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iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

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Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#21

Post by packetslave »

dylan604 wrote: post #18
defaultname wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having that functionality in your pocket, instantly usable, beats having an SLR in the closet at home with a macro lens that you can switch to for a passing need. And FWIW, the curse of SLR macro lenses is minuscule depth of field, so much so that many take many photos (presuming a perfectly stationary subject), bracket the focus, and stack by sharpness. It's a hugely involved process. A macro lens with a tiny focal…

But that's how physics work. If iPhone Macro doesn't suffer the same issues, then it's a software trick

I wouldn't call it a "trick" but I suspect Apple is doing some focus stacking under the hood.

The image pipeline in the iPhone gets more and more advanced with every IOS release. The state of the art for computational photography is pretty amazing.

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#22

Post by packetslave »

dkonofalski wrote: post #20
packetslave wrote: post #4

While this is obviously a promo for the Halide camera app (which is awesome, mind you) it's full of useful information on macro photography, regardless. This bit in particular caught my eye: "What makes Halide 2.5’s Macro Mode so special? For one, it brings Macro capabilities to all iPhones." (not just the iPhone 13 Pro)

I will admit that I got a little tinge of resentment when I realized it was an ad/announcement for their app but that quickly subsided when I realized that I would much rather have educational/informative ads like this than the alternative. Even if I don't download their app, I got something useful from this and that's ok with me.

yeah, content marketing doesn't annoy me nearly as much when it's this good (and this isn't technically CM since they're open about the fact that they're announcing their new app version)

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#23

Post by mhb »

noneeeed wrote: post #11
flyinglizard wrote: post #5

Going be amazing for people working on PCBs, to read difficult package markings and to inspect solder pads instead of using a microscope.

Honestly, as someone who is starting to go long-sighted, this is tempting me towards getting a 13 pro (or Pixel 6 i it is similarly good). I frequently find myself using my phone camera to zoom in on ridiculously small text on things, but my phone has always struggled with it. Good phone macro will be a feature I would use all the time.

I don't want to interfere with a rationalization for a new phone, but how does your phone struggle? I use my iPhone SE (Gen 1) for this all the time.

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#24

Post by defaultname »

dylan604 wrote: post #18
defaultname wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having that functionality in your pocket, instantly usable, beats having an SLR in the closet at home with a macro lens that you can switch to for a passing need. And FWIW, the curse of SLR macro lenses is minuscule depth of field, so much so that many take many photos (presuming a perfectly stationary subject), bracket the focus, and stack by sharpness. It's a hugely involved process. A macro lens with a tiny focal…

But that's how physics work. If iPhone Macro doesn't suffer the same issues, then it's a software trick

Depth of field is a direct function of real-world focal length. An iPhone has camera systems with a focal length in the 1.4mm - 5mm range (the equivalent framing is not relevant to the impact on DoF). Most SLRs have lenses with focal lengths from 35mm - 100mm.

https://www.photopills.com/calculators/dof

(That site has different camera selections purely because the circle of confusion differs based upon the sensor size / resolution, so it's the relative values that you should pay attention to)

Take a gander at the DoF variations for a 4mm versus a 35mm FL system.

This is the reason why iPhones have to implement fake bokeh -- because the depth of field on tiny cameras is so much larger, even with a wide open aperture. But the inverse is that where you want a wide depth of field it is a feature of the size. It's also why people seem to be much more successful taking photos on smartphones, because the focus is much more forgiving.

A wide DoF is a function of those physics.

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#25

Post by gnicholas »

noneeeed wrote: post #11
flyinglizard wrote: post #5

Going be amazing for people working on PCBs, to read difficult package markings and to inspect solder pads instead of using a microscope.

Honestly, as someone who is starting to go long-sighted, this is tempting me towards getting a 13 pro (or Pixel 6 i it is similarly good). I frequently find myself using my phone camera to zoom in on ridiculously small text on things, but my phone has always struggled with it. Good phone macro will be a feature I would use all the time.

I've heard of people who are very near-sighted using their smartphones to help them find their glasses. Just hold the phone close to your face, so you can see it in focus, and open the camera app. Voila, you can see the whole room in focus!

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#27

Post by sudosysgen »

defaultname wrote: post #13
marban wrote: post #6

While the 13 Pro's lens is undoubtedly a marvel of engineering, I feel like all those 'mind.blown' reviews must have been written by youngsters who never used a dedicated macro lens on a (D)SLR.

Having that functionality in your pocket, instantly usable, beats having an SLR in the closet at home with a macro lens that you can switch to for a passing need. And FWIW, the curse of SLR macro lenses is minuscule depth of field, so much so that many take many photos (presuming a perfectly stationary subject), bracket the focus, and stack by sharpness. It's a hugely involved process. A macro lens with a tiny focal…

This is a fixed issue in cameras. Stop down to F16, and use a ring flash, there you go, fixed.

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#28

Post by ValentineC »

sudosysgen wrote: post #27
defaultname wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having that functionality in your pocket, instantly usable, beats having an SLR in the closet at home with a macro lens that you can switch to for a passing need. And FWIW, the curse of SLR macro lenses is minuscule depth of field, so much so that many take many photos (presuming a perfectly stationary subject), bracket the focus, and stack by sharpness. It's a hugely involved process. A macro lens with a tiny focal…

This is a fixed issue in cameras. Stop down to F16, and use a ring flash, there you go, fixed.

Wouldn't this also involve needing to use a tripod?

Re: iPhone Macro: A Big Day for Small Things

#30

Post by defaultname »

sudosysgen wrote: post #27
defaultname wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having that functionality in your pocket, instantly usable, beats having an SLR in the closet at home with a macro lens that you can switch to for a passing need. And FWIW, the curse of SLR macro lenses is minuscule depth of field, so much so that many take many photos (presuming a perfectly stationary subject), bracket the focus, and stack by sharpness. It's a hugely involved process. A macro lens with a tiny focal…

This is a fixed issue in cameras. Stop down to F16, and use a ring flash, there you go, fixed.

Few who have ever taken macro photographs would claim this is a "fixed issue". Macro photography is a giant pain. Further the difference between a 4mm focal length and a 50mm focal length, as a function of DoF, is massively larger than that 50mm going between f2.8 to f16. You'd have to go to a hypothetical F/512 to get the same advantage in that particular realm (though in reality small apertures suffer from their own problems).

This is basic math. It's interesting that someone else claimed it's "physics" as a retort, when yes indeed it IS physics. It's why you can make a tiny lens fixed focus camera that seems to have everything in focus, from near to far, because the DoF becomes enormous.

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