ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The iPhone 8's new camera mode needs a lot of work

Portrait Lighting only seems to work well in even lighting conditions.

One of the big new features on the iPhone 8 Plus is Portrait Lighting, a new camera mode that uses the phone's dual-camera system to adjust the lighting around your subject to add different effects.

It's an enhancement to last year's Portrait photo mode, which was designed to bring the iPhone's camera closer to a high-end DSLR through software enhancements. Portrait mode's software separates the subject from their surroundings and creates a blurred effect in the background. The new Portrait Lighting mode uses a similar tactic to adjust the lighting effects around the subject.

Portrait Lighting launches in beta on the iPhone 8 Plus on Friday, but even though it's an early version of the software that will improve over time, it's clear that Apple has quite a bit more work to do. In my tests over the last week, I found that Portrait Lighting didn't work well unless real-world lighting conditions were just right. Sometimes, the results were abysmal, like someone had a few too many drinks before attempting to edit a photo in Photoshop. Other times, the photos looked great.

Here are some examples of the different Portrait Lighting effects:

ADVERTISEMENT

Here's Manny. I took this photo using the normal Portrait Mode settings.

This is Stage Lighting. The software removed the background and made it look like a spotlight is shining on Manny. But it's still a bit rough around the edges.

Stage Lighting isn't perfect. Here's what happened when I tried it with my cat Larry. The result was terrible. Look at the jagged lines around his fur.

But the other Portrait Lighting modes worked just fine on Larry.

Direct sunlight seems to confuse Stage Lighting and Stage Lighting Mono. Here's Kate in Stage Lighting on a sunny day. Notice how the black bleeds into her hair in some places.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here's Kate in Stage Lighting Mono in direct sunlight. Even more of her hair got cut off around the edges.

Overall, Stage Lighting seems to need the most work. The other modes, like this Contour Lighting on Dave's face, look nice.

Keep in mind the various lighting modes are still in beta. Apple says things will improve in future iOS updates.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

How March became women's history month

How March became women's history month

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT