Ultrapixel is htc's new camera technology. HTC One: why four megapixels are sometimes better than eight

Samsung Galaxy The S4 has a 13-megapixel camera with f / 2.2 aperture, which is significantly better than the 8-megapixel camera in the Galaxy S3 at f / 2.6. This will allow you to capture images in more detail. The HTC One has a new camera approach - the pixel has been increased to 2 microns, which improves the quality of images in low light conditions when combined with a wide-angle f / 2.0 lens.

Basically, this is all we need to know about the hardware, but the functionality is not easy to figure out. That is why we prepared a whole series of shots with HTC One (European version with update 1.29) and Galaxy S4 (International version GT-i9505).

Note: In each series of shots, you will see the difference in photo sizes. The top widescreen shots are from HTC One, while the 4: 3 ratio photos are from the Galaxy S4 (bottom). By clicking the photos will be enlarged.

Our first series of shots is a pretty tough challenge for smartphone cameras and there are both dark and very light areas in the photos. The HTC One did an excellent job of evenly distributing focus throughout the scene. It's a pity that HTC One shoots with a lot of noise, but with a normal distribution of light.

Next, the frame was captured using HDR on both cameras. Both smartphones shoot great in HDR mode, but we have to agree that the galaxy S4 did better. His colors are more saturated, more natural, the image is clearer. When viewed in native resolution, Galaxy S4 images show small halos around moving people.

In the open air, further photographs were taken of the Manchester City Hall. It is immediately noticeable that the photos from the Galaxy S4 camera are brighter, albeit with less realistic colors. If you look in detail, you can see some artifacts in the pictures taken from the HTC One camera, although noise reduction algorithms are used. Affected by a small number of megapixels.

Let's zoom in from the Galaxy S4 camera:

Now let's zoom in on the HTC One camera photo:

Now let's do macro photography. Both smartphones are capable of this, and the quality still pleased us. On the HTC One, you need to enable dedicated macro mode, while the Galaxy S4 does an excellent job of shooting close-ups and in Auto mode. Along with the different proportions, there are real color differences. The Galaxy S4 produces more vibrant colors, albeit not as realistic as the HTC One.

All our pictures taken at night were of course taken in a special night mode. We received no surprise. The HTC One confidently beats the Galaxy S4 in night shots, although the S4 isn't all that bad. However, there is noticeably more noise and blur compared to the HTC One's ultra-pixel camera.

Now photographed through a display case of a giant Japanese spider crab. The HTC One came up with more accurate colors, although the Galaxy S4 has much less noise, which is more appreciated.

The panorama of the daytime street turned out great in photos of both the HTC One and Galaxy S4. But HTC One is able to capture more space due to the wide-angle lens, while the Galaxy S4 has a limited camera.

And again, macro photography never ceases to delight us with high-quality pictures. Only criticism is present in one way or another: HTC One shoots with blurred focus, while the Galaxy S4's colors are distorted and oversaturated. In our opinion, the HTC One delivered better photo quality, with more accurate color reproduction and a softer background.

A bright, open scene, and again the Galaxy S4 comes out on top with more megapixels. Photos of the HTC One suffer from too much noise in dark spots on concrete. The Galaxy S4's warm colors are perceived better.

Here again we see the benefit of the HTC One's wide-angle lens, as most of the building is captured from one point.

As a little bonus, we took the photos in portrait mode.

Checking macro photography again, which is a pleasure to do on both devices. However, HTC One shoots with even exposure and more accurate color reproduction.

We took photos on a cloudy day, which naturally means that the pictures with the HTC One will be better, although focus is lost closer to the edges of the picture. As before, the Galaxy S4 produces brighter and more saturated images, which distorted the shooting scene - not even the clouds are visible in the photos.

Shooting a river on a sunny day, like most daytime shots, you need to take close-ups and only then evaluate the differences. The Galaxy S4 takes pictures in more detail. The difference is all too noticeable to the naked eye when looking at the original photo size - the HTC One lags far behind the winner Galaxy S4 even with a slight increase in photos.

