Apple Publicly Responds to Complaints of Purple Lens Flare on iPhone 5 Photos

[iGrip]

In the picture the OP has it looks worse in the 4S.
That said. Stop taking pictures incorrectly. That is probably this real issue here. Not always but more often than not.

Simply stop using the i5 to take pictures. Problem solved!

 

[TheChosen]

In the picture the OP has it looks worse in the 4S.
That said. Stop taking pictures incorrectly. That is probably this real issue here. Not always but more often than not.

Here's another article on this issue, notice the 2 pics there

http://m.gizmodo.com/5949624/apples-official-iphone-5-camera-fix-take-a-different-picture

 

[krravi]

What disturbs me is that from the photo's I have seen posted in this thread from some members, everyone screams that you shouldn't point it at the sun or a bright light.

But, I come across pictures in this thread, where there is absolutely no bright object in the picture frame (maybe just outside the frame) and yet there is that purple HAZE....

I have used a iPhone 3GS, Motorola DROID and now the iPhone 4S and I never came across that much purple fringing/haze/flare or whatever you call it.

The protective sapphire glass might be great in other respects but It doesn't seem to let in clean light.

 

[r.harris1]

iPhone 5 is made with a level of precision you'd expect from a finely crafted watch - not a smartphone. http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/

But I guess that's not what it means. It means it has flaws that our loyal customers will gladly overlook and defend us against any accountability or criticism.

To be fair, many quotes on here that some take as "pro Apple" are less a blind defense of Apple than an explanation of physics.

 

[lilo777]

Because those people do not take pictures at the sun? And when they do, they take a second one with no flare?

As if you did not see any any sample pictures posted in this thread. Or, are you suggesting that it's only iPhone 5 owners who are too stupid and point their cameras towards light sources? Interesting theory but I do not think it's true.

 

[BC2009]

Yes, there was nothing wrong. That's why Apple decided to revise the antennae design in their 4s, where they were now shifted to the top and bottom of the phone (so there is no way you can hold them by mistake) and relegate the 2 metal bands by the sides to just that - metal strips with no impact on the functionality of the iphone.

There was nothing wrong. EVERY phone at the time exhibited the exact same behavior -- Apple even stooped to the level of putting up a bunch of videos to prove it to people. I got the same antenna behavior on my pre-iPhone Palm Treo 680. However, because people raised a big stink Apple went and found a solution to a problem that every smartphone had and pushed the envelope. They introduced a dynamic antenna design in the 4S so people like you would stop complaining because everybody is overly critical of Apple while they mindlessly put up with the same flaws (or worse) in competing products for years (e.g.: Google Maps circa 2010).

But here's the funny thing - if purple flares are apparently so common, why have I not heard or seen this being mentioned in any article on any website ever? You would think some disgruntled anti-apple user would have brought it up when ip4 or 4s was released, or some smartphone user casually wondering about this phenomenon in his photos. Why did it wait until the iphone5 was released before people decided it was newsworthy of kicking up a fuss? You mean to tell me that Samsung was simply "storing ammo" for 2 years?

Lens flare is normal and ALWAYS ruins your photo. Because of the optics in the iPhone 5, apparently the flare is more purple in hue. Either way, the photo is crap if you get lens flare -- I don't care if the flare is green, yellow or red. The fact that it is a purple flare is what is apparently new and apparently worthy of some scandal. The only thing good about the complaints by people like you is that sometimes Apple goes and finds ingenious solutions to problems that have been around for years. So keep whining, maybe Apple will find some way to save the world from lens flare, patent it, and then you can complain that they are abusing their patents when they sue Samsung for infringing.

 

[lilo777]

What disturbs me is that from the photo's I have seen posted in this thread from some members, everyone screams that you shouldn't point it at the sun or a bright light.

But, I come across pictures in this thread, where there is absolutely no bright object in the picture frame (maybe just outside the frame) and yet there is that purple HAZE....

I have used a iPhone 3GS, Motorola DROID and now the iPhone 4S and I never came across that much purple fringing/haze/flare or whatever you call it.

The protective sapphire glass might be great in other respects but It doesn't seem to let in clean light.

