'Microsoft Pix' for iOS Introduces Smart AI to Automatically Adjust Photos

[Tompkinson]

Imagine a future where the wedding photographer is using their iPhone. Scary!

Why "Scary" ? If the pics capture the event, mood, emotion? As camera-phones improve, so will resolution etc.
Only scary for those making and selling more expensive cameras.
[doublepost=1469640507][/doublepost]

Way to go Apple! Hold out on features to your loyal customers so they have to upgrade. Loyalty only last so long.

Why be loyal to a massive company / brand?
This kind of loyalty is idiotic.
Buy the best device to meet your needs.

 

[sudo1996]

I really don't understand MS's treatment of their own phone line. I get that their market share is miniscule. But if MS is going to keep selling them, they should at least have parity with their own iOS apps. From what I've seen, they're not bad phones.

I know the conventional thinking is they'll never get any market share. But in the history of the computer industry, some companies that have been left for dead have made an impressive comeback.

I think they've pretty much abandoned their phones. I don't think they're still advertised. Maybe they're just hoping people are dumb enough to buy them anyway and give them a little extra cash.
[doublepost=1469642168][/doublepost]The iPhone camera is impressive. My mom's Nikon D80 usually takes worse photos than my iPhone 6 now since it's so old. I thought my iPhone would be worse in low light, but it's still better, maybe due to the HDR capability. And now she wants to buy a new overpriced camera -_-
[doublepost=1469642400][/doublepost]

People keep trying to use filters and software to make their crappy cell phone photos look decent on anything more than a 4" screen. I'm just sitting here with my SLR taking great photos w/o even trying.

Problem is DSLRs don't get software updates. When HDR came out on iOS, iPhones got an advantage over even the most expensive DSLRs. Not saying they were better overall, but there was one great feature an expensive DSLR didn't have. And now there's a lot of industry focus on image software. When new stuff comes out that DSLR owners envy, what, they have to buy entirely new cameras that support new features?

Meanwhile, iPhone cameras are improving every year. Their main disadvantage seems to be low pixel count, and that will change soon.

 

[gwhizkids]

I think they've pretty much abandoned their phones. I don't think they're still advertised. Maybe they're just hoping people are dumb enough to buy them anyway and give them a little extra cash.
[doublepost=1469642168][/doublepost]The iPhone camera is impressive. My mom's Nikon D80 usually takes worse photos than my iPhone 6 now since it's so old. I thought my iPhone would be worse in low light, but it's still better, maybe due to the HDR capability. And now she wants to buy a new overpriced camera -_-
[doublepost=1469642400][/doublepost]
Problem is DSLRs don't get software updates. When HDR came out on iOS, iPhones got an advantage over even the most expensive DSLRs. Not saying they were better overall, but there was one great feature an expensive DSLR didn't have. And now there's a lot of industry focus on image software. When new stuff comes out that DSLR owners envy, what, they have to buy entirely new cameras that support new features?

Meanwhile, iPhone cameras are improving every year. Their main disadvantage seems to be low pixel count, and that will change soon.

Another big issue is sensor size and the inability to get a good depth of field effect (esp. background blur) "naturally". But most off the shelf photo editing apps allow users to mimic that, fairly realistically. But to do it "in camera" may require some pretty advanced tech, as the laws of physics aren't going to get an upgrade.

 

[smacrumon]

Another pointless photo app. Nothing really original here.

 

[LordQ]

People keep trying to use filters and software to make their crappy cell phone photos look decent on anything more than a 4" screen. I'm just sitting here with my SLR taking great photos w/o even trying.

You don't need those clunky things to take decent photos, a 6s + grid on + some logic and you are done. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/pictures-taken-with-iphone-6-6-plus.1784108/

 

[hsnsky]

I've got a few questions:
#1 - If the app is free, how does Microsoft plan to make money off of this?
#2 - Do your pictures leave your device and go to Microsoft's servers to be analyzed? Or is the AI entirely contained within the app, with no dependencies on an internet connection/Microsoft's servers?

The app is around 150 MB so I think its safe to assume processing is done locally. But you never know...

 

[whit2891]

Why "Scary" ? If the pics capture the event, mood, emotion? As camera-phones improve, so will resolution etc.
Only scary for those making and selling more expensive cameras.
[doublepost=1469640507][/doublepost]

I am fairly certain that the artistic qualities of photography will be diminished with a bunch of people taking iPhone photos and technology will manage the aperture, exposure, focus, etc. If you give me and a professional photographer the same iPhone and same content, I could likely do as well. Do you realize how much manual activity is required for a DSLR?

I am not saying that iPhones improving camera quality is a negative, but I am saying that the professional aspects of photography or fading out. As technology advances over time, the gap will continue to close. Look on instagram and you cannot tell pros from regular joes in most cases.

 

[Sefstah]

I hope this is sarcasm. I've seen some pretty good images taken with nothing but an iPhone. Give a pro an iPhone and they can take better pictures than most amateurs can with with a medium format or full framer. May not upsize well, but how many people are taking shots to make 8'x6' prints?
[doublepost=1469638714][/doublepost]
Psst: Apple sells phones for money. Of course they want you to upgrade! Its not like they are taking features away from you. Loyalty should not be why you make a purchase. You should make a purchase because the value proposition of the item you are looking to buy (including its ecosystem) corresponds to your wants/needs. If Apple's practice of upgrading devices doesn't meet your desires, buy from a different company.

Captain obvious to the rescue!

 

[tagyro]

Microsoft today launched a new camera app for iOS devices called Microsoft Pix

Let's try the app!

Ok ...

 

[maknik]

I know this will seem PC to some, but in 2016 a giant corporation like Microsoft should really know better than to have the "enhanced" photo feature a person of color or of ambiguous race whose skin tone has been lightened.

 

[gwhizkids]

Captain obvious to the rescue!

Not apparent to all, OBVIOUSLY!
[doublepost=1469671405][/doublepost]

I am fairly certain that the artistic qualities of photography will be diminished with a bunch of people taking iPhone photos and technology will manage the aperture, exposure, focus, etc. If you give me and a professional photographer the same iPhone and same content, I could likely do as well. Do you realize how much manual activity is required for a DSLR?

I am not saying that iPhones improving camera quality is a negative, but I am saying that the professional aspects of photography or fading out. As technology advances over time, the gap will continue to close. Look on instagram and you cannot tell pros from regular joes in most cases.

Photography is much more about composition than "pulling levers" on a DSLR. I know pros who use Program mode in certain tricky lighting situations because the camera can compute the exposure and aperture much more precisely than a human can. They spend their time composing the desired shot. For that reason, I'm not at all concerned about the professional aspects fading away. And if apps like this give people more time to do the artistic aspects of photography, the general level of competence will increase, not decrease. This is only bad for pros at the lower edge, or who think of knowing how to operate a DSLR as some sort of elite badge of honor to separate themselves from the hoipoloi.

 

[I7guy]

Yeah, it is a shame that the artistic integrity of photography is challenged by the iPhone. I still think there is a healthy amount of demand for high quality DSLR images. Imagine a future where the wedding photographer is using their iPhone. Scary!

If you a

It does bring up something that I deal with all the time. I have a DSLR and a half dozen lenses and they obviously take way better pictures than a phone ever will. But the old saying that err404 brought up about the best camera is the one you have with you is very true. Sometimes I just don't feel like lugging a backpack with a bunch of lenses around with me and use the camera in my phone. And every time I am disappointed by the quality, but at least I get a picture.

also the best camera you have with you falls flat because it's not a more pro piece of equipment. @Carlanga said it though; a pro using a phone camera can take "better" pics with a phone camera than a newbie with thousands of dollars worth of equipment. That expensive equipment does buy you something, though.

 

[sos47]

Microsoft Pix ... choose the best photos

interesting feature! i tried it.
you can tag the best shot as favorite and the AI is pretty good.

BUT: deleting the other shots from a photo serie is a nightmare. i have to delete 9 from 10 pictures manually in the App, each picture 3 clicks = 27 clicks. Arghh.

 

[honglong1976]

too slow. deleted

 

[Narg]

I've got a few questions:
#1 - If the app is free, how does Microsoft plan to make money off of this?
#2 - Do your pictures leave your device and go to Microsoft's servers to be analyzed? Or is the AI entirely contained within the app, with no dependencies on an internet connection/Microsoft's servers?

Free, yes. The pics are stored in normal "photos" section of the phone, and I did not detect any network movement from my router on testing it taking pictures.
[doublepost=1469707712][/doublepost]

App description says - it takes burst of shots before and after you tap the shutter... just wondering - how does the app know when the tap is coming so that it starts taking shots? or is it continuously recording as soon as you launch the app even though the shutter is not tapped? In the 2nd case it's likely to consume more battery.

It always is "taking pictures", so when you press the button it saves the previous 10 and post 10 pics. There is no start stop to the continual pics, other than having the app open. So, yes, it consumes battery. But I don't see a big difference in battery in comparison to the stock photo app. Keeping 21 pictures in memory at all times is pretty well hardware optimized these days for low battery use.
[doublepost=1469707911][/doublepost]

I am fairly certain that the artistic qualities of photography will be diminished with a bunch of people taking iPhone photos and technology will manage the aperture, exposure, focus, etc. If you give me and a professional photographer the same iPhone and same content, I could likely do as well. Do you realize how much manual activity is required for a DSLR?

I am not saying that iPhones improving camera quality is a negative, but I am saying that the professional aspects of photography or fading out. As technology advances over time, the gap will continue to close. Look on instagram and you cannot tell pros from regular joes in most cases.

Really? Like a "bunch of people" would matter to the "Artistic quality" of anything anyway. That was a really obtuse statement on your part. People have been using sub-par point and shoot cameras for ages now. The power of the hardware today will only increase this ability, not decrease it. And since when was it a requirement for every pics to be of "artistic quality" Wow. Just wow.

