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Yes, the 2018 MacBook Air's FaceTime HD Camera is Awful

sudaltsov said:
As you requested. No backlight whatsoever. Look at the quality. Awful. Compare to the photo made on the old Air (above)

View attachment 814426
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Sorry that I have misidentified the photos. What I said are the photos of the top post which was issued by macrumours. It had a light source directly behind his head.

I admitted that the photo quality from the older machines is better than the photo from the new 2018 model. Apple should have to take a look at the problems of their FaceTime camera on MacBook.

But what I really mean in my first reply to this post is the reason why Apply is still keeping the FaceTime camera at a low resolution 720p.
 
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citysnaps said:
No, I don't.

However...looking at the photos in this thread, my assertion still stands that an OS software update increasing exposure (and/or increasing shadow detail) would work wonders.
Click to expand...

Well yes, that is possible. If the software needs fixing, that is a technical problem...
 
If you think this is bad you haven’t seen 2015 Retina MacBook’s camera. That thing isn’t even HD and doesn’t have backlight. It’s the definition of crap.
 
Ruskes said:
I made a Video using Quick Time on my MBA and it looks good to me

Click to expand...
Is that outdoors? That maybe the only time the camera performs OK. With normal interior lighting which always looked good on every phone and computer I have ever used, my new macbook air 2018, with Facetime VIDEO, looks embarrassingly awful.
 
Ruskes said:
The MacBooks camera quality is not up to standards of the iPhone and the reason is clear.

While not many people run around with the MacBook taking high res pictures of the world around them they do with the iPhone, so we understand that.

Newer then less a decent quality of as specified HD (720p) 1280x720 and 1 Mega Pixel is not delivered in the 2018 models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

>>The 2018 models deliver at best 640x480 and 0.3 M pixel which is way bellow HD standard and way below the specifications.

MacBook Models from previous Years did deliver HD quality, so it is possible.

So what happened ?

Until Apple makes a official statement we won't know, is it hardware (the camera) or is it the software or both.

However as loyal consumers we deserve been told why the 2018 Models of MacBook's do not perform in accordance to the specifications, or this could have severe impact on Apple sales of MacBooks.
Click to expand...

It's the camera. It's a piece of junk. To be fair, the camera in any Mac has always been quite poor, but they always seem to be of an even lower standard in the Air.
 
The new Air just seems so awkwardly positioned to me. Only 100USD separates it from the nontouchbar Pro.

That 100USD gets you
A P3 gamut
200 more nits of screen brightness
20% faster CPU
50+% faster GPU
Better speakers
And a better webcam

All while the size and battery life are close enough.

Had it been 250 dollars cheaper than the Pro (XR-XS gap), then it would have a right to exist. But at 100USD, I'd advise anyone going for an Air to make the upgrade.
 
sudaltsov said:
Is it me or Apple killed the entire thread on the support forum?? https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8627217
Click to expand...
Looks like Apple have killed the tread on MacBook Air 2018 (A1932) Camera issue, and yes Apple it is an issue and it's time you acknowledge it! I returned my first MacBook and Monday Jan 7, got a replacement, returned the replacement on Wednesday Jan 9, got a full refund.
 
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Perhaps creating Facebook page with all information, photos, links to media etc would make sense... At least Apple would not be able to delete it so easily.
 
sudaltsov said:
It depends on what 'it' is. Switching between resolutions - yes, absolutely, noone would doubt. The color noise - you have nor proved anything about it yet so far.
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Thank you for approving my findings so far.
Do you have any findings on your own to contribute.
Everyone can see the result, but what is causing it ?
[doublepost=1547495442][/doublepost]
Bodycalming said:
Looks like Apple have killed the tread on MacBook Air 2018 (A1932) Camera issue, and yes Apple it is an issue and it's time you acknowledge it! I returned my first MacBook and Monday Jan 7, got a replacement, returned the replacement on Wednesday Jan 9, got a full refund.
Click to expand...
We should all do that (Get it -> Return it), it is the best way to get a message to Apple. Using the 14 Days your money back policy.
 
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sudaltsov said:
Finally we are on the same page, thank you
Click to expand...
You mean on this..
Metal 2 provides near-direct access to the graphics processing unit (GPU), enabling you to maximize the graphics and compute potential of your apps on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Building on an efficient low-overhead architecture with precompiled shaders, fine-grained resource control, and multithreading support, Metal 2 evolves to give the GPU even greater control of its graphics pipeline, accelerate neural network training, and provide powerful new tools that give deep insight into your shader code.
 
