How accurately can a smartphone camera shoot ``dark skin color''? What is the result of comparing Apple, Samsung, and Google's high-end models?



Smartphone cameras in recent years have very good performance, but sometimes the skin color is slightly different from the actual color, and it is difficult to capture the face of a person with dark skin clearly in a dark place. There are cases where So, how accurately the Washington Post, an American daily newspaper, can shoot ``dark skin color'' using three models: Apple's

iPhone 14 Pro Max , Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra , and Google's Pixel 7 Pro . comparing.

Putting Google Pixel's Real Tone to the test against other phone cameras - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/29/real-tone-google-pixel/

Smartphone cameras can take very high-fidelity photos while still being small enough to fit in your pocket, and high-end models can clearly capture human faces even at night or in zoomed shots. However, people of color, who tend to have dark skin, still don't feel that smartphone photos perfectly reproduce their skin color.

As for the reason why there is a difference between the actual skin color and the skin color of the photograph taken with the smartphone camera, the Washington Post points out that there is a problem with `` how smartphones handle black and brown faces ''. increase.

In the days of film cameras, you had to load the right film and adjust the lens aperture and shutter speed to get a decent picture. However, smartphone cameras are solving these problems by using very good computing power, and it is possible to take beautiful pictures by fine-tuning the image. In addition, many models are equipped with an HDR function that captures images taken with multiple exposures at the same time and overlays the good parts.

However, it has also been pointed out that photos taken with a smartphone camera tend to look brighter and more colorful than in the real world. The problem is that the camera sensors and algorithms that define the subject are trained with relatively light-skinned humans. Smartphone makers are also aware of the problem that cameras cannot accurately reproduce skin color, and Google has announced that it will 'improve skin color' in 2021 and has started improving its algorithm.

Google announces a new mechanism to improve ``skin color'' taken with a smartphone camera - GIGAZINE



As part of the effort, Google added more than 10,000 images to the dataset that adjusts the Pixel's camera, and made improvements to more accurately reproduce dark skin colors taken in dark places. However, it acknowledges that the effort is still ongoing.

So the Washington Post uses high-end models from major smartphone makers, such as Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Google's Pixel 7 Pro, to see how accurately the skin color can be shot. The we.

Below is a picture taken at night of Anthony Sturgis (left) and girlfriend Michelle Nell (right), who work for a 3D printing company in the Bay Area of Los Angeles, California, and the left is the warm light of the Christmas tree. The one that was bathed from the front, and the one on the right that was illuminated from behind by a glowing Christmas tree. From top to bottom, the photos were taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Pixel 7 Pro. I understand.



Sturgis and Nell said they liked the ``picture of the Pixel 7 Pro in the light from the front'' of the six photos the most, but in the photo with the Christmas tree in the background, the iPhone 14 Pro Max. photo was the best.

The Washington Post points out that the Galaxy S22 Ultra photos are subject to the yellowish light of the Christmas tree, making it difficult to understand the natural skin color of the two people. On the other hand, the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max seem to reproduce the skin color quite accurately, and the closest thing to what the reporter saw was the Pixel 7 Pro photo, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. said that it retained the warmth of the skin color while brightening it overall.

Below is a picture of Denise Santoyo (left) and Lance Hopson (right) who were shopping in San Francisco on a cloudy day. From top to bottom, the photos were taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Pixel 7 Pro, and despite the bright hours, the skin colors of the two look quite different on each smartphone. .



After comparing the three photos, Hopson said, ``The photos from the Samsung and Google Pixel appear to be slightly overexposed and as a result look overly bright. It seems to be an accurate representation.Compared to the other two pictures, the skin tones are closer to what we perceive.The colors are also vivid and warm and look very lifelike. ” commented.

The Washington Post notes that the Galaxy S22 Ultra photos appear slightly more purple than others, smoothing out details on the two faces. Whether you prefer the iPhone 14 Pro Max or the Pixel 7 Pro is up to you, but Santoyo says the iPhone 14 Pro Max definitely conveys his skin tone better.

Below are photos taken by Erika Young (left) and her mother, Jwana Luckey (right), who visited San Francisco with their family in front of the illuminated building and Christmas tree at night. It was taken with iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 7 Pro in order from the top, and you can see that there is a difference in the reproducibility of details when you close up the face part.



Young said that he liked the sharpness of the photos taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but he liked the more natural colors of the Galaxy S22 Ultra photos the most, saying, 'Using Samsung's camera, I can see the color of my skin. It can definitely be said that the is more reproduced.” On the other hand, the Pixel 7 Pro photos felt washed out, and Luckey said it looked 'greyish.'

The Washington Post explains that the iPhone 14 Pro Max emphasizes the contours of the face quite clearly, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has a slightly blurred contour, is preferred. On the other hand, the Pixel 7 Pro struggled a little, and pointed out that Mr. Luckey's face in particular was difficult to see clearly.

In this test, which compared three patterns of people and situations, the smartphone camera that took the most preferred photo had different results. The Washington Post commented on the results, ``It's no surprise that photographic tastes vary. What you see on camera is deeply personal, rooted in your relationship and history. Google and Apple. , It may not match Samsung's idea of 'the best way to make you look like you'.'

in Hardware, Posted by log1h_ik