When photographing with HDR on, the situation does not change to the opposite, when in the frame the lighting is directed to the right. In HDR mode, the edges of objects are softer in HTC One photos, but there are bright and dark areas in photos without strange effects. Still, the Galaxy S4 did a better job. In fact, it is quite difficult to understand why they added the HDR mode, when the photos are of high quality without it.

We decided to enlarge the photos again. Here's what a shot from the HTC One camera looks like when zoomed in:

But with the Galaxy S4:

Here again, the sky is visible in the shot, but in the shot from the HTC One, the terrain is slightly underexposed when compared to the Galaxy S4.

The same scene captured in HDR mode. Some light artifacts can be seen in HTC One photos, as well as blurring around the edges. The Galaxy S4 certainly takes better pictures.

A few more shots at night under night lights and again the victory for HTC One. The Samsung smartphone introduced images with blurry images and less accurate color reproduction. The S4 also took longer to capture night shots.

Shooting from an unlit spot in Auto mode and HTC One brightens up highlights again, which shouldn't be the case in reality. The Galaxy S4, on the other hand, renders images darker, but more detailed.

In HDR mode, the differences are less obvious, although the HTC One again highlights the bright spots in the tunnel too much. HDR mode allows the Galaxy S4 to capture more detail in dark places.

When shooting very close-ups, we decided to take pictures of the moss on the brick wall. Both phones presented very high quality photos, but the HTC One tries again to make the background in the pictures too light.

Now we have selected an object in the shadow, and at the same time there is daylight in the frame. And as a result, HTC One presented a more realistic image, while in the picture from the S4 camera the plate is overexposed.

Our last night shot and the Galaxy S4 are good again. There is a little more noise in the photo than in the HTC One, but it is very noticeable that the S4 shoots in more detail, since the difference in megapixels means a lot. More detail can be discerned in photographs, which is evident in restaurant signs. You can even read the name of the establishment in the Galaxy S4 photo.

Enlarging the photo from the HTC One camera:

Now the magnification from photo S4:

The difference between smartphone cameras is again visible: HTC One's wide-angle camera captures more space, but also reproduces more realistic colors. This is noticeable only when comparing. Galaxy S4 shots are darker and primary colors are much brighter, which is not true. We also see more noise in the HTC One photos when looking at the close-ups.

Few conclusions

When shooting, the HTC One produced photos faster than the Galaxy S4's camera. We didn't even notice any lag in the shutter release. The Galaxy S4 wasn't as fast at photographing, and there were obvious lags in the shutter release during night shooting and in HDR mode.

In all cases, the Galaxy S4 had the edge thanks to its megapixel headroom. Have smartphone Samsung more options and potential for daytime photography, presenting images with better detail. Thanks to software processing and various algorithms, there is much less noise in the photos and improved sharpness, which is much better suited for frequent photographs. That is why more often we began to notice artifacts and other problems in dark areas of photos when shooting during the day.

On the other hand, the HTC One outperformed the Galaxy S4 in night shooting and generally in low light conditions. It is extremely difficult to get a blurry shot on the HTC One at night - all due to the faster shutter response and more sophisticated burst function (you just need to hold the shutter button longer).

However, overall, the Galaxy S4 shoots better, as seen in our test despite its low-light photography problems. But the HTC One's camera is not bad either. It just does a better job of shooting indoors and in low light. The Galaxy S4 is more pleasant to use for outdoor photography during the day, as well as in HDR mode.

Ultimately, the Galaxy S4 and HTC One are great camera phones, but in different areas. Which camera is best for you is up to you to decide and start from what you will often photograph.

Back in kindergarten we were taught to compare numbers, so we can easily say that 13 is more for 4. HTC M8 got a 4 megapixel camera, and HTC One mini 2 got 13 megapixels. Who will get the best photos? And the one whose technology is cooler.

4 > 13

Despite the numerical difference in the number of pixels, the quality of the HTC M8 is noticeably higher than that of its mini version. Calm down! You haven't missed the math reform, and 13 is still more in 4. But when it comes to smartphone cameras, you need to consider all the details when comparing technologies that are the same at first glance.

