Selective Focus Vs. iPhone 7 Depth-of-Field

[dsignori]

I think what Apple announced is pretty great. Let's face it, it really doesn't matter HOW depth of field is achieved if the only thing that matters is that your photo is PERCEIVED to have depth of field. The iPhone appears to be able to do this well (though we won't know for sure until a later software update it seems). I expect some rather fantastic looking photos from the 7Plus.

Give Apple credit where it is due. They have had great cameras in their phones ever since the iPhone 4. Continuing to push the technology for the best cameras on a phone is great for all of us.

 

[1213 1213]

I think what Apple announced is pretty great. Let's face it, it really doesn't matter HOW depth of field is achieved if the only thing that matters is that your photo is PERCEIVED to have depth of field. The iPhone appears to be able to do this well (though we won't know for sure until a later software update it seems). I expect some rather fantastic looking photos from the 7Plus.

Give Apple credit where it is due. They have had great cameras in their phones ever since the iPhone 4. Continuing to push the technology for the best cameras on a phone is great for all of us.

How is it better than what we have in the note 7 though?

 

[chyeo1979]

How is it better than what we have in the note 7 though?

It means the background can be blurred even more in iPhone 7 by software, even though the lens aperture isn't as wide as Note 7. Of course, the result need to come out natural and not look too "photoshopped".

 

[Connert]

It means the background can be blurred even more in iPhone 7 by software, even though the lens aperture isn't as wide as Note 7. Of course, the result need to come out natural and not look too "photoshopped".

I'm not getting your point here. Additional blur added by software can be done with just about any device with the help of any one of several apps from the play store.

What the Note 7 seems to be doing is taking two shots, one with a near focal point which gives the background a natural blur and one with a distant focal point, giving the foreground a natural blur. It also seems to be merging the two shots to give you a third option with a very large depth of field (like an f8 or f10) so everything in view is in focus (for the most part).

I've just started playing around with this, I think it's going to be fun and provide some interesting shots.

 

[dsignori]

How is it better than what we have in the note 7 though?

Why does it matter if it is better or not? We don't know yet, because no one can "test" it yet anyway. I am sure once it becomes available there will be more than enough comparison articles around to see, if it really matters. I'm just saying I expect it will be very good, regardless of how it compares to anything else.

 

[dsignori]

What the Note 7 seems to be doing is taking two shots, one with a near focal point which gives the background a natural blur and one with a distant focal point, giving the foreground a natural blur. It also seems to be merging the two shots to give you a third option with a very large depth of field (like an f8 or f10) so everything in view is in focus (for the most part).

I've just started playing around with this, I think it's going to be fun and provide some interesting shots

Me too. It is pretty cool. I can't figure out how to use the "pan focus" option just yet though ...

 

[1213 1213]

Why does it matter if it is better or not? We don't know yet, because no one can "test" it yet anyway. I am sure once it becomes available there will be more than enough comparison articles around to see, if it really matters. I'm just saying I expect it will be very good, regardless of how it compares to anything else.

You said that they continue to push the boundaries and we should give credit where it is due. So of course it matters if they really are pushing the boundaries or not. Selective focus was in the galaxy s series since the galaxy s5 over two years ago. There is no credit due and there is no immediate sign of them pushing the boundaries, or maybe I'm just not understanding what it is that Apple is doing. Hence why I asked.

 

[dsignori]

You said that they continue to push the boundaries and we should give credit where it is due. So of course it matters if they really are pushing the boundaries or not. Selective focus was in the galaxy s series since the galaxy s5 over two years ago. There is no credit due and there is no immediate sign of them pushing the boundaries, or maybe I'm just not understanding what it is that Apple is doing. Hence why I asked.

If you don't want to give them credit, that's fine. IMO they have pushed all other OEMs since he iPhone 4 to make better cameras. Believe what you will. I just asked if it matters " if the depth of field is better than the Note 7". And I would still ask why would that matter.

I hate more than anyone when Apple claims to "invent" something that has been out for years. No one is saying they invented depth of field here. I am just saying I bet it will work great and look great. The tech on the new 7 plus looks cool, the smooth zooming and other features, etc.

Since the iPhone 4 phone came out, the iPhones have had arguably the best cameras in any smartphone for years and years now. The Galaxy phones have rivaled them some years, and perhaps surpassed them this year. That's great, I love my Note 7 camera. but I can still appreciate the effort and progress Apple makes each year to improve their cameras..

 

[chyeo1979]

I'm not getting your point here. Additional blur added by software can be done with just about any device with the help of any one of several apps from the play store.

What the Note 7 seems to be doing is taking two shots, one with a near focal point which gives the background a natural blur and one with a distant focal point, giving the foreground a natural blur. It also seems to be merging the two shots to give you a third option with a very large depth of field (like an f8 or f10) so everything in view is in focus (for the most part).

I've just started playing around with this, I think it's going to be fun and provide some interesting shots.

I mean that's what it is, whether some other apps can do the same thing or not, probably there are.

 

[Connert]

Here's an example of selective focus on the Note 7.

