Tag: depth
iPhone XR: A Deep Dive Into Depth
With the introduction of iPhone XR, every phone in Apple’s lineup now supports depth capture. But the XR is unique: it’s the first iPhone to do it with a single lens. As we were starting to test and optimize Halide for it, we found both advantages and disadvantages. In this post we’ll take a look at three different ways iPhones generate depth data, what makes the iPhone XR so special, and show off Halide’s new 1.11 update, which enables you to do things with the iPhone XR that the regular camera app won’t. Depth Capture Method 1: Dual Camera Disparity Humans perceive depth with the help of two eyes. Our eyes may only a few inches apart, but our brains detect subtle differences between image. The greater difference, or disparity, the closer an object. The iPhone 7 Plus introduced a dual-camera system, which enables a similar way to construct depth. By taking two photos at the same time, each from a slightly different position, we can construct a disparity map. There’s a lot of guesswork involved when matches images. Add video noise and things get even rougher. A great deal of effort goes into filtering the data, additional post processing that guesses how to..
Halide 1.7: In Depth
Between the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and X, over half of all iPhones sold come with dual cameras. With two cameras, killer apps like Portrait Mode become possible. At this rate, depth capture might one day be as standard of a feature to us as the camera flash. We built Halide as the very best camera for iPhones — heck, for any smartphone — and we always want Halide to be ahead of the curve. So today we’re launching Halide 1.7, a huge update that packs tons of new features and enhancements to make it the very best camera for depth. Here’s five new features that make Halide 1.7 the best camera for Depth Capture: I. Built-In Portrait Mode We now include Portrait Mode directly within Halide. We didn’t rush this one out: we spent a lot of time perfecting a great Portrait Mode experience and ensuring the results are spectacular. What makes Portrait Mode in Halide special? For one, zero waiting: you’ll notice Halide doesn’t ask you to change your composition or move around to get the effect to appear. We do this with a carefully considered portrait logic that balances control, speed and simplicity. If you pick a point-of-interest, we keep..
Halide 1.5: A camera app made for iPhone X
With the launch of the iPhone X, we’re proud to announce the release of Halide 1.5. Halide 1.5 is a huge update which features a new camera UI, designed from scratch for iPhone X. It was clear to us that the iPhone X is a huge step in the evolution of the iPhone. We could simply adapt our previous Halide interface to scale correctly to the new, bigger screen, but we wanted to create a camera experience that was not only unique to this new device, but also took advantage of its strengths. It presented unique challenges for ergonomics (it’s a very tall screen!) and layout. For Halide for iPhone X, all of the camera controls now sit within thumb’s reach, letting you easily shoot with just one hand. Beyond your hand’s reach, we are still using every pixel of the new edge-to-edge screen, including the upper corners. With the extra vertical space on iPhone X, we were also able to design the camera UI so that nothing obstructs the viewfinder, giving you a uniquely clear look at your subject. Of course, it goes beyond just the camera: every other screen in Halide was designed from scratch for the iPhone X..
Halide 1.2: Updated In Depth
We’re excited to roll out the latest version of Halide: Halide 1.2, our second major update, and also the first to take advantage of iOS 11! We’ve added several features, fixed some bugs and made Halide even snappier*. Here’s what’s new: Depth Mode The first thing you’ll notice is depth support on iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus, with support for the upcoming iPhone X as well. Tap “Depth” in the focus bar to activate it. A sonar-like depth effect shows when it is active. Any shot you take captures the depth data in a scene. In the photo reviewer tap the Depth button to see the depth-map — or force-touch for a quick preview. Due to the way capturing depth on iOS works, you can’t capture RAW or use manual settings in Depth mode. You can still tap to focus and expose, and swipe up and down to change bias. Don’t worry: we grey out any controls you can’t use while Depth is active so it’s clear what you can and can’t do. Miss the zero-compromises quality of RAW? You can also tap the “MAX” button, and we’ll save your image at the highest quality. Halide isn’t focused..
