One of the new features of Apple’s forthcoming iOS 4.1 update is HDR photography.
iOS 4.1 update’s HDR photography allows users to take photos that capture a wider range of light intensity using the new high dynamic range (HDR) setting on iPhone 4, which automatically combines the best parts of three separate exposures into a single HDR image.
When running iOS 4.1, in Settings>Photos, users have the option to “Keep Normal Photo” which will save the normally exposed photo in addition to the HDR version.
So you can see what HDR does (good and bad), we snapped some examples — focusing more on high contrast situations than on composition — with an iPhone 4, running iOS 4.1 GM with HDR off (left) vs. HDR on (right):
(click on the photos for larger images)
 non-HDR |
 HDR |
 non-HDR |
 HDR |
 non-HDR |
 HDR |
 non-HDR |
 HDR |
 non-HDR |
 HDR |
iOS 4.1 is expected to be released soon. See more of what’s new in iOS 4.1 here.
Lookin good
This is looking a lot better than the hideously ugly way that most people are doing HDR.
It seems like it’s washing out the brighter parts of the photos, as well as desaturating it some. I’m not very happy with the results in general, but for a phone I will say it is pretty damn good.
These are actually very crappy examples. Losing the highlights in the trees is not good.
I suspect once this feature gets into the hands of photogs with a better eye for composition there will be some great examples.
HDR can be grossly exaggerated, but when the controls are nuanced, the results can be very enjoyable.
There are HDR apps already out for the iPhone just like there are print apps, and once again Apple is eating it’s developers income by destroying their market.
As to C1’s comment, you are talking about pix with the tone mapping cranked all the way up for the visual effect you dislike. Apple’s implementation of HDR is quite simple compared to what they could have offered.
laserguy,
Actually, the examples MacDailyNews have presented above are pretty much EXACTLY what I want to see in order to judge Apple’s HDR implementation, thanks.
@Sean & @laserguy, HDR is more useful with some photos than others. It’s not magic, so don’t expect it to be. And with the ability to save an un-HDR’d copy, there’s nothing to complain about, right?
The first example is clearly much worse overall with HDR — the only benefit is that the sky is blue and you gain a bit of detail in the shadows, such as the lower-right corner. But obviously it’s a bad trade-off in this case.
The second example also does not benefit much from HDR, and with reduced contrast in the trees the overall effect is “flat.”
The third example is where HDR really shines. There is still plenty of contrast, and tons of shadow detail has been reclaimed, as well as detail in the clouds.
The fourth and fifth examples are more of a toss-up — we get the details pulled from the shadows, but there is some of that flattening effect from loss of contrast.
My point is, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is no downside to Apple adding this feature, and plenty of potential upside.
As an enthusiastic photographer myself, I can see putting both the HDR and normal images on separate layers in Photoshop. Then I’d use a layer mask to “paint in” some of the contrast from the normal image, thus reducing that flattening effect.
How does MDN already have 4.1?
@Eating Developers Again
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You’re absolutely right!
The smart developers should go to Android platform where Google won’t add these extra features AND there’s less competition since the app market is way smaller – I’m glad somebody’s using their head! Thanks EDA!
Sean, get a Nikon.
What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…
For example in the first image above, the sky area would be perfect, but I would keep the lovely backlit trees… The HDR effect on them has taken away the character of the picture.
Hope they fix the random crashing and phone calling bugs.
@Eating Developers Again,
So you think progress has to stop because of you? Are you nuts?
Yes, go off to Android, and good riddance.
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
… right. “What we need is to brush in the HDR into the areas that need it and leave the rest of the image…”, followed by one of several good examples just from those shots. I considered three of those HDR shots “wins”, the other two were WORSE! The three that were “better” would have been better still with parts of the non-HDR pasted in.
That said … by keeping both, we have the option to blend them together for some incredible shots! It’s a “win”!
Developers don’t have to stop offering their product just because Apple makes one that has similar capabilities. Apple gives Mail, Address Book, iCal, iPhoto and iWeb away with every Mac. Yet, somehow, there is still a thriving third party applications developer market for each one of these software types. Apple will occasionally buy up the more successful ideas and/or companies and roll the features up into their own products. Are you saying that it’s a bad idea for a company to improve the products and services that they offer to their customers. Isn’t a balance between innovation and adaptation combined with high-quality customer services what drives most successful businesses?
make sure you click on both pics before comparing… the small previews of the images don’t do them justice, and in at least one pic, Non-HDR looked better on the small preview, but once opening the full size pic the HDR was definitely better.
@ Eating developers
I think you will find that Apple actually purchased HDR app that has been on iTunes for quite some time. However with Apples approach the camera takes nearly instantanious photos where with the very nice HDR app you had to take multiple pics and then merge them. Tough not to move the camera or worse yet you would not want any moving object in the photo either. Folks are stunned at many of the HDR photos I have taken. Beautiful sunsets are particularly good. Can’t wait for 4.1 and that feature.
Three separate exposures means holding the camera still for three shots, right?
Why is this an argument? The option is that both photos are retained, with and without HDR, so either one can get selected later.
This is simply a convenience to 90% of the point-and-shooters that have an iPhone.