Apple Shares New Ad Showcasing Portrait Lighting Mode on the iPhone 8 Plus

[simonmet]

For someone who didn’t watch the keynote or has any intention of buying the 8 (I have a 7+) can you tell me what it is about the 8’s new camera that enables this? I thought it relied on the X’s new 3D scanning sensors.

 

[gigapocket1]

And for continuing to put the very best camera in the iPhad rather than sharing that on all of your "flagship" phones, this bird's for you Apple!!!

Many, many people don't want such a large phone.

That argument is mute... just get the X when it comes out

 

[PsykX]

EXTREMELY misleading. Makes the viewer think they can shoot video like this, which is a lie.

That's what I thought.
The option is still really awesome though, I'm sticking with my iPhone 6s but this feature makes me jealous.

 

[fischersd]

That argument is mute... just get the X when it comes out

Yes, I should pay an almost $400 premium to get a better camera.

 

[citysnaps]

Yes, I should pay an almost $400 premium to get a better camera.

Well, yes... If I want a better bicycle, or TV, or car, or computer, or restaurant dinner, or shoes, or even a phone, I have to pay extra money.

 

[fischersd]

Well, yes... If I want a better bicycle, or TV, or car, or computer, or restaurant dinner, or shoes, or even a phone, I have to pay extra money.

The point being the delta in the cost of that single feature alone doesn't justify the cost of the upgrade. Heh, and, honestly, I wouldn't go to the X now anyways. I'd wait to see how FaceID stands up once it's out in the wild.

 

[gigapocket1]

Yes, I should pay an almost $400 premium to get a better camera.

Yeah. Because Apple should put all their best features in the cheaper device...
Tell the car companies to put the bigger screens, better speakers, and adapative cruise control and heck, why not the faster and bigger engines, awd.. and put that into their entry level new car...

 

[A MacBook lover]

So, I'm confused, which tends to happen a lot. Is this taken using Portrait Mode, or did you achieve a similar look using other phone apps? Even with your hair slicked back it hasn't masked it very well, there's no subtlety to the mask that was applied to really show all of your hairs edges here, there are small sections missing. Something Portrait Mode seems consistent at.

It’s portrait mode with lighting, I used the edit feature from photos to adjust the colors

 

[citysnaps]

The point being the delta in the cost of that single feature alone doesn't justify the cost of the upgrade. Heh, and, honestly, I wouldn't go to the X now anyways. I'd wait to see how FaceID stands up once it's out in the wild.

The X doesn't interest me either, for now. But the improved camera of the 8+ over my 6+, as someone who makes photographs every day with my phone, is worth the cost of an upgrade. Looking forward to getting the 8+.

Here's a snap I made with my 6+ yesterday morning...

 

[jimbobb24]

I hope that woman recovers well from her chemotherapy. Oh...she got that haircut intentionally. Lols.

 

[narr]

The first one was edited to the best it could become actually, mind you just in Photos as that's what the 99% are going to be using.

Here's another few, with varied results, the last one is the best of the lot, but the ghosting around the headphones makes it unacceptable to me. You can still call me unimpressed with it.

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Here is a pic with stage light of my (old) headphones. I did increase the contrast to make it look more dark and stylish. I think the pic looks fine. Yes, there are some minmal blurs around the edges, but that‘s easy to fix. It‘s still less work than setting this up with a black backdrop, lighting and isolating the headphones in Photoshop.

 

[macfacts]

Yeah. Because Apple should put all their best features in the cheaper device...
Tell the car companies to put the bigger screens, better speakers, and adapative cruise control and heck, why not the faster and bigger engines, awd.. and put that into their entry level new car...

Funny how you think the $700 iPhone 8 is considered a entry level device ...

 

[wigby]

Or perhaps they get the notion that they can get photos that look like high-fashion photo shoots?

While I wouldn't say that my interpretation is the obvious one, I'd guess that was the likely intent.

Any camera ad that employs the skills of professional photographers could be considered misleading: "Look at the kinds of shots you can get!" Well, maybe if you had the same skills, lighting equipment, studio facilities, etc...

Except that 25 out the 30 seconds are live motion with the affect being applied. Only when the phone screen is shown at the end is when it's accurately depicting what the feature does. I know this new feature's exact limitations and even I stopped and wondered how I can do what was being shown in the commercial. Apple really pushed the truth a little too far in this ad. Rule #1 of marketing is to not make promises that you cannot keep. They might be covered legally but they are sending out confusing messages which only leads to customer disappointment.
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Because the X actually has the TrueDepth sensors and camera to pull it off. How is the 8 supposed to know what’s the person and what’s background? This feature can’t work reliably without an infrared dot mask.

You're confusing the selfie cam with the rear camera. The rear cameras on the 8+ and X are the same. The 8 cannot do any of this.

 

[narr]

Except that 25 out the 30 seconds are live motion with the affect being applied. Only when the phone screen is shown at the end is when it's accurately depicting what the feature does. I know this new feature's exact limitations and even I stopped and wondered how I can do what was being shown in the commercial. Apple really pushed the truth a little too far in this ad. Rule #1 of marketing is to not make promises that you cannot keep. They might be covered legally but they are sending out confusing messages which only leads to customer disappointment.

