Unhappy with portrait mode vs pixel 1

[mu5es]

I'm mostly using phone to take pictures, and here are my thought.

It can produce really good breathtaking portrait shots time after time, especially when you checkibg it out on a small screen. But it is not consistent and lacking pixel 1 features:

1. You cannot change amount of blur. That is I don't understand, should be an easy feature.
2. You cannot refocus, as oppose to on pixel 1.
3. Often it is missing patches on background blur, so if it's blurs a tree on the background you can clearly see some random branches not blurred. On pixel one you had to move your phone, but at least it was true background blur based on distance.
4. If the object is not very close, it just don't do any portrait shots. So you are taking pictures to discover later, that non of them were treated as portratits. At least pixel 1 would let you know, that it wasn't able to produce portrait right away.

What do you think?

 

[vzwuser76]

I'm mostly using phone to take pictures, and here are my thought.

It can produce really good breathtaking portrait shots time after time, especially when you checkibg it out on a small screen. But it is not consistent and lacking pixel 1 features:

1. You cannot change amount of blur. That is I don't understand, should be an easy feature.
2. You cannot refocus, as oppose to on pixel 1.
3. Often it is missing patches on background blur, so if it's blurs a tree on the background you can clearly see some random branches not blurred. On pixel one you had to move your phone, but at least it was true background blur based on distance.
4. If the object is not very close, it just don't do any portrait shots. So you are taking pictures to discover later, that non of them were treated as portratits. At least pixel 1 would let you know, that it wasn't able to produce portrait right away.

What do you think?

I just tried it on my Pixel 1 and I'd take the P2 approach any day. For points 1 & 2, my portrait shots came out better than anything I was able to get on my P1. On point 3, I actually have the problems you're referring to on the P1 and NOT on the P2. For example, a door just behind me had about 50% of it blurred, but what wasn't was just as clear as I was. As for point 4, I wouldn't imagine that's much of an issue since most people will check right after to see their shots, as they would with most pictures they take. I have rarely if ever taken a picture and then just assumed it was fine, I always check the shot afterward to make sure it came out the way I wanted it to.

While in many cases the difference between the P1 & P2 aren't a night and day difference as the P1 is still an excellent shooter, portrait mode seems greatly superior on the P2 in my experiences.

 

[KillerQ]

I didn't realize the Pixel one did portrait mode at all

 

[vzwuser76]

I didn't realize the Pixel one did portrait mode at all

What I believe the OP is referring to isn't called Portrait Mode on the P1, it's called Lens Blur. It's in the same spot on the P1 where Portrait Mode is on the P2. But where Portrait is essentially automatic on the P2, Lens Blur is kind of a manual background blurring effect. It allows you to pick the area you want to keep sharp. I missed it for the first time last night, and it seems pretty janky to me. While Portrait Mode isn't perfect (sometimes blurring things that shouldn't like the corner of a pair of glasses, I'd say for the effort involved I'd use Portrait before Lens Blur any day.