When comparing the quality of the cameras of HTC M8, HTC One mini 2 and HTC Desire 816, the naked eye can see the superiority of the 4-megapixel M8 camera over its opponents. It offers more consistent and reliable performance in a wide range of lighting scenarios. The M8's camera delivers more natural colors, contrast and simply better photo quality, while the 13MP cameras look washed out, almost hazy and unnatural. This is one of the side effects in this direction of smartphone construction.

And the reason is very simple

It's all about the size of the pixels themselves. HTC One mini 2 does not use HTC's "ultrapixel technology", but is equipped with a conventional sensor, only with a higher resolution. The One M8 received the same sensor, but with a lower resolution, but with a larger pixel size - 2 microns, as opposed to 1.1 microns in the 13-megapixel camera.

The difference is seen primarily in terms of lighting. The M8 captures more light and therefore more "data", which provides better photo quality than the One mini 2 and Desire 816. Therefore, in low light conditions, the One M8 will not let you down. The only thing that the M8 is inferior to its colleagues is in the final photo resolution, which will be three times smaller. However, for sharing photos on social networks, where a high resolution is simply not required, and often photos are compressed on the contrary, the M8 camera will suffice.

In 2013, the HTC One smartphone was released. Among other advantages, the device was equipped with a non-standard camera, which used a technology called Ultrapixel. The Taiwanese manufacturer described the introduction of ultrapixels as a breakthrough in mobile photography, as, thanks to this event, other manufacturers will finally stop measuring the quality of cameras in smartphones using the number of megapixels.

Photosensitive elements in conventional cameras

To begin with, let's go through a brief acquaintance with the principle of arrangement of light filters on the matrix according to the Bayer scheme, which is used in almost all mobile photographic modules. The matrix contains elements that are sensitive to light. They are called “senseli”. These elements capture light, converting it into an electrical charge. Each sensel can perceive one color - blue, green, or red.

The disadvantage of the Bayer array of color filters is the appearance of color artifacts and moire in the photo. To remedy the situation, a special anti-aliasing filter is used, which makes the images appear slightly blurry (hence the name "soap dish"). This can be clearly seen when changing the scale of pictures taken with amateur cameras and mobile photomodules.

In fact, the manufacturers of most smartphones try to put as many pixels on the sensor as possible in order to increase the original resolution of the resulting photo. As the number of megapixels increases, the area of \u200b\u200beach pixel decreases. As a result, they become less sensitive to light, photographs are darker, and noise appears on them. To compensate for the lack of the resulting illumination, the aperture is opened wider, and combining of neighboring pixels is used to combat noise.

The essence of UltraPixel technology and its advantages

HTC approached the issue of improving the camera from the other side: they reduced the resolution to 4 megapixels, but turned the pixels into ultrapixels, increasing their size to 2 micrometers, versus 1.1 micrometers (microns) in 13 megapixel sensors.

UltraPixel technology provides for the placement of sensors on the photo matrix in three layers, each of which separately perceives red, blue and green colors. At the same time, the area of \u200b\u200bphotosensitive elements is 3 times larger (up to 4 µm square) in relation to "ordinary" sensors.

A similar principle has long been used in the Foveon matrices, with which Sigma DSLRs are supplied.

In fact, this solution has several advantages at once:

• ultrapixels perceive about 300% more light, respectively, you can get better quality photos in the dark;
• significant reduction in the amount of noise when shooting in low light conditions;
• moving people and objects in the resulting photo are practically not blurred;
• due to the wider HDR range, dark areas are highlighted, and bright ones, on the contrary, are not overexposed;
• there is no need for an anti-aliasing filter that causes blurring in the Bayer matrix.

Disadvantages of UltraPixel technology

In theory, this idea has solid benefits. However, the main mistake was the decision to stop at 4 megapixels. Because of this, when shooting distant objects and landscapes, photographs suffer from low detail.