 

[Gray Area]

Great photos and great explanations! I was thinking the same thing when I saw that feature on iPhone 7 as well. I have not used it on my note 7 yet except by mistake 1 time but when I get my replacement I will use it alot more.

 

[badMojo69]

Meh to it all. Just about any recent phone can be made to do selective focus. And if they can not do it natively there is software.
If you all want to know which phone can do it natively better all you have to do is wait another week.

 

[PlaybookFanatic]

Interesting topic. I wish more were taking it seriously in here because I have some genuine questions. DOF & bokeh have always been an interesting topic to me as far as the cell phone realm is concerned.

Loving these posted pics, btw.

 

[Cotano]

The software to do selective focus on my real camera isn't cheap. The main benefit to me is to be able to get the details of a higher aperture while still enjoying the light the benefits of shooting fully open.

Main challenge is keeping the camera completely still as it goes through all of it's pictures. Then the software comes in and blends them. To get more detailed results you just have to take more pictures.

 

[PlaybookFanatic]

The software to do selective focus on my real camera isn't cheap. The main benefit to me is to be able to get the details of a higher aperture while still enjoying the light the benefits of shooting fully open.

Main challenge is keeping the camera completely still as it goes through all of it's pictures. Then the software comes in and blends them. To get more detailed results you just have to take more pictures.

Interesting.

 

[Slade8525]

Here's an example of selective focus on the Note 7. View attachment 238969View attachment 238970View attachment 238971

i was about to post a similar set, and explain it from a scientific and photographic point of view, but not needed. I am a published photographer, in the advertising industry.

In short, Samsung implementation allows one to select close/near focus, far focus, or everything 'in focus', AFTER the shot (shots, as it has to take more than one, and process them). With 2 lenses, the iPhone 7 Plus MAY be able to let the user select the precise field of focus at a fixed f1.8 aperture, in a tiny sensor, so basically limited to macro shots for any real effect, but closer to the Lytro Light Field Camera effect than Samsung; again this is speculation.

Still, neither is anything like Lytro implementation (Apples MAY be closer to it, but still 2 lenses means distortion), BUT the iPhone 7 COULD allow the user to change depth of field AFTER the shot in a better way than Samsung has implemented, ie select more precise depth of field (focus area) or everything in focus.

Lytro implementation is still going to be the better tech, but still limited.

Both are basically simulations of Lytro camera capabilities, and limited. Cool, but not the same thing.

 

[Samarth Panchal1]

yea excatly...!

 

[xxaarraa]

Since my Note 7 was taken away (I turned it in after the latest 'turn off' email from Samsung), I got an Honor 8 to hold me over till they re-release the Note 7.

Don't want to crowd this thread with Honor 8 photos, but this is it's party trick - depth sensing second camera. I find it to be significantly better at bokehs than the Note 7's 'selective focus' feature, and both the 'strength' of the blur and area of focus can be adjusted after the shot is taken.

Oh, on the Note 7, the google camera app does a much better job of bokehs than Samsung app's selective focus feature.

 

[linzgeneral]

If you don't want to give them credit, that's fine. IMO they have pushed all other OEMs since he iPhone 4 to make better cameras. Believe what you will. I just asked if it matters " if the depth of field is better than the Note 7". And I would still ask why would that matter.

I hate more than anyone when Apple claims to "invent" something that has been out for years. No one is saying they invented depth of field here. I am just saying I bet it will work great and look great. The tech on the new 7 plus looks cool, the smooth zooming and other features, etc.

Since the iPhone 4 phone came out, the iPhones have had arguably the best cameras in any smartphone for years and years now. The Galaxy phones have rivaled them some years, and perhaps surpassed them this year. That's great, I love my Note 7 camera. but I can still appreciate the effort and progress Apple makes each year to improve their cameras..

This my friend, is a massive myth. I had all of their phones and found that their cameras, albeit well over hyped, weren't any better, if at all, than the best android cameras or Nokias..

I had all the phones, I sold phones, and did my own testing, and although I am no photographer, my eyes are pretty good. The most impressive iPhone cameras to me has always been the front facing cameras, which although were stated as some pretty low megapixels, always seems to take really sharp and impressive selfies and front videos.

I remember when I got an iPhone 4, and was so excited to see this hyped camera. I was very underwhelmed. Then it occurred to me that the people who were hyping the camera may have not been exposed to other great phone cameras for comparison. I think Samsung, for example, has always made great cameras from the very first galaxy S phones.

I am sure someone will do a shootout with all the top phone cameras and we will get a true analytical assessment of the iPhone 7 cameras strengths and weaknesses, if any.

 

[Fr0gburp3r]

Yeah except you forgot one important thing, selective focus on the Note 7 is really slow and would only be ideal in a static scene compared to the iPhone 7 which will take the photo in an instant because it already has focus at both distances because of 2 cameras. Please don't sound like a bunch of fanboys and look at the facts. Especially those who claim to be photography enthusiasts. I love my Note 7 but I also give credit where credit is due.