Pixelated photos on Pro Max - Zoom

[dk001]

Bit of background.
Been playing with my Pro Max trying to generate decent off the cuff shots that allow me the ability to zoom in and see decent detail post shot.
I usually take the photos on my Pro Max and review / discard / cleanup on my IPP or MB. My issue comes when the photos pixelate details that should be (I think) clear or sharper.

I first noticed this in iOS 13 where words or letters/numbers would blur in a shot - I forget what .x - hence I think it may be software.
This was a random shot I did for test in my complex. When I zoomed into either of the vehicles license plate or the building in the center (distant) the letters / numbers quickly lost clarity.

Even if I do the 2x OZ, I still see the same basic results.


I’ve tried items like setting the focus point, not zooming in digitally then shoot, making sure all is clean ... etc ...

Anything I missed? Lets say that I have become very disappointed in the quality of my shots.
Thanks in advance....

 

[akash.nu]

At that zoom level the number plate is perfectly acceptable. So is the wall writing. Let’s not forget it’s a 12MP sensor and by “zoom”-ing you’re essentially cropping the picture.

 

[Apple fanboy]

At that zoom level the number plate is perfectly acceptable. So is the wall writing. Let’s not forget it’s a 12MP sensor and by “zoom”-ing you’re essentially cropping the picture.

A tiny sensor at that. Not all pixels are equal.
[automerge]1593201980[/automerge]

Bit of background.
Been playing with my Pro Max trying to generate decent off the cuff shots that allow me the ability to zoom in and see decent detail post shot.
I usually take the photos on my Pro Max and review / discard / cleanup on my IPP or MB. My issue comes when the photos pixelate details that should be (I think) clear or sharper.

I first noticed this in iOS 13 where words or letters/numbers would blur in a shot - I forget what .x - hence I think it may be software.
View attachment 928034View attachment 928035View attachment 928036This was a random shot I did for test in my complex. When I zoomed into either of the vehicles license plate or the building in the center (distant) the letters / numbers quickly lost clarity.

Even if I do the 2x OZ, I still see the same basic results.
View attachment 928037View attachment 928038View attachment 928039

I’ve tried items like setting the focus point, not zooming in digitally then shoot, making sure all is clean ... etc ...

Anything I missed? Lets say that I have become very disappointed in the quality of my shots.
Thanks in advance....

An iPhone can deny physics. If you want to zoom in, you need a decent telephoto lens. Otherwise we would all just shoot with an iPhone.

 

[||\||]

That not pixelation. It’s blur. iPhones tend to use a heavy noise reduction, which will do this. It could be a shaky hand. The small sensor is probably also causing diffraction. This is why a camera phone is no replacement for a full-frame sensor at 100%. You can’t beat physics.

 

[kallisti]

I have an iPhone Xs Max. The behavior you are describing is normal. I use the camera on my phone for pretty much just two scenarios: (1) taking a picture of my car in a parking garage so I can remember where I parked it (say at an airport before a trip) and (2) taking a picture of the trip odometer and gas pump display each time I fill up my car with gas so I can then calculate MPG (I have a Honda Accord Hybrid and the car's calculated MPG is usually low by ~1 MPG). That's pretty much it. For anything else I use one of my "real" cameras.

Phone camera tech has come a long way, but it is still pretty bad compared to a dedicated camera. I've read that phone camera quality upgrades are a driver for phone upgrades. Reviews of new phones often place an emphasis on how the camera compares to previous models or the camera on different brands. For me and my photographic needs/standards, that's like saying this pile of dog poo is slightly less smelly than that pile of dog poo. They're both crap.

As stated by others, physics is physics. Apple has done an *exceptional* job improving the quality of pics taken with an iPhone. In some ways it seems like magic. I have an app that lets me save RAW images from my iPhone and I stopped using it after I noticed that Apple's software manipulation for their JPEGs is far better than what I can achieve manipulating the RAW files. And seeing the RAW files and how atrocious they were gave me a huge amount of respect for what Apple has managed to achieve in software. The expression of making chicken salad out of chicken **** comes to mind....

But the physics can't be denied. Small sensor, small lens, low number of photo sites (the latter being constrained by the need for *quality* in the photo sites that the physically small sensor can accommodate).

