Explaining the advantage of HDR+

[LeoRex]

Hello my Pixel-infused peeps.... while I sit here with my 6P and look on with a wee bit of envy, I thought I'd pass along some info to you... specific to the Pixel's camera and how it manages to slay dragons, conquer the world and look so good doing it.

It's all about HDR+, a mode that I think is the single best feature of any phone/camera on the market. If you've seen me over in the 6P forum, you maybe would have seen my posts on the subject ( http://forums.androidcentral.com/nexus-6p/664172-explaining-hdr-why-s-worth-wait.html )

But I wanted to give you some more insight... I've enlisted my little friend here to show you why I love it so.

Here is are 100 crop shots... I know you might be distracted by the sexy beast in the picture...

Standard 100 crop (original 1/60s, ISO170)


HDR+ 100 crop (original 1/104s, ISO284)


Now, both pictures where taken at the same time/location/etc... Some things I want to point out....

Notice the settings for the camera. The HDR+ shot was taken with a faster shutter speed and a higher ISO (light sensitivity) setting. Normally, this would lead to doom in a picture as you would end up with a noisy and underexposed image. But HDR+ don't care about that... because it's going to take a bunch of those noisier, less exposed shots (I believe it's 5 in HDR Auto)) and do its thang. It will then combine those RAW image exposures, apply some optical magic borrowed from those nerds that like to stare at the night sky all the time, and spit out something full of win.

- Now, pay attention to the details. Details are where HDR+ makes its bones. On the standard image, like other phones, the camera relies on more conventional processing that tries to guess what to do to clean up noise and sharpen things up. Problem is that a computer program isn't always the best authority. Because HDR+ uses information from multiple, identical exposures (it doesn't play around with exposure bracketing or tonal mapping), it can make pixel by pixel decisions without sacrificing the original information. So Beaker's hair retains its fine, lustrous body... even individual whisps are retained and not scrubbed away or turned into a blocky artifact-heavy mess. Also look at the text, specifically on the gray text... traditional techniques would not be kind... And if you look at the lights reflected in Beaker's eyes, you can even make out the partition between the two bulbs. HDR+ makes every pixel count.

Now, of alllll the things said about the Pixel, the single biggest thing that caught my eye was that the improvements in speed and architecture allow the Pixel to be continuously taking pictures the entire time it is open, so taking an HDR+ (when in HDR+ Auto* ) requires none of the exposure delay that you saw on the 6P. That eliminates most all of the reasons to drop out of the mode to take a picture. Granted, on my 6P, I rarely switch off HDR Auto... but if you asked me if I would like to eliminate the exposure delay, I certainly wouldn't say no.

So enjoy the technical wizardry of your new phone!

* 'auto' mode for HDR+ uses fewer exposures and lighter processing than HDR On mode, so it is instant. HDR+ On, which does have a slight exposure delay, bumps the number of exposures to (7?) and also processes the dynamic range and colors more, resulting in a more traditional HDR look to the final shot)

 

[Almeuit]

Nice Leo .

 

[bdGDL08]

That's a great write-up! I knew that the Pixel continuously took shots to make everything so quick, but I'm pleased to learn the finer points in differentiating between the HDR+ on the Pixel and traditional HDR.

On a side note, you write like the VP Software Compliance where I work - very entertaining.

 

[LeoRex]

On a side note, you write like the VP Software Compliance where I work - very entertaining.

Why thank you.... you see, I am long winded so I've had to develop a means to keep the audience engaged or I'll lose the lot of you. I can't drone on and on an on because everyo....

SQUIRREL!!!

 

[Go0gle]

Notice the settings for the camera. The HDR+ shot was taken with a shutter speed that was nearly three times faster and a much higher ISO (light sensitivity) setting. Normally, this would lead to doom in a picture as you would end up with a noisy and underexposed image.

This part doesn't make sense to me based on your listed EXIF data. You say the shutter speed was almost 3 times as fast, but 1/104 is not even twice as fast as 1/60, and you say "much higher ISO" however the difference between ISO 170 and ISO 284 is not even one stop. There is less than a 1/5 stop difference between those two exposures, they are virtually identical, and neither scenario would lead to an underexposed image at f2.0 under those lighting conditions.

You have presented a nice comparison though showing the benefits of HDR+.

 

[LeoRex]

Oh, I read it wrong... Thought it was 1/170.. looked at the wrong number. I'll edit.

