Samsung's Moon shot explained: Scene Optimizer plus Super resolution and AI magic

16 March 2023
Is Samsung's Moon shot feature fake? What even is fake these days?

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  • BUT
  • 8sj
  • 14 Aug 2024

But what if you change the black spots on the blurry image? Will it recognize it a moon and correct the black spots to fit the real moon or create a new moon image with the same deliberatly wrong black spot locations? That is the only way to see if the photo is faked with and changed with the known moon photo or really processed by the image enhancer on the spot. If the moon and "how it should look" is installed as a program beforehand, even if I go to the Saturn and take a photo of one of it's moons, that would still turn as a Earth moon photo. And it will prove that is not a "image enhancer" but a fake moon photo.

As far as I understand from the post, this is just pre-loaded moon photo, which is straight fake and nothing to do with your quaility of your lenses and sensors. This level of fakeness and finding it "okay" makes my stomach sick.

    Anonymous, 17 Mar 2023It’s proved? Where? Can you this so-called proof? Other ... moreYes it's proved you can remaster every picture you take in gallery app and it adds extra real details to object mountain tree and...

      TheEEengineer, 22 Mar 2023I could at least prove through an experiment unlike you pat... more*Sends a video that doesn't prove anything*

      You: "At least I proved it"


      Nice job deluding yourself.

        SuuperBaka, 17 Mar 2023Your video doesn't prove anything. This was done i... moreI could at least prove through an experiment unlike you pathetic troll

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          • Denverskier
          • IbE
          • 20 Mar 2023

          DarlingYext, 16 Mar 2023No, I don't, but as I said it before I still think Sam... moreNope 1UI is great!!! I love all the haters crying about customizing ....oh its soooo much effort!!! Then they praise the CRAPPLE Sinking Island copying Samsung but hey look at the cartoon Crapple gives you

            "You need a humongous lens, tripod, and an expensive dedicated camera to pull off a decent image of the moon"

            Or just a modern day smartphone and a $30+ telescope (360mm or more). Aim the telescope at the moon the take a photo from the peephole, or whatever it is called, but be fast as the moon moves quickly when zoomed in so close.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • Hkt
              • 20 Mar 2023

              This jist a small glimpse of how fake smartphone photography is ...

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                • AnonD-1026644
                • 7Xd
                • 19 Mar 2023

                Anonymous, 19 Mar 2023It didn't matter if a texture is applied directly, or ... moreLet me rephrase what you said:

                "Since S23u's periscope lenses can't resolve details on the surface of the moon (which is around 382,500 km away from the Earth), Samsung uses AI to add textures to the final image."

                In short, fakery. Whether a human or AI is adding the textures, it's the same thing in this scenario.

                Moving forward, I would filter trolls on this site with ublock. Here's an example:
                https://imgur.com/a/ryKuoFR

                Clean results:
                https://imgur.com/a/4ZlDrVa

                Good thing, this works on my mobile devices, too.

                If adding textures with AI acceptable and accurate, then how will you explain this:
                https://youtu.be/HxqFXGRyyvw?t=132

                Why is it that the statue doesn't look detailed at 100x zoom on the Samsung device? It's conclusive, Space Zoom, at this point, can't do that, and fakes the output when capturing the moon. 🤭

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • xCD
                  • 19 Mar 2023

                  James Nana, 18 Mar 2023Let's not be deliberately be obtuse about this. Samsun... moreIf you really want authentic pictures of your own taking, use a dedicated digital camera with manual settings. Or use a Sony Xperia smartphone like the 5 or the 1. The included photo app is garbage when it comes to auto settings but is great if you like tinkering with the manual settings similar to an SLR.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • IbF
                    • 19 Mar 2023

                    SuuperBaka, 17 Mar 2023Maybe if you fixed your comprehension problems you would kn... more"This is only specific to the moon shots, it won't be adding detail to a blurred face or any other subject since it's trained for moon shots."

                    We can assume Samsung isn't applying the moon model on blur faces, but we don't know if Samsung is applying human face models on blurred faces. They have the capability by using a similar technique to generate details on human faces based on what faces look like. It is just easier to prove moon images compare to face images so that is the first thing people experiment with.

                    This is why this revelation is so troubling. If they applied it to the moon, did they apply it to anything else? If not faces, what about trees, flowers, mountains, buildings, clouds, cars, dogs, or paintings? Can we trust the picture is even of the objects we take if we didn't have time to analyze every version of Samsung camera with every type of objects out there?

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                      • Anonymous
                      • IbF
                      • 19 Mar 2023

                      It didn't matter if a texture is applied directly, or applied using some AI by studying thousands of pictures. The point is they added something from outside that is not captured by the lens at the point the photo taker takes the picture. It didn't matter if tomorrow some alien nuked the moon and changed the look of the moon, because Samsung AI will show you what the moon should look like instead of what it actually looks like.

                      Next Samsung will scene optimize your face to what they think a human face should look like. Let's hope Samsung trained their models with a diverse set of images, because we've seen in the past AI may recognize people as animals if the training is done poorly and may make you look like a gorilla.

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                        • AnonD-1037771
                        • 3RM
                        • 19 Mar 2023

                        I love ChatGPT:
                        Yes, the AI technology used in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's camera system relies on an internet connection to access a cloud-based database. The device uses the internet to communicate with Samsung's servers, which host the AI algorithms and databases used for tasks such as object recognition, scene optimization, and image processing.

