPhone, you can take great pictures of the world around you in any situation. This is something that Apple can do because it continues to innovate its own hardware and software. Masu ".
A15 Bionic enables "video version of portrait mode"
With the A15 Bionic installed, it is possible to create a cinematic mode that gives a deep expression to movies. While recognizing and focusing on the most important subject in the scene you are shooting, it automatically switches the focus according to the direction of the person and changes in the scene. It is epoch-making that not only can you change the expression of blur by adjusting the depth of field on the edit screen after shooting, but you can also change the subject itself that is in focus.
[Video] Video taken in cinematic mode.The focus is switched between the cat in the foreground and the child in the back, and the video has a sense of depth and story.
"Cinematic mode is a feature derived from photo portrait mode technology, but the processing in video was very complicated and difficult, but thanks to the A15 Bionic's advanced neural engine, it's just like photos. In addition, the depth of the subject can be captured frame by frame even in movies, and this function has been realized. It is an epoch-making shooting function that can not be achieved with conventional video cameras and digital cameras, using iPhone 13. You will be able to create your own story. Of course, you don't have to be aware of the existence of technology at all. "(Jon McCormack)
By the way, it seems that cinematic mode uses both a wide-angle camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera at the same time to shoot and generate depth information in real time. Only the iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max uses a LiDAR scanner to assist focusing, and it seems that the speed and accuracy of focusing are not reduced even in dimly lit scenes with low light intensity.
"Apple's goal is to make the iPhone's camera the best, shoot it beautifully, and deliver it. With the iPhone 13, both hardware and software teams are working together to bring it to life. It's now possible to take new photos and videos that smartphone cameras couldn't do. Every human has their own story, but it's a precious time with what you love and who you love. I really want you to keep it on the new iPhone 13. "