If one took Apple advice, people would have to stop taking pictures indoors - at least in USA where houses are built in such way that light sources are everywhere. The only place in American house where one can safely take a picture with iPhone 5 would be a closet (well, some of the closets).

 

[iphoneclassic]

This is a Multiple Choice Multiple Correct answer question. Please choose three.

Who should blame?
1) Yourself
2) Dead Guy
3) Foxconn
4) Foxconn Employees
5) Samsung
6) Android
7) Sony (alleged to be the supplier for camera sensor)

 

[xxgilxx]

As long as people don't get purple flaring when they're snapping pics of their junk, it's not a major issue...

 

[lilo777]

There was nothing wrong. EVERY phone at the time exhibited the exact same behavior -- Apple even stooped to the level of putting up a bunch of videos to prove it to people. I got the same antenna behavior on my pre-iPhone Palm Treo 680. However, because people raised a big stink Apple went and found a solution to a problem that every smartphone had and pushed the envelope. They introduced a dynamic antenna design in the 4S so people like you would stop complaining because everybody is overly critical of Apple while they mindlessly put up with the same flaws (or worse) in competing products for years (e.g.: Google Maps circa 2010).



Lens flare is normal and ALWAYS ruins your photo. Because of the optics in the iPhone 5, apparently the flare is more purple in hue. Either way, the photo is crap if you get lens flare -- I don't care if the flare is green, yellow or red. The fact that it is a purple flare is what is apparently new and apparently worthy of some scandal. The only thing good about the complaints by people like you is that sometimes Apple goes and finds ingenious solutions to problems that have been around for years. So keep whining, maybe Apple will find some way to save the world from lens flare, patent it, and then you can complain that they are abusing their patents when they sue Samsung for infringing.

The problem is that we see a lot of purple pictures from iPhone 5 without any flare. Some people started to call it flare just because there is no better explanation for it. What you see on this picture (made with iPhone 5) is anything but flare:

Besides, experienced photographers can use flare for artistic purposes - but not the purple iPhone 5 "flare". This one is too ugly.

 

[Fandongo]

Desaturate Purples?

 

[7enderbender]

So the me get this straight. The iPhone 5 comes out and the worst two things Anti-Apple people could find wrong with the phone are:

1) The back scratches easily when you scratch it forcefully with a key.

2) You get glare when you point the camera at the sun.

Haters gonna hate...

That is indeed hilarious - especially given that non-iphone-users like me have other complaints such as that it's not a Blackberry for instance or the fact that the new iphone is even bigger than the predecessor - or that Apple still doesn't have their own secure push-mail service to go with their phones.

So why do I even respond here? Because there is nothing else to respond to while people are dissecting various iThingies while others are waiting for actual news on what used to be Apple's main business. Remember computers? You know those big ugly things that people used in the olden days to get actual work done?

 

[midwestfisherma]

Like I said in another thread, if you want to take really good pictures go buy a REAL CAMERA!! It amazes me how much people find to bitch about!

 

[FieldingMellish]

The problem is that we see a lot of purple pictures from iPhone 5 without any flare. Some people started to call it flare just because there is no better explanation for it. What you see on this picture (made with iPhone 5) is anything but flare:

Image

Besides, experienced photographers can use flare for artistic purposes - but not the purple iPhone 5 "flare". This one is too ugly.

That appears to clearly be a flaw in the camera. I have not seen that from any shots taken with any point and shoot or DSLR that I have ever owned.

 

[Chrisispaper]

So, I take a picture with, say, Samsung Galaxy SIII and it looks like this:

Image

Then I take the same picture with iPhone 5 and see this:

Image

What should I do? I say: "all camera lenses have flare issues" and "Apple haters gona hate". Does this accurately summarize the mental state of some folks who argue that this is a non-issue here?

I have a feeling this is photoshopped. The white balance on the iPhone 5 picture looks terrible, and under no circumstance could I reproduce this. Also why is the lens flaring in the center away from direct lighting?
Exif on the photo.

Not shopped

Shopped

 

[iMikeT]

Chromatic aberration.

Some people should not be allowed to use any kind of technology.

