How the RYYB sensor on the Huawei P30 Pro works

13 May 2019
We discuss the humble Bayer filter and the process of demosaicing.

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  • AlCapone
  • spj
  • 13 May 2019

Leica is producing lenses, not sensors !

    LazyLancer, 13 May 2019Some people just don't know where to look ... yet. You can... moreI'm sure that Google would solve this problem because they have got the best people for job. So apparently Huawei won't.

      • r
      • r33fd
      • nD{
      • 13 May 2019

      If true, that's so funny actually :))

        Nick Tagataka, 13 May 2019Lots of people are simply assuming that the RYYB sensor suc... moreExactly. Green is fine, but how the camera whacks up other colors for the sake of getting "some green into the picture" isnt.

          realitychecker, 13 May 2019the comments sayin theres bad color rendering, arfefacts, n... moreSome people just don't know where to look ... yet.
          You can google up any photos shot on Huawei P30 pro and be able to spot the same problems in each batch.
          This is the GSM Arena review. You can see obvious red artefacts around spot lights on the building.
          https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/19/huawei-p30-pro-12/camera/gsmarena_408.jpg
          That's the DXO Mark review - the whole Eiffel tower is comprised of red artefacts
          https://cdn.dxomark.com/wp-content/uploads/medias/post-27399/Outdoor_Scene80_P30PRO.jpg
          Here's a Samsung pic just for comparison: https://cdn.dxomark.com/wp-content/uploads/medias/post-27399/Outdoor_Scene80_Samsung-s10.jpg

          This here is a typical night shot on the P30 (pic taken by GSM Arena):
          https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/19/huawei-p30-pro-12/camera/gsmarena_409.jpg
          An experienced eye will notice how _some_ of the colors are present while the image in general looks as if it was selectively desaturated in photoshop. Here, i made a quick and dirty imitation using iPhone XS photo from GSM Arena review.
          https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bVnkwR1rHzo4yDenL_bZp6tUuv6o23L9
          Original pic is on the left while on the right is the same image with some selective saturation applied (+20 overall saturation, -20 yellow saturation and -100 red saturation). The amount of yellow on the grass can be debatable per each person's liking but you can also see the disappearance of yellow color cast on the buildings which SHOULD normally appear in such conditions. Without those fine color casts, images become artificial and unrealistic. And this is even before Huawei applies its typical AI HDR postprocessing.

          Btw, here's the typical HDR overprocessing by P30. Shot by DXOmark.
          https://cdn.dxomark.com/wp-content/uploads/medias/post-27399/Portraits-Outdoor_Scene60_P30PRO.jpg

          Here's a pic from The Verge, exhibiting desaturated walls with weird magenta tint but a strongly saturated blue sky at the same time.
          https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ltu_IFDPS0sHRdczoMbVAn-LIc0=/0x0:2736x3648/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2736x3648):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16018287/IMG_20190404_201856.jpg

          If you look for user photos (not reviews with only the hand-picked shots) you can see inconsistent color in subsequent shots, inconsistent sharpness and detail. And so on and so forth. This camera is not without its share of problems and im not sure if Huawei is able to solve that by software.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • Pcu
            • 13 May 2019

            So.....
            Huawei is using Sony's latest and greatest sensor (instead of leika) for their latest flagship while Sony seems to be using a leika sensor for their Xperia 1.

            Weird.

              Maybe transparent 3-layer filters like in sigma cameras some day. Other solution would be using different tech to sense all colors, not mono and using filters.

                I just really hope Sigma come into this smartphone camera game with Foveon sensor technology in their arms now. Unfortunately they treated it half-heartedly, releasing their own Foveon-based cameras with some unique features but also with so much drawbacks like having small battery, small sensor formats (they also delay Full Frame version Foveon release in 2020), using their own SA mount, no articulating display, poor screen and EVF resolution, and even only have VGA live view resolution and no video recording capability, blaming on the huge processing requirement that the Foveon sensor demands.

                Small sensors on smartphone needs its all-RGB filter coverage more than larger sensors formats on the ILCs.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • LQu
                  • 13 May 2019

                  THE-TRUTH-REVEALER, 13 May 2019What I have seen in daylight images of P30 Pro published on... moreIf this phone has worse white balance than iphone, it must be really awful.

                  Iphones make sky purple instead of blue, turn people's face into yellowish tones and night shots are washed out.

                  Only good thing from iphone photos is the very high DR.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • LQu
                    • 13 May 2019

                    Anonymous, 13 May 2019In theory it has all that. In practice it's not all that. M... moreHaving AF and AE does not mean the DR will be better. But means focus and exposure will be automatic and adjusted for each shot.

                    Turn BURST AF ON and will have more than 95% of shots in focus. Take 100 shots of moving object with other phones and you'll be lucky to get 10% without blur.

                    This is because of faster readout of stacked sensor.
                    This is the reason their A9 is the fastest camera ever made.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • 0Bh
                      • 13 May 2019

                      A brilliant and perfect lecture ! That's why we LOVE and
                      read only gsmarena.com !
                      Tell about Foveon too, some day...

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • LQu
                        • 13 May 2019

                        Anonymous, 13 May 2019Lol they're always saving for the next Gen but it never comes. Sony Mobile does not ask for new sensor every year like other brands.

                        For example Samsung every year makes/buys new sensor for S and Note.
                        S7, s8, s9 and s10 do not use same sensor. Same specs but new sensor for each generation.

                          THE-TRUTH-REVEALER, 13 May 2019What I have seen in daylight images of P30 Pro published on... moreUse standard colors mode.

                            Use vivid colors or smooth color mode.

                              THE-TRUTH-REVEALER, 13 May 2019What I have seen in daylight images of P30 Pro published on... morecant really say much but had quite an amount of time with the device(my friend at work let me had the phone for two days on a weekend last month), but as far i had time with it, i never notice those kind of things, probably because im not that of a camera expert. but my general impresssion is on the positive side. or i would say what probably these reviewers have are review units? they have the review units right? or whatevs i dunno what these ppl are talking abt really. haha.

                                Yohan, 13 May 2019Too much talk about this crap Huawei camera and it's not ev... moreWhat now? Are you EVER compared S10 and even P30 Lite camera output? Probably not as you can write such a nonsense and be serious doing it.

                                  What I have seen in daylight images of P30 Pro published on Phonearea, is a yellowish tint on all the images in bright daylight, whereas the Samsungs/iPhones/Pixels producing a more true-to-life image.
                                  Could it be that their unit was perhaps defective? Can any P30 owners corroborate?

                                  Here is another video by MrWhoseTheBoss showing the yellow tint :
                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7dwBw09MLQ

                                    zodiacfml, 13 May 2019LOL. Your article is so lacking in information that you jus... moreThis is ironic as your critique lacks information in itself, you had the opportunity to constructively point out what they missed out

                                    You just said their article lacks information because it lacks information

                                      Excalibur, 13 May 2019Im just exagerating the "light years ahead" really. But wit... moreyeah. i really hope huawei carry over this ryyb sensor to their next mate, as i like it very much. im looking forward to the next mate and note this year as im gonna buy one not for me but for my mother whose birthday is in november. my mom is kinda techie, so i should get this right or else she's gonna disown me.

                                        realitychecker, 13 May 2019wow big words, "mate" lolols. cant say the same for now abo... moreIm just exagerating the "light years ahead" really. But with respect to sammy, their mid and entry level phones are actually decent. Your issues with samsung are major ones, battery life and software. So, you're actually one of those that belong to the people i dont pity, making the switch from sammy to huawei.

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