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iPhone 6 Plus Camera

hNicolas

hNicolas

macrumors 6502
Original poster
I finally had a chance to really test my iPhone 6 Plus camera today. Wow, was I surprised! The OIS is just incredible, I took the family Apple picking and rode to the orchard on a tractor pulled wagon, the path was very bumpy so it was the perfect opportunity to test the camera's OIS. In the resulting video, I can only notice 2-3 dips during the 2 minute video, otherwise it looked as smooth as riding on a paved road.

All the pictures that I took in various lighting conditions look great, and the video auto-focus worked perfectly. Macro, and colour reproduction is also indistinguishable from some of the digital cameras I have used. But, the OIS capability of this camera really stood out for me. Now, I'm really looking forward to photo opportunities! 🙂 What has your experience been like so far with the 6 or 6 Plus camera?
 
OIS only works on still imagery. The 6+ uses software stabilization for video (just like the regular 6).
 
ohmyggg said:
OIS only works on still imagery. The 6+ uses software stabilization for video (just like the regular 6).
Click to expand...

No way that is digital. The motion and clarity would have been very different. I don't have a six to do a side by side test, but if you try it with lots of sudden motion you will notice how different the result is. It's very noticeable.
 
My 6plus camera has been a mixed bag. It overdoes noise reduction a lot of the time. So the effect is a watercolor paint effect as discussed in some other threads. Color reproduction is excellent, though.

I get a lot of blurred shots in all kinds of lighting but I've gotten some really excellent shots I wasn't expecting to get because the sun was setting and it was dark out. But the camera let in a lot of light and I got the pictures I was after.

I will need to get more practiced with using such a big form factor before I start blaming the camera for bad shots. I do have some concerns about the aggressive noise cancellation. I don't see it as bad as others on the forum have gotten and definitely not as bad as it has been on my 5s. But it's there and I don't like that "Monet" effect.

I'm very glad to hear your 6's camera works so well for you.
 
Since OIS is used even in video, why does the Plus still crop about a quarter of the field of view in video mode compared to normal picture?

I was quite disappointed when I tried and saw that on the demo units.
 
ohmyggg said:
OIS only works on still imagery.
Click to expand...

Wrong. OIS has been around for years on high end video cameras, and is now also being implemented here for both still and moving images.

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damuse said:
Since OIS is used even in video, why does the Plus still crop about a quarter of the field of view in video mode compared to normal picture?
Click to expand...

Actually a lot more than simple cropping is happening there. 1080p video is a 16:9 aspect ratio requiring only 2.1 megapixels of resolution (1920x1080), whereas a still image is 4:3 and 7.9 megapixels (3264x2448). Two completely different standards requiring different behavior from the sensor. That's why there's a difference when you switch modes. You'll also notice that the sensor has a totally different profile for light sensitivity on video vs still photography, because again, the two are not the same thing.
 
hNicolas said:
I finally had a chance to really test my iPhone 6 Plus camera today. Wow, was I surprised! The OIS is just incredible, I took the family Apple picking and rode to the orchard on a tractor pulled wagon, the path was very bumpy so it was the perfect opportunity to test the camera's OIS. In the resulting video, I can only notice 2-3 dips during the 2 minute video, otherwise it looked as smooth as riding on a paved road.

All the pictures that I took in various lighting conditions look great, and the video auto-focus worked perfectly. Macro, and colour reproduction is also indistinguishable from some of the digital cameras I have used. But, the OIS capability of this camera really stood out for me. Now, I'm really looking forward to photo opportunities! 🙂 What has your experience been like so far with the 6 or 6 Plus camera?
Click to expand...

I don't think that was the OIS, that was likely the digital image stabilization which films a bigger area than 1080p then crops around it so it can reposition frames to match up more smoothly.

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hNicolas said:
No way that is digital. The motion and clarity would have been very different. I don't have a six to do a side by side test, but if you try it with lots of sudden motion you will notice how different the result is. It's very noticeable.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I've had cameras for years with OIS and IS in the lens and it doesn't do crap for big bumps or sudden motion. It's for small vibrations and hand movement.

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damuse said:
Since OIS is used even in video, why does the Plus still crop about a quarter of the field of view in video mode compared to normal picture?

I was quite disappointed when I tried and saw that on the demo units.
Click to expand...

It's cropped for image stabilization. OIS isn't going to help with big changes in motion, just small vibrations and a trembling hand that's trying to stay still.

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hNicolas said:
No way that is digital. The motion and clarity would have been very different. I don't have a six to do a side by side test, but if you try it with lots of sudden motion you will notice how different the result is. It's very noticeable.
Click to expand...

OIS can't help with sudden motion.
I mean just think about what it is. OIS in this case is moving the sensor up down left and right in real time to account for small vibrations. It's not like if you suddenly move up and down a foot that the sensor can go up and down with you to keep it in the same position was in. That's all software.
 
scaredpoet said:
Actually a lot more than simple cropping is happening there. 1080p video is a 16:9 aspect ratio requiring only 2.1 megapixels of resolution (1920x1080), whereas a still image is 4:3 and 7.9 megapixels (3264x2448). Two completely different standards requiring different behavior from the sensor. That's why there's a difference when you switch modes. You'll also notice that the sensor has a totally different profile for light sensitivity on video vs still photography, because again, the two are not the same thing.
Click to expand...

If this is common across most cameras on higher-end phones, I'll be more willing to accept this as a genuine limitation.

I only have one other phone right now to check, my work's HTC One M8. It has a 4 MP resolution, and switching from photo to video mode results only a very minor decrease in the field of view.

But, the M8's photo resolution is only half of the iPhone 5 and up, and has no video stabilization to speak of, not even digital, making a joke of its claim of 1080p video capture (i.e. technically true, but effectively useless).

I'll wait until I can check a high-end Samsung and LG before drawing a conclusion.
 
I don't know much about ois (or cameras in general). I do know that a took a picture and a video from the exact same spot. The video has a smaller field of vision (not sure if that's the right word). It appears slightly zoomed and captures less of the peripheral view. I'd assume this is the digital stabilization working to crop out all the small movements by giving a buffer zone. But again, this isn't my area of expertise.
 
Taco1933 said:
I'd assume this is the digital stabilization working to crop out all the small movements by giving a buffer zone. But again, this isn't my area of expertise.
Click to expand...

Nope. The first iPhones to have video recording also cropped the field of view and they offered no stabilization.

It's because when you're shooting video with a chip designed for still photos the engineers have to make a choice:

1) Pick out the pixels you need in the middle of the sensor and end up with a cropped image. (What the iPhone has always done.)

2) Use the whole sensor but then down-scale the image. (Adds needless processing, burns the battery faster, and probably degrades the image somewhat.)

3) Take the whole sensor but skip pixels. (Like, just use the evens and toss the odds. Something like that.) This would undoubtably produce a softer image and, probably also require some of the re-scaling that option #2 has.


In other words, out of 3 non-perfect options, solution #1 is far and away the best choice.

(We're talking about cell phones here. Once you talk about professional cameras with batteries larger than iPhones, all bets are off. Suddenly those other options become worth looking at again.)
 
damuse said:
I only have one other phone right now to check, my work's HTC One M8. It has a 4 MP resolution, and switching from photo to video mode results only a very minor decrease in the field of view.
Click to expand...

I don't know what the still image specs are for the M8, but I would speculate that they are using a camera sensor that more closely mimics 16:9 in still images than the iPhone 6 camera does.

But, the M8's photo resolution is only half of the iPhone 5 and up,
Click to expand...

That's one way of saying it. The other way of saying it is that "only" 4 million additional pixels exist on an iPhone 5 and up, giving the iPhone twice as many pixels to choose from to render 1080p video than the M8, and 4 times the resolution required to generate 1080p video.

But since it IS 1080p we're talking about, having "only" half as many pixels or not is immaterial, since both sensors have enough to do HD video, and still have plenty of room to spare.

and has no video stabilization to speak of, not even digital, making a joke of its claim of 1080p video capture (i.e. technically true, but effectively useless).
Click to expand...

Which phone's "claim" of 1080p is "useless?" Both do in fact produce 1080p video, and have imaging sensors that far exceed the require number of pixels to do that.

I'll wait until I can check a high-end Samsung and LG before drawing a conclusion.
Click to expand...

Again, as long as any of those phones have more than a 2.1 megapixel sensor, they can use any portion of that sensor area to make a 1080p 16:9 video. But what portion they use, and how the field of view changes, has little bearing on how Apple does it with their camera.
 
Taco1933 said:
I don't know much about ois (or cameras in general). I do know that a took a picture and a video from the exact same spot. The video has a smaller field of vision (not sure if that's the right word). It appears slightly zoomed and captures less of the peripheral view. I'd assume this is the digital stabilization working to crop out all the small movements by giving a buffer zone. But again, this isn't my area of expertise.
Click to expand...

Yep it's the digital stabilization
 
I'm trying to hunt down my original source on OIS only working for still images, but in the meantime, here's some more information about how the feature works in the new devices:

Quoted from the keynote, when speaking about OIS on the iPhone 6+:
"...to automatically adjust and stabilize your image when you're taking a photo."

"works great in low light scenarios when you have to take a longer exposure..."

Nothing about video.

A few minutes later when talking about video, and in reference to BOTH phones:
"Here's another great feature... Cinematic video stabilization...... [etc, etc, guy is riding on a bike].... and the video is automatically being stabilized."

From Apple's website:
Optical image stabilization
iPhone 6 Plus introduces optical image stabilization that works with the A8 chip, gyroscope, and M8 motion coprocessor to measure motion data and provide precise lens movement to compensate for hand shake in lower light. The fusing together of long- and short-exposure images also helps to reduce subject motion. This unique integration of hardware and software delivers beautiful low-light photos.

Further down when describing the video features:
The iSight camera doesn’t only take great photos. It lets you shoot stunning 1080p HD video at 60 fps, capture more dramatic slo-mo video, and for the first time, create time-lapse videos. Continuous autofocus provides constant focus as you capture your footage. And cinematic video stabilization keeps your shots steady, even when you’re not.

From the iPhone 6/6 Plus product video:
http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/films/#video-product
When talking about Optical Image Stabilization in the 6 Plus:
"......to create sharper images."

Nothing about video.

Later on in the product film when talking about the video camera, once again, they mention the Cinematic Video Stabilization found in both models.

Also, from GSM Arena:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/iphone-6-vs-5s-cinematic-vs-digital-stabilization/
Those that worry about the iPhone 6 video capture being worse without the optical image stabilization of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus shouldn’t fret as Apple is using the same digital video stabilization for video capture on both phones. The OIS on the iPhone Plus is there mainly for low light photography it seems.
 
scaredpoet said:
Which phone's "claim" of 1080p is "useless?" Both do in fact produce 1080p video, and have imaging sensors that far exceed the require number of pixels to do that.
Click to expand...

Maybe saying it's "useless" is taking it too far, but my point was that 1080p on the HTC One M8 isn't something that can produce good results out-of-the-box.

Without a steadycam or tripod (not something most smartphone users normally carry around), my efforts resulted in very noticeable shake in the picture. Put this onto a 1080p TV and it'll be annoying at best. You could stabilize it in a video program or app, but then it eats up a bit of edge, so the resulting video either isn't 1920x1080, or the cropped video is scaled back up to 1080p and won't be as sharp.

My iPhone 5's digital video stabilization OTOH worked quite well, and the minor trembles did not make it into the video file it saved. Granted, I'm only assuming that iOS actually captured slightly higher resolution than 1080p and sacrificed the extra padding to do its stabilization.

Again, as long as any of those phones have more than a 2.1 megapixel sensor, they can use any portion of that sensor area to make a 1080p 16:9 video. But what portion they use, and how the field of view changes, has little bearing on how Apple does it with their camera.
Click to expand...

I am not an image, photo or video pro, but I like taking pictures and video, and if others phone cameras *can* switch from photo to video mode without losing significant field of view, then I still want a reasonable explanation why Apple doesn't, and how this tradeoff makes Apple's way better.

All I can say is, it has bearing on my impression of the video features, and if I take a picture one moment, then switch to video and a whopping 25% of the field of view is gone and I'd have to take 2 steps back (if the situation even allows it) to get the same view in frame, then my impression is not a good one.
 
iPhone7ate9 said:
I don't think that was the OIS, that was likely the digital image stabilization which films a bigger area than 1080p then crops around it so it can reposition frames to match up more smoothly.

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Sorry, I've had cameras for years with OIS and IS in the lens and it doesn't do crap for big bumps or sudden motion. It's for small vibrations and hand movement.

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It's cropped for image stabilization. OIS isn't going to help with big changes in motion, just small vibrations and a trembling hand that's trying to stay still.

----------



OIS can't help with sudden motion.
I mean just think about what it is. OIS in this case is moving the sensor up down left and right in real time to account for small vibrations. It's not like if you suddenly move up and down a foot that the sensor can go up and down with you to keep it in the same position was in. That's all software.
Click to expand...


I never mentioned anything about one foot vertical movement. I was shooting the video for almost 2 minutes on a very bumpy ride on an unpaved farm field and apart from a couple of noticeable dips which in reality were like large potholes the OIS performed incredibly well. Keep in mind that this was a wagon with no suspension being pulled by a tractor, so yes it was very shaky and the video is very smooth.

Doesn't really matter what I say, the only way for you to appreciate what I am talking about is to take your 6 Plus for a spin under similar circumstances.

If it is optical image stabilization or a combination of both digital and optical, Apple has done a great job with the development of this camera.

With Apple always being vague about specifications we will have to wait and see what they or another credible authority have to say about video and OIS in the 6 Plus.
 
hNicolas said:
I never mentioned anything about one foot vertical movement. I was shooting the video for almost 2 minutes on a very bumpy ride on an unpaved farm field and apart from a couple of noticeable dips which in reality were like large potholes the OIS performed incredibly well. Keep in mind that this was a wagon with no suspension being pulled by a tractor, so yes it was very shaky and the video is very smooth.

Doesn't really matter what I say, the only way for you to appreciate what I am talking about is to take your 6 Plus for a spin under similar circumstances.

If it is optical image stabilization or a combination of both digital and optical, Apple has done a great job with the development of this camera.

With Apple always being vague about specifications we will have to wait and see what they or another credible authority have to say about video and OIS in the 6 Plus.
Click to expand...

Yeah sorry, ois isn't going to help smooth out video from a bumpy ride. The iPhone 6 would have done the same
 
iPhone7ate9 said:
While handholding and staying steady it would help with vibrations but it would not help with any kind of motion movement like a car ride or specially a buggy ride
Click to expand...

I have to side with iPhone7ate9 on everything he's said. OIS was not doing anything for you during that bumpy ride. Cinematic video stabilization is responsible for stabilizing video. It was software, not hardware.

Re-watch Apple's keynote and go to the section about stabilized video (here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD9ZQ9WylRM#t=2021). It's basically the same exact example as your bumpy tractor ride.
 
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