                        The internet connection is necessary for the device to upload the image or video data to the cloud server, where it is analyzed and processed using AI algorithms. The processed data is then sent back to the device, where the camera settings are adjusted automatically to enhance the image or video quality based on the analyzed data.

                        It's worth noting that some AI features, such as basic scene optimization, can be performed locally on the device without an internet connection. However, more advanced features, such as object recognition and advanced image processing, require an internet connection to access the cloud-based AI algorithms and databases.

                        SOLUTION: Turn off the internet before taking photos . Can anyone that has an Ultra 21, 22 or 23 confirm it ?

                          AnonD-1026644, 19 Mar 2023Bingo. Absolutely right. (Also posted this on Reddit and... moreWith every software update there will be more of them, and we know Samsung has many software updates. They don't really have anything else, but oh man, them software updates!!!

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                            • AnonD-1026644
                            • 7Xd
                            • 19 Mar 2023

                            DarlingYext, 19 Mar 2023Both of them are fakery. AI enhanced images aren't ... moreBingo. Absolutely right.

                            (Also posted this on Reddit and, of course, those who know what's going on will reach that conclusion.)

                            I hope we won't be facing trolls again on this site because it's exhausting. Samsung has been known to spawn their minions across forums and we'd like to filter them out.

                              AnonD-1026644, 19 Mar 2023Let's put it this way. Using a camera paired with a... moreBoth of them are fakery.

                              AI enhanced images aren't totally authentic either, but the 2 scenarios you have mentioned and what Samsung is doing are however totally fake.

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                                • AnonD-1026644
                                • 7Xd
                                • 19 Mar 2023

                                Let's put it this way.

                                Using a camera paired with a 230mm lens, I captured a blurry photo of the moon.

                                I made two copies of the photo.

                                Scenario A:
                                I Photoshopped the photo by adding textures from higher-resolution images I gathered online, applied sharpening, and so on. Now my photo looks better.

                                Scenario B:
                                I programmed a software that can utilize AI that has been trained with thousands of pre-existing high-resolution moon images. The software has the ability to generate and add textures to areas where the lens has failed to resolve details. It made my image look better because of "additional details."

                                Questions:
                                1: In the context of photography (nothing to do with digital graphics or image manipulation and claiming the end result as captured by camera), which scenario above can be considered as image fakery?
                                2: Does it mean that an image is fake because it was modified by a human (human intelligence) and, on the other hand, totally authentic because it was manipulated by artificial intelligence?

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                                  • AnonD-1026644
                                  • 7Xd
                                  • 18 Mar 2023

                                  James Nana, 18 Mar 2023Let's not be deliberately be obtuse about this. Samsun... more"Samsung using its trained neural network which access to countless high resolution moon images to add additional information" = "AI processing"

                                  It's the same thing.

                                  Take a look at Mrwhosetheboss for instance:

                                  https://youtu.be/EKYJ-gwGLXQ?t=212

                                  ▲ A paper cutout printed with a low-res moon print is still recognized as moon and Samsung's software "using [its] trained neural network which access to countless high resolution moon images to add additional information to [the] moon photo."

                                  ▼Several tech reviewers have replicated ibreakphotos' experiment, including Tony Northrup.
                                  https://youtu.be/R_xf2TKU7ic?t=368

                                  Question: based on various test results, as consumers who will pay for a device we believe that CAN do such a feat (based on Samsung's representation and marketing) what conclusions do we end up with?

                                  The truth doesn't care about how paid Samsung minions try to manipulate it across forums.
                                  Consumers are not stupid these days. Is it fake? Depends on what we consider as fake.
                                  But whatever it is, a company has to be decent in anything they do.

                                  let's define "decent" real quick:
                                  decent, adj. - "conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behavior"

                                    Let's not be deliberately be obtuse about this. Samsung has not marketed the moon shots as a software trick done using specific AI algorithms for a specific senerio only. Samsung marketed it as "space zoom" implying that it the zoom lenses on the smartphone that where responsible for the details and clarity of the moon shots. Samsung has admitted that AI helps with the moon photos but Samsung term "detailed enhancement" is actually just Samsung overlaying textures obtained from much higher-resolution images of the moon on the shots you take using the Space Zoom feature. Adding textures and details to otherwise blurry features isn't additional AI processing but Samsung using it trained neural network which access to countless high resolution moon images to add additional information to your moon photos.
                                    Don't get me wrong, all mobile devices use AI software processing to some degree and we wish they would be more open about how exactly they are used but as some have said do we really need to care if the end result is better photos and videos?
                                    And a question posed by MKBHD is quite telling here " at what point of processing does your photos stop being your photo and something else entirely e.g. AI generated?"

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                                      • Anonymous
                                      • Kis
                                      • 18 Mar 2023

                                      DarlingYext, 17 Mar 2023Nope, not at all. If you take a selfie of yourself and add ... moreKeep creating drama for some feature every phone have👍

                                      Want AI-enhancement photo of moon = use Samsung camera app

                                      Want unprocessing photo of moon = use raw expert /pro camera app

                                      Life is simple man, you are just wasting energy criticizing phone you dont even use👍👍👍

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • Kis
                                        • 18 Mar 2023

                                        Anonymous, 17 Mar 2023Keep creating drama for some feature every phone have👍 W... moreThis is the truth👍

                                        Shoul be pinned, so anyone who criticize this feature could read this👍

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