Professionals will always be a better choice, nobody has ever argued against that and stood the test of time. The biggest problem with "professionals" is not point and shoot picture taking, it's too many "pros" in the business that don't belong there.
[doublepost=1469708077][/doublepost]

People keep trying to use filters and software to make their crappy cell phone photos look decent on anything more than a 4" screen. I'm just sitting here with my SLR taking great photos w/o even trying.

I'd like to see you put your DSLR in your shirt pocket... Nobody argues a DSLR will not take better pictures, you are just being paranoid for some stupid reason.

 

[gaanee]

With some camera apps, I have noticed battery draining pretty fast...like 1% in a minute or two without even clicking with just the app open. and it's not even taking burst shots... may be because of GPS, but the battery draining is fast.

It always is "taking pictures", so when you press the button it saves the previous 10 and post 10 pics. There is no start stop to the continual pics, other than having the app open. So, yes, it consumes battery. But I don't see a big difference in battery in comparison to the stock photo app. Keeping 21 pictures in memory at all times is pretty well hardware optimized these days for low battery use.
[doublepost=1469707911][/doublepost]

 

[adamjackson]

Meanwhile, iPhone cameras are improving every year. Their main disadvantage seems to be low pixel count, and that will change soon.

Pixels aren't everything.

1. Sensor Size
2. Depth of Field
3. Optical zoom
4. Crop Factor
5. Dynamic Range
6. RAW + JPEG simultaneously
7. hundreds of auto-focus points
8. Physical buttons to quickly not miss a shot w/ lots of tweaking
9. Dual-save to multiple SD/CF cards
10. 900 photos over the course of 2 days w/o needing to be re-charged
11. yes, megapixels but less of an issue now
12. removable lenses
13. WYSIWYG meaning what you take a photo of in the viewfinder is what the RAW image will look like...less so with phones & mirrorless cameras

Many many reasons to use SLR over iPhone.

 

[err404]

Many many reasons to use SLR over iPhone.

you seem far to invested over the casual market not wanting to carry an SLR. People know and agree with what you are saying yet still find their phone to be the right compomise of quality vs convenience.
I'm not a professional photographer and will probably never buy a dedicated camera again in my life. This app is for me, not you.
That said, when I hire a photographer, they better bring an SLR or two.

 

[6836838]

I'd prefer M$ taking photo data rather than (alleged) CIA funded Pokemon Go. God know what they're gonna do with that data! I'm not surprised Russia have already banned it!

 

[techconc]

Okay, I gave Microsoft Pix a try today on a range of different shots on my 6s. Here's the short version:
Cons:
1. Don't get your hopes up for some kind of magic. The image quality is essentially the same as the standard app with the HDR setting set to "on".
2. It's slow.

Pros:
1. The benefit of this app seems to be for capturing shots with people's faces. It actually does a good job for detecting if someone blinks and gives you a moment before or after the shutter press when they weren't blinking.

 

[sudo1996]

Pixels aren't everything.

1. Sensor Size
2. Depth of Field
3. Optical zoom
4. Crop Factor
5. Dynamic Range
6. RAW + JPEG simultaneously
7. hundreds of auto-focus points
8. Physical buttons to quickly not miss a shot w/ lots of tweaking
9. Dual-save to multiple SD/CF cards
10. 900 photos over the course of 2 days w/o needing to be re-charged
11. yes, megapixels but less of an issue now
12. removable lenses
13. WYSIWYG meaning what you take a photo of in the viewfinder is what the RAW image will look like...less so with phones & mirrorless cameras

Many many reasons to use SLR over iPhone.

I know, but from what I've seen, the iPhone's lens, sensor, etc are all pretty good except the number of pixels. I can take nice photos with it, but when I try to zoom in afterwards, there's detail missing. I know also that having more pixels may involve getting a larger sensor to avoid noise... judging by all those 15 megapixel Android phone cameras that take obviously bad photos.

Optical zoom is one huge advantage of any dedicated camera over the iPhone. I almost forgot about it.

 

[Narg]

Many many reasons to use SLR over iPhone.

Saying that shows you are the one with knowledge issues. People know that, there is no reason to go there. But not everyone wants to carry a DSLR around with them EVERYWHERE they go, or learn how to use one for that matter. You need to be the one learning, not the nice folks that prefer to just use their smartphone's built in, and rather good, camera. If someone was truly THAT worried about the picture quality, they'd gone to DSLR a long time ago. But improving the simple use of a smartphone's camera is not a bad thing, is it? Try to improve your understanding, then post again. Otherwise, don't be so obtuse.

 

[Krisadamstv]

It's a bit slow to start up on my iPhone 6. Which sometimes makes it annoying if the shot I want goes away before the camera opens.

I do like the results most of the time. However, I can't seem to find a way to override the "best shot" with my shot. Sometimes it gets it wrong and I would like to choose my photo over theirs. I would have assumed this would be an option, but i cant see it.