Mobile phone cameras are developing way faster than traditional cameras that photographers use.
Even though they can’t compare with the high-end photography cameras, they can be a suitable replacement for mid or low-end photography cameras.
Mobile phone camera technology has been using HDR to capture every exposure of a scene to create more realistic pictures, and this just got better with smart HDR.
Apple came up with this technology with iPhone XS and now using it in every new phone they make.
We will examine what smart HDR is and what the differences are between traditional HDR.
Also Read: How Do We Review Best TVs?
What is Smart HDR?
HDR is a technology to help you better frame your pictures on your mobile phone camera.
It stands for high dynamic range and mixes several pictures together with different modes and exposures to accurately create the scene’s environment.
Basically, when you are taking a picture, your phone camera takes several pictures and finds the best one in terms of lightning and quality, all within a second.
Apple came up with a better version of HDR, which is called Smart HDR, which takes more than nine, to be exact, pictures at the same time you are taking a picture and finds the best one or combines them together to create a better atmosphere.
This allows for your mobile phone to capture more exposure with every highlight, object, and lightning.
The top sizes of TVs available with smart HDR are: 43 inch tv, 60 inch tv, 90 inch tv.
How Does Smart HDR Works?
Smart HDR works by shooting four-frame images between each picture while capturing secondary pictures at different exposure levels.
Then it combines all these pictures to form an optimized image, ensuring that the picture looks a lot better.
To achieve this, Smart HDR uses Apple’s technology like the A12 Bionic chip & Neural engine. This AI is also responsible for adjusting the depth of real-time frames and post-capture images.
This is what Reddit users think about Smart HDR:
Smart HDR is seriously impressive
by in apple
Difference between HDR & Smart HDR
Even though Smart HDR is a fairly new technology in new iPhones, it might be a little bit hard to grasp the difference between traditional HDR and smart HDR.
The pictures are crisper and more realistic with the latter, so it might be hard to capture them with your eyes if you are not an expert.
But, the main difference is that traditional HDR takes fewer pictures when you take a shot compared to smart HDR, which takes way more pictures.
This allows for an option to capture every possible exposure within a scene and choose the best one available.
With traditional HDR, your camera can only capture a limited amount of exposure.
How To Use Smart HDR?
Using Apple’s Smart HDR feature is not at all difficult. Here’s how you can use Smart HDR on your camera:
- Simply open your iPhone’s camera.
- Tap on the HDR option on top of the screen.
- You can choose between on, off, or auto options.
- Now choose an object and click the picture; that’s it.
Should You Use Smart HDR?
Even though you can’t switch between smart HDR and normal HDR if you are using a phone with smart HDR pictures, you might wonder if you should use smart HDR or close it off totally when you are taking pictures.
This totally depends on your liking and what you want with your picture. Try both of them and see which one suits better to your wants.
iPhone Models Having HDR & Smart HDR
Here’s a list of Apple iPhone models that have HDR or Smart HDR option
List of iPhone models with HDR
- iPhone 4, 4S
- iPhone 5, 5S, 5C
- iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus
- iPhone 7, 7 Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 8, 8 Plus
- iPhone X
List Of iPhone Models With Smart HDR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (second generation)
How To Do HDR Photography on iPhone?
Why Does My iPhone’s HDR Take Two Photos?
When you click a picture in HDR mode, your iPhone will save two pictures in your camera roll. The first one will be without HDR and the other with it, which takes up more space.
This is done so that you can choose a picture that you like the best. If you want to enable this option, then follow these steps:
- Go to settings on your iPhone.
- Now scroll down and select camera.
- Under the HDR option, turn off the “keep normal photo” option.
The Verdict
To conclude, smart HDR is a technology that Apple uses in their newer iPhone models, such as iPhone XS or above.
This technology allows for the iPhone’s camera to capture better pictures with realistic outlooks since it takes around nine pictures right when you take a photo and finds the best one available.
This allows for your pictures to look smoother and crisper since it can capture many different exposures within a given scene.
Even though you can’t switch between smart HDR and normal HDR, you can choose to close it if you don’t like the effects.
FAQ’s
Are Smart HDR photos really better?
Not always. Clicking pictures in Smart HDR looks good, only in high-contrast scenes or in bright highlights & shadows.
You will not be able to tell much difference between an HDR image and a normal image in low-light conditions.
How to turn on & off the HDR video setting on iPhone?
Phone 12, 13, and 14 models use the Dolby Vision HDR option to record life-like photos.
But this may take up more space, and if you want to turn it on or off, then follow these steps:
Go to Settings>Camera>Record Video>turn off HDR Video.
When should I not use HDR?
You should turn off the HDR option when you are capturing a motion or moving image to avoid it from getting blurred.
Amit Gupta is the founder of National Planning Cycles, a company that helps startups, individuals, and small businesses with their financial planning. He has a vast amount of experience in the finance sector, having managed Google Play accounts for some of the world’s most successful unicorns. Amit is an expert in his field, and he uses his knowledge to help others achieve their individual goals.