 

[Sedrick]

All throughout the history of photography this has been called "Flair". Apple did not inventthis problem. It's been with us for over 150 years. What's changed is that camera become more automated more people use cameras. 100 years ago you had to know a lot about photography to take a photo so few people used cameras. But now days even people who have never heard of "lens flair" can and do use cameras.

The diagram on this page explains the problem very well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_flare

The two are the SAME thing. In a larger camera with a multi-element zoom lens with air aspace between the elements the "flat" has the next glass element. and you see a lighter circle. But in a tine cell phone lens the light hits the side and is scattered back.

It is purple for the same reason we see a rainbow of colors if light goes through a glass prism (or rain drops). Notice that on a rainbow the color purple is to one far edge. That is what is happening here the stray light is being split up the purple part reflects off the edges and defuses into the image.

The normal way that photographers have "fixed" this problem is by shading the lens with a hand, hat or a sheet of cardboard. What you do is look at the front of the camra an place the shadow cast by your shade such tat it covers the lens.

Larger camera can have a built-in lens shade, or place the lens inside a deep depression but cell phone cameras are to thin for that

There is a basic rule of thumb that says "bigger cameras are always better." If you care a lot about image quality buy the largest camera you are willing to cary.

In any case the purple is in face "flair" and you can fix it by shading the lens such that it is in the shadow.

Repeat this all you want, but no one is complaining about lens flare. They're complaining about the purple ghosting. It's not the same thing or it would be in every image you see with lens flare.

People posting comparison images show both with lens flare and one (usually the iPhone 5) with lens flare and purple saturation.

I understand that by saying the two are the same and every single camera on earth has lens flare, you minimize any purple ghosting issue with the iPhone 5 and it's admirable as the Apple supporters you are. The two issues can happen at the same time, but they aren't the same issue.

 

[psemenick3]

Re: Lens Flare

What, you mean that Apple can't overcome the laws of physics?

 

[AppleScruff1]

To be fair, many quotes on here that some take as "pro Apple" are less a blind defense of Apple than an explanation of physics.

Except it wouldn't be physics if it was Samsung, Microsoft, Google etc. Would it? If it was anyone but Apple, it would be poor engineering, poor quality control etc. Funny how that works.

 

[sransari]

dream crushed

my dreams of becoming a photographer using my cell phone camera and taking only pictures of the sun have been crushed

 

[lilo777]

I have a feeling this is photoshopped. The white balance on the iPhone 5 picture looks terrible, and under no circumstance could I reproduce this. Also why is the lens flaring in the center away from direct lighting?

I do not know any details about this picture. It's not mine. It was posted in this thread. You might be right about iPhone 5 screwing white balance but the result is what it is. BTW, in the same thread there are more examples of the same issue:

 

[Mojo1]

Ummm.....I don't even read this site anymore cause to many trolls. I found better alternatives However I found this post, and it was funny.

No PHOTOGRAPHERS HERE....YEA I Thought SO

If you can't do color correction and use photoshop, should you use a camera on any phone....well I think NOT!

Second, if your using iPhoto or Windows Picture Viewer....return the phone

Thirdly, if you don't know what a pixel, dot pitch, aperture, white balance, etc ....return the phone

Fourth, if you knew one and three, you wouldn't be having this discussion....well thanks for my two minutes of laughing at s.f.a.'s on here

It is ironic that the people who have nothing to add to a thread insist on using large, bold fonts in order to emphasize that they really do not know what they are talking about...

 

[BluePhoenixRa]

Also good to hear. I really like the new model in almost every other regard. The camera is a deciding point for me though.

Yea, I was really scared to be an early adopter for these reasons. Thankfully mine works like a charm. Can't say that about my day's though. His one suffers from every issue possible. (Everything except for scuffing, cause it already slipped from his hand, flew 6 feet, and hit the wall hard..no scratches no nth. Well, I'm sure it would scuff if it went through rough use anyway.)

There's color bleed, purple flare, the screen doesn't lock, battery dies in 2 hours..all that good stuff.

I'd suggest waiting awhile. Cause it's worth it. Everything feels snappier than a 4S.

 

[tito2020]

I used my iphone4s directly to my light there is no purple flair.

 

[BluePhoenixRa]

I used my iphone4s directly to my light there is no purple flair.

Directly won't do it. You have to get the light at the edge to check for it.