I get the argument that the best camera is the one you have with you. But phone cameras are tools and they have very real limitations. It is certainly possible to create pleasing or acceptable images with one assuming you are shooting something that plays to their strengths. But the output will almost never (I would actually argue a stronger statement of *never*) equal or surpass what could be achieved with a dedicated camera in the same scenario. Your examples support this. iPhone files do not stand up well to cropping (i.e. digitally zooming in) or to making significant adjustments in post. They can't because the data simply isn't there or isn't of high enough quality (i.e. signal to noise disparity). The JPEG files have already been optimized in-camera with Apple software which leaves relatively little room for tweaking in post without the introduction of artifacts.

I use a GoPro Hero7 Black fairly extensively for taking pics of my son around and in our pool. I am almost always disappointed in the quality of the files and it sometimes takes Herculean efforts to salvage them. But I continue to use it because it can capture pics that I couldn't achieve with any other camera I own (i.e. underwater). Some (many?) of the pics I can't salvage, but it's worth it for the ones I can.

All of this needs to be understood in the context of what your intended output is going to be. If you are routinely needing to crop images from your iPhone to get details, then the iPhone isn't a good tool for your needs. If you are routinely not needing to crop, then the blur, softness, or in your words "pixelation" (which isn't actually accurate) won't matter. For sharing online if the images aren't cropped, most people won't notice the softness of the pic. For small prints, it may not be noticeable either. For professional prints or enlargements, it may very well be noticeable. Your intended output and audience can matter in what constitutes "acceptable" image quality.

Finally, the three most important elements of photography are choice of subject, composition, and light. Exposure is a very close fourth. If you nail the first 3 (or ideally all 4), the viewer is likely to mentally ignore minor errors in things like sharpness unless there are significant digital artifacts present (especially ones in a pattern, which our brains are really good at recognizing and bringing to consciousness). For any photographer of any level and using any gear, getting better at subject choice, composition, and light will have an incredible impact on your images that can't be overstated. Often more important than the gear you are using (unless the gear is vital to the composition/lighting/exposure).

 

[dk001]

Appreciate everyone's responses.
Does anyone know of an app that would allow shots that do not have this?

I first noticed this "blurring" when I took a shot of a "For Sale" sign. House that caught my eye.
Since then I have noticed it more and more.

So, on to keeping a quick shot camera available. Have an older Powershot I could use. Unless I can find an app that will work ...

 

[MacNut]

Phone cameras are not meant to be zoomed in. It's still a small lens and a small sensor that look great wide open.

 

[||\||]

Appreciate everyone's responses.
Does anyone know of an app that would allow shots that do not have this?

I first noticed this "blurring" when I took a shot of a "For Sale" sign. House that caught my eye.
Since then I have noticed it more and more.

So, on to keeping a quick shot camera available. Have an older Powershot I could use. Unless I can find an app that will work ...

If you are certain your hand is steady, the only other variable you can control is the noise reduction. The only solution to that is to shoot RAW and develop in an outside application and selectively sharpen. I use the free VSCO camera app when I want to save a RAW file in my phone for processing. Mostly I use an SLR in these situations.

 

[dk001]

Phone cameras are not meant to be zoomed in. It's still a small lens and a small sensor that look great wide open.

I hear you. I would drive, see a sign / house / whatever, snap a shot. Then when I get home, some or all of the lettering is unreadable when I zoom in.

 

[Hughmac]

I hear you. I would drive, see a sign / house / whatever, snap a shot. Then when I get home, some or all of the lettering is unreadable when I zoom in.

Maybe you should get in closer to the subject, and fill the frame. That way you will get better quality pictures of the lettering on signs for example.
With a phone camera you need to 'zoom with your feet'.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[dk001]

Maybe you should get in closer to the subject, and fill the frame. That way you will get better quality pictures of the lettering on signs for example.
With a phone camera you need to 'zoom with your feet'.

Cheers

Hugh

Chuckle 😄
Usually it is from my vehicle for these shots. Closer is the new norm now.
It just bugged me that the "blur" was happening and I could not discern the why. My older Note 5 (now defunct) had better clarity for this kind of stuff.

Started playing around with ProCamera ...

 

[||\||]

Chuckle 😄
Usually it is from my vehicle for these shots. Closer is the new norm now.
It just bugged me that the "blur" was happening and I could not discern the why. My older Note 5 (now defunct) had better clarity for this kind of stuff.

iPhones have excellent cameras, but Apple insists on applying heavy noise reduction to every photo. They are doing it wrong. We need a manual option.