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Ruskes said:
Thank you for approving my findings so far.
Do you have any findings on your own to contribute.
Everyone can see the result, but what is causing it ?
[doublepost=1547495442][/doublepost]
We should all do that (Get it -> Return it), it is the best way to get a message to Apple. Using the 14 Days your money back policy.
Click to expand...

And it also punishes retail employees for something they have nothing to do with. Don’t like it, don’t buy it.
 
Michael Goff said:
something they have nothing to do with.
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If some retailer would think twice before renewing contract with Apple... wouldn't that be the right thing?

PS I hope we are here not to bring Apple down, hehe. But to make them listen and respond properly...
 
Ruskes said:
Punishes whom ? they have nothing to do with Apple quality, but they are a strong voice with Apple, when reporting all returned Macs.
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I take it you’ve never worked in retail.

sudaltsov said:
If some retailer would think twice before renewing contract with Apple... wouldn't that be the right thing?

PS I hope we are here not to bring Apple down, hehe. But to make them listen and respond properly...
Click to expand...

I meant the people working the cash registers and stocking the items.
 
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MacRumors said:
Since the launch of the 2018 MacBook Air, we here at MacRumors have heard multiple complaints from MacRumors readers about the quality of the FaceTime HD camera housed in the device.
...
Article Link: Yes, the 2018 MacBook Air's FaceTime HD Camera is Awful
Click to expand...

I've just received a confirmation from Apple that they know about the quality difference between new and old Airs and "this is correct behavior of the device".
They recommended sending more feedback through https://www.apple.com/feedback/, but I guess it will stay "You're holding it wrong" (tm) unless someone will file a lawsuit.

Here's a MacBook Air 2018 on the left and a MacBook Air 2015 on the right. 1 light source is right in front of me and 1 is behind.
MBA 2018.jpg MBA 2015.jpg
 
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G
kshnurov said:
I've just received a confirmation from Apple that they know about the quality difference between new and old Airs and "this is correct behavior of the device".
They recommended sending more feedback through https://www.apple.com/feedback/, but I guess it will stay "You're holding it wrong" (tm) unless someone will file a lawsuit.

Here's a MacBook Air 2018 on the left and a MacBook Air 2015 on the right. 1 light source is right in front of me and 1 is behind.
View attachment 816154 View attachment 816155
Click to expand...
Great job with the info (even if it is not what we want to hear).
Did you use Facetime.app to make the photos or something else.
May I also assume you have Mojave on both Mac's ?
The left is defiantly not as specified in Apple specs, and that might become a problem for them in a legal case.
If you like to know some actual numbers, use this website (not with Safari it does not work well) and it will tell you the camera performance.
Google "Webcam Test" and run the test, then also run the Detect Resolution on both Mac's. Now you will be armed with Data and Facts for things to come.
 
Ruskes said:
Great job with the info (even if it is not what we want to hear).
Did you use Facetime.app to make the photos or something else.
May I also assume you have Mojave on both Mac's ?
The left is defiantly not as specified in Apple specs, and that might become a problem for them in a legal case.
If you like to know some actual numbers, use this website (not with Safari it does not work well) and it will tell you the camera performance.
Google "Webcam Test" and run the test, then also run the Detect Resolution on both Mac's. Now you will be armed with Data and Facts for things to come.
Click to expand...

It's Mojave and PhotoBooth. Both shows 720p, but different bitrate and number of colors:

2018:
Webcam Name: FaceTime HD Camera
Quality Rating: 866
Built-in Microphone: None
Built-in Speaker: None
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Stream Type: video
Image Mode: rgb
Webcam MegaPixels: 0.92 MP
Webcam Resolution: 1280×720
Video Standard: HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.78
PNG File Size: 1 MB
JPEG File Size: 597.46 kB
Bitrate: 17.5 MB/s
Number of Colors: 67909
Average RGB Color:
Lightness: 38.24%
Luminosity: 38.27%
Brightness: 37.91%
Hue: 24°
Saturation: 13.85%

2015:
Webcam Name: FaceTime HD Camera
Quality Rating: 1384
Built-in Microphone: None
Built-in Speaker: None
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Stream Type: video
Image Mode: rgb
Webcam MegaPixels: 0.92 MP
Webcam Resolution: 1280×720
Video Standard: HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.78
PNG File Size: 1.53 MB
JPEG File Size: 899.52 kB
Bitrate: 26.35 MB/s
Number of Colors: 156678
Average RGB Color:
Lightness: 49.02%
Luminosity: 47.70%
Brightness: 48.10%
Hue: 13°
Saturation: 9.60%
 
