Dan Pražák Photos taken in low light have always been a stumbling block for smartphone cameras. Given the limited space for the entire photo system, this is of course understandable. After all, this is precisely why smartphone manufacturers are trying to make up for hardware deficiencies with software and implement different types of night modes in their phones. The new iPhone 11 also got one of these and we decided to test it under different conditions.
Apple is far from the first manufacturer to offer a night mode in its phone. Already last year, Google took it out of favor and added it to its Pixels in the form of a software update. A few months later, Samsung also came up with a similar function. In any case, in all cases it is almost the same function that works on a very similar principle. Perhaps the algorithm is slightly different and, above all, the computing power of the chip, which is nevertheless crucial in this regard. And according to the results so far, it seems that Apple is currently ahead in this area.
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Night Mode on iPhone 11 is a combination of quality hardware and well-programmed software. When you press the shutter button, the camera takes several pictures, which are also of good quality thanks to double optical stabilization, which keeps the lenses steady. Subsequently, with the help of the software, the images are aligned, the blurred parts are removed and the sharper ones are merged. Contrast is adjusted, colors are fine-tuned, noise is intelligently suppressed and details are enhanced. The result is a high-quality photo with rendered details, minimal noise and believable colors.
The advantage of Apple's night mode is that it works completely automatically - the phone itself evaluates whether it is appropriate to turn on the mode for a given scene or not. Once Night Mode is activated, a special icon will appear next to the flash. By clicking on it, it is then possible to set how long the phone will record the given scene. However, based on the lighting conditions, the system practically always correctly determines the duration of the capture - usually 3 or 5 seconds. However, for really poorly lit scenes, you can set up to 10 seconds (the maximum value again varies according to the lighting conditions). Night Mode can also be turned off completely. It should also be noted that the new ultra-wide-angle lens does not support it.
In the editorial office, we specifically tested the night mode on the iPhone 11 Pro. We tested the function under various conditions – from fairly well-lit objects (illuminated buildings) to almost complete darkness. However, the strengths of Night Mode are best manifested especially in real night shots (for example, a minimally lit street bathed in only moonlight) and, on the contrary, with illuminated buildings (churches, town halls, etc.), night mode is almost unnecessary and the atmosphere of the scene will stand out better if you take a photo classical.
In the gallery below, you can see what a difference it makes if you take a photo in low light using classic night mode. We tried to test the mode and, for example, also when taking pictures of details.
Gallery
Apple's Night Mode works really well and the main advantage is that it is completely automatic. In addition, it completely eliminates the need to use a flash, as the software lighting is noticeably better quality, which also results from our photo test.
how can you hold the phone in your hand for 4 seconds without blurring? or was a statue used?
so it's not like a normal photo shoot where I point the camera, press the button and that's it? do I have to press the button and then hold the photo for 3-5 seconds to aim at the target?
Exactly. But this is what every camera and reflex camera does to you if you don't use a flash