The ad is half true. Since the effects in the camera app are LIVE (except for the stage light fx) you could simply record the screen (new feature in IOS 11) while in the photo app and then crop out the UI. Result: a video with realtime lighting FX applied! Just joking.

BTW: I tried this and it works. Maybe iOS 11 will bring a video Portrait lighting feature. Probably will only work on the next iPhone Xs.

 

[wigby]

I think this ad is gorgeous. What's the issue with it?

While the ad is visually good (albeit very misleading) it does not fit Apple's traditional ad theme mold. People do not like change but Apple has to embrace change or they will begin to lose money. Apple is catering to a much larger set of customers now so they have to alter their approach. Kind of like when your favorite band suddenly gets popular, the original fans tend to get pissed but do not understand that it was never about just them.
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The ad is half true. Since the effects in the camera app are LIVE (except for the stage light fx) you could simply record the screen (new feature in IOS 11) while in the photo app and then crop out the UI. Result: a video with realtime lighting FX applied! Just joking.

BTW: I tried this and it works. Maybe iOS 11 will bring a video Portrait lighting feature. Probably will only work on the next iPhone Xs.

I didn't realize that. I haven't ever seen it demonstrated that way. I've only seen long pauses to process the effect so I don't understand how it could be live. I'll look for some video demonstrations. Thanks.

 

[narr]

About this video:

Did anyone see her shirt cutoff like this at about time 00:03 ?

Is it intended?

When I first saw it I thought it was my internet fault, until I saw it on another device.

It‘s an editing mistake (masking problem I guess). It‘s even more obvious in that frame:

 

[SeattleMoose]

Innovation now consists of adding gimmicks to justify price increases.

 

[narr]

While the ad is visually good (albeit very misleading) it does not fit Apple's traditional ad theme mold. People do not like change but Apple has to embrace change or they will begin to lose money. Apple is catering to a much larger set of customers now so they have to alter their approach. Kind of like when your favorite band suddenly gets popular, the original fans tend to get pissed but do not understand that it was never about just them.
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I didn't realize that. I haven't ever seen it demonstrated that way. I've only seen long pauses to process the effect so I don't understand how it could be live. I'll look for some video demonstrations. Thanks.

Here is a video I’ve done with the portrait lighting FX shown in realtime (captured with iOS 11‘s screen recording feature).

 

[fischersd]

@gigapocket1 , @citysnaps - you guys are missing the point. I'm not saying give me the better camera for free. I'm saying everyone wants the better camera - but doesn't necessarily want the massive footprint of the + sized iPhone.

More than willing to pay the standard feature cost + 40% market that Apple charges on everything else - and I think you'd find everyone else is willing to as well. (make sure you deduct the cost of the old camera first Apple....no shady accounting allowed)

 

[flat five]

The rear cameras on the 8+ and X are the same.

fwiw, the camera on the X is different than 8+..
the X specs better at least.. but based off there being a different spec, i'd guess the cameras/lenses aren't a shared component between the two models.

 

[CausticSoda]

I thought all this sort of stuff can be done easily with photo editing software?

 

[MH01]

Because the X actually has the TrueDepth sensors and camera to pull it off. How is the 8 supposed to know what’s the person and what’s background? This feature can’t work reliably without an infrared dot mask.

On the front........ on the back the x and 8 do not have truedepth sensors.
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Portrait mode is pretty awesome but the stage light setting in Portrait Lighting is pretty damn horrendous. Unless I want to highlight how bad the software is, I can’t ever see myself using it.

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Ouch....

Liking the top shot, bottom one looks like a bad photoshop, pass

 

[Giantscruz]

Gonna sue Apple for the misleading ad

EXTREMELY misleading. Makes the viewer think they can shoot video like this, which is a lie.

It really does. Normally I take advertising with a grain of salt and assume that everything I see isn't necessarily true, but this ad crosses a line I think. They are promoting a feature and the ad certainly implies that feature works with video, which unless I missed something it does not.

Maybe I'm crazy, but after reading your comments, THEN watching the ad, I think you guys are trippin'. It clearly shows still photos on the phone, no motion. There is even a shutter sound in the ad, something you don't hear when filming a video. Next you'll be telling me the Airpods ad is bogus because skateboarding indoors, especially at a train station (or wherever they are) is never allowed, anywhere.

I'll ask my mom what her impression of the feature is, that will be a fair test. I'll get back to you guys in a bit.

 

[sniffies]

Maybe I'm crazy, but after reading your comments, THEN watching the ad, I think you guys are trippin'. It clearly shows still photos on the phone, no motion. There is even a shutter sound in the ad, something you don't hear when filming a video. Next you'll be telling me the Airpods ad is bogus because skateboarding indoors, especially at a train station (or wherever they are) is never allowed, anywhere.

I'll ask my mom what her impression of the feature is, that will be a fair test. I'll get back to you guys in a bit.

No, dude, you are trippin'. As she walks, there is absolutely no shutter sound heard. Perhaps you hear them in your head? That's a whole different issue though.

 

[macfacts]

It‘s an editing mistake (masking problem I guess). It‘s even more obvious in that frame:

Photoshop mistake. The cameras on the new iPhones don't have x-ray feature.