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kshnurov said:
It's Mojave and PhotoBooth. Both shows 720p, but different bitrate and number of colors:

2018:
Webcam Name: FaceTime HD Camera
Quality Rating: 866
Built-in Microphone: None
Built-in Speaker: None
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Stream Type: video
Image Mode: rgb
Webcam MegaPixels: 0.92 MP
Webcam Resolution: 1280×720
Video Standard: HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.78
PNG File Size: 1 MB
JPEG File Size: 597.46 kB
Bitrate: 17.5 MB/s
Number of Colors: 67909
Average RGB Color:
Lightness: 38.24%
Luminosity: 38.27%
Brightness: 37.91%
Hue: 24°
Saturation: 13.85%

2015:
Webcam Name: FaceTime HD Camera
Quality Rating: 1384
Built-in Microphone: None
Built-in Speaker: None
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Stream Type: video
Image Mode: rgb
Webcam MegaPixels: 0.92 MP
Webcam Resolution: 1280×720
Video Standard: HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.78
PNG File Size: 1.53 MB
JPEG File Size: 899.52 kB
Bitrate: 26.35 MB/s
Number of Colors: 156678
Average RGB Color:
Lightness: 49.02%
Luminosity: 47.70%
Brightness: 48.10%
Hue: 13°
Saturation: 9.60%
Click to expand...

Excellent work,
so this says there are about the same (HD) hardware. But it does not look like that when viewing in your screen using the same Apple App like Facetime app and in same OSX?

However they should look the same when using Quick Time Movie recording. The QT uses highest possible resolution from the camera, not so the Facetime app (adjusted by Software).

The combination of Bitrate and Illumination will result in number of colors and file size. Those numbers are for some reason lower on the 2018 Mac ?
[doublepost=1547759226][/doublepost]
Ruskes said:
Excellent work,
so this says there are about the same (HD) hardware. But it does not look like that when viewing in your screen using the same Apple App like Facetime app and in same OSX?

However they should look the same when using Quick Time Movie recording. The QT uses highest possible resolution from the camera, not so the Facetime app (adjusted by Software).

The combination of Bitrate and Illumination will result in number of colors and file size. Those numbers are for some reason lower on the 2018 Mac ?
Click to expand...
Comparing Quick Time and Photo Boot (on same Mac) using Quick Time Movie Inspector.
Note the Photo Boot runs at lover values as preset by Apple. Conclusion, same hardware different drivers.
upload_2019-1-17_14-3-26.png
upload_2019-1-17_14-3-48.png
 
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Ruskes said:
However they should look the same when using Quick Time Movie recording
Click to expand...
They won't look the same. And the most amazing thing is that you still are not getting it (well, 2nd most amazing, after Apple's attitude). Even though QT will record on both machines as 720p.
 
View attachment 816216 View attachment 816217
kshnurov said:
I've just received a confirmation from Apple that they know about the quality difference between new and old Airs and "this is correct behavior of the device".
They recommended sending more feedback through https://www.apple.com/feedback/, but I guess it will stay "You're holding it wrong" (tm) unless someone will file a lawsuit.

Here's a MacBook Air 2018 on the left and a MacBook Air 2015 on the right. 1 light source is right in front of me and 1 is behind.
View attachment 816154 View attachment 816155
Click to expand...


My guess is Apple should by now have all the feed back they would ever need....
anyway if you need to, here is the link again... https://www.apple.com/feedback/

For me as previously stated... I returned my first MacBook and Monday Jan 7, got a replacement, returned the replacement on Wednesday Jan 9, got a full refund.

Put this 8627217? into your search engine, it will take you here

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8627217? (Well worth doing the search first to see the description)

Please don't get me wrong I really enjoyed using the 2018 MacBook Air, what with the T2 chip and Touch ID, so much so I went out and purchased, a soft carry case and a hard protection case for it before I used the FaceTime/Photo Booth camera.

Sorry Apple your 2018 MacBook Air is well below what Apple was once was

PS: Still waiting for an Email response from tcook (True).
 

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sudaltsov said:
They won't look the same. And the most amazing thing is that you still are not getting it (well, 2nd most amazing, after Apple's attitude). Even though QT will record on both machines as 720p.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the very helpful information you provided. Waiting to see your QT results, supporting your statement
They won't look the same
Click to expand...
 
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