But why only 4 megapixels, isn't it more? Of course you can. However, it should be borne in mind that ultrapixels will require much more space than "normal" ones. Accordingly, the physical size of the photomatrix will "grow" in size, and with it the module itself. The mass consumer is accustomed to a small, compact camera eye in smartphones, so not everyone will perceive a sharp change in its diameter. Therefore, HTC, introducing UltraPixel, decided to limit itself to a lower resolution to please the design of the mobile device case.

Perhaps in the future, cameraphones will be equipped with a much larger sensor than today, where ultrapixels will be used instead of "normal" pixels.

Where else are ultra pixels used?

The word "UltraPixel" was invented by HTC marketers when they first tested the technology of increasing pixels on a camera photomatrix in a smartphone. The idea turned out to be promising, and later found application in Apple devices (iPad Air 2), as well as Google, which, together with LG and Huawei, released the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. The name UltraPixel never caught on, so it is not used in the descriptions of the characteristics of these devices.

Later Samsung showed at the exhibition new smartphone - Galaxy S7 edge, with a matrix size of 1 / 2.5 ”, and increased pixels up to 1.4 microns. For reference, the Galaxy S6 has a 16-megapixel sensor size of 1 / 2.6 ″ and each pixel is 1.2 µm.

When you look at these sample photos taken with the Note 5 (left) and the Galaxy S7 (right), both images appear to be of about the same quality.

However, with 100% magnification of individual fragments, you can immediately see a significant difference in detail.

Enlarged pixels are used in professional-grade photographic equipment, that is, in DSLRs. Thanks to this, even the most affordable DSLR cameras with a standard (complete) lens are significantly ahead of rather cool soap dishes when shooting in low light conditions. They capture more light and generally have less noise in the final images. If the pixel density in DSLRs was the same as in conventional compact cameras, as well as smartphones, the resolution would exceed 120 megapixels. Meanwhile, the most sophisticated models at the moment can shoot at a resolution of 36, maximum 51.4 megapixels.

The difference between shooting in low light from cameras with large pixels and normal

Also you will like:

Users wondered what the new smartphone camera would be and whether the so-called "ultrapixels" would justify themselves. So far, it has not yet come to real pictures and tests by independent reviewers, but the first official details about the HTC UltraPixel Camera appeared on the manufacturer's website.

With the new flagship, the Taiwanese company has decided to abandon the megapixel race. In her firm belief, other factors have a much greater influence on the picture quality and the resolution, although important, is still photos with a lower resolution, but taken with the help of better optics and a sensor, visually will look better compared to "blurry multi-megapixel frames" ...

Overall, HTC ImageSense technology includes: UltraPixel Sensor, which has larger pixels and captures 300% more light than typical 13MP cameras; HTC ImageChip which offers continuous autofocus, noise reduction, wider HDR range; high-quality optics with a maximum aperture of f / 2 (the fastest optics among smartphones, it allows you to capture 44% more light compared to iPhone 5 optics); Optical Image Stabilization to dramatically reduce blur in photos and videos.

HTC assures that images captured with its 4MP camera can be printed on 8 "x 10" media. At the same time, users will definitely be satisfied with the quality of the print, which will surpass the pictures from "multi-megapixel" cameras. You can see the comparison of pixel sizes in the picture below.

UltraPixel cameras allow you to capture images at their maximum resolution in just 1 / 48th of a second. For the closest competitors, including the HTC One X, this figure is up to 1/30 s. The dual-axis optical image stabilization system enables handheld shooting of "blur-free" images at shutter speeds up to 1 / 7.5 s (according to internal tests).

Here are some sample shots that HTC offers. Unfortunately, these are not full-size shots. So you have to wait for the first real tests.

Finally, we also give more detailed specifications devices:

• Sensor: BSI CMOS;
• Sensor size: 1/3 inch;
• Pixel size: 2 x 2 mm;
• Maximum image resolution: 2688 x 1520 pixels;
• Video shooting: Full HD 1080p at up to 30 fps, HD 720p - up to 60 fps, 1080p with HDR - up to 28 fps, 768 x 432 pixels at up to 96 fps;
• Maximum Aperture: f / 2.0;
• Number of elements in the lens: 5;
• Burst photography - up to 8 fps.