 

[vedanshsingh]

however the quality in low lights really spoils the fun

 

[LeoRex]

however the quality in low lights really spoils the fun

I couldn't disagree with your more. The 6P laps the field in low light as a result of HDR+ paired with the IMX377... It's better than the S7/S7 Edge, Note 7, G4, iPhone 6S... and these are just the phones that I've had a chance to actually use in hand. Bright doesn't equal quality.

On my 6P, the night shots are often a little darker, but they are orders of magnitude better in quality. I used these two shots in a thread on the 6P forum to illustrate... Top is the 6P, bottom is the LG G4. Both were taken seconds apart. Sure, the G4 shot (1/30s ISO900) is brighter, but the 6P shot (1/40 ISO199), I think, utterly blows it away in terms of quality... depth of color, clarity, etc.
6P

G4


My wife now has an S7 Edge, and when we are out and about doing anything and there's a picture to be taken in less darker lighting, she's always asking me to take it since I can get a better shot.

I frankly don't know what the issue is with some of the reviews, or the reviewers... I hope to get a Pixel in hand to test myself, but it should only improve upon the 6P's performance as it is basically just an updated version of the 6P's camera.

 

[shady195]

The 6P was the under stated camera of the year IMO

I got asked many times "what phone did you take that picture with" and everyone would look at me like I was crazy when I said it was a 6P (most never heard of it)

I've done a few test shots between my Pixel and 6P now. The Pixel is most certainly better in low light, details and dynamic range's are kept more in tact. However whit balance is still better on my 6P in low light shots. There is definitely some tweaking needed in regards to the phone choosing the correct white balance in low light. It can be a bit iffy and sometimes very yellow on the pixel. Thats my only real complaint about the camera. Its unlike anything else otherwise.

 

[LeoRex]

There is definitely some tweaking needed in regards to the phone choosing the correct white balance in low light. It can be a bit iffy and sometimes very yellow on the pixel. Thats my only real complaint about the camera. Its unlike anything else otherwise.

It's a work in progress... the phone JUST came out. Considering the amount of effort they put into the camera, I'd expect a few tweaks in upcoming builds.

 

[shady195]

It's a work in progress... the phone JUST came out. Considering the amount of effort they put into the camera, I'd expect a few tweaks in upcoming builds.

Oh I don't doubt that. I was impressed to see them acknowledge the lens falring in some lighting conditions (oddly enough, I only noticed it for the first time last night. Took aphoto on my desk, lights off with nothing but the monitor. I noticed a Halo, at first i thought maybe it was light comming off of my clear body case, removed the case and saw it was still there. Then saw the article this morning about them working on a fix and felt some relief)

However, im a tad nervous about that, simply because its clearly a shortcomming of the lens element, and while digital processing may remove it. I hope we don't lose detail int he process.

 

[Go0gle]

however the quality in low lights really spoils the fun

It is by far the best low light performance on any smartphone at the moment, thanks to HDR+. Noise (grain) in a high ISO image occurs randomly. Google uses that property to their advantage and is able to eliminate most of it by merging multiple exposures, and nobody else is doing that right now.

 

[LeoRex]

Noise (grain) in a high ISO image occurs randomly. Google uses that property to their advantage and is able to eliminate most of it by merging multiple exposures, and nobody else is doing that right now.

Right... you can see the difference here (whee! I get to use the 100 crop test shots again!) The 6P's noise comes off more similar to the grain of a film photograph, where the S7's pictures are splotchy and artificial.

dark room, lit from a window off to the right. Both 6P and S7 used their own particular HDR modes. Notice the difference in the noise along the wall at the top of the frame. Hell... everywhere. If you pixel peep, you can see just how drastically the two pictures differ. Now, if you looked at the originals of both pictures on a phone display, the S7's gave the appearance of being sharper, etc.

6p

S7


I apologize for droning on... I am just happy to see HDR+ finally getting some exposure (har) on the Pixel.

 

[Go0gle]

It's simply too difficult to overcome physics with a tiny sensor used in these phones without things like HDR+, and the much smaller sensor in the iPhone 7 is a good example of this. The iPhone 7 images have that awful "pastel painting" look to them from aggressive NR algorithms even at ISO 80(!) which is ridiculous. The smaller sensor just has too hard of a time, and there is virtually no fine detail preserved in the image whatsoever. See this example (viewable at 100%): https://2.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS4032x3024~sample_galleries/5295996936/1919024108.jpg