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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User: Takes photo of dog
Scene Optimizer: Is cat now

    • D
    • AnonD-1026644
    • 7Xd
    • 17 Mar 2023

    Based on what we have learned so far, what are the arguments worth arguing?

    ► did Samsung advertised the 100x Space Zoom in the most truthful way possible?

    ►"If you want a good picture of the moon, you need at least a 200mm lens – and even then, it's best to use a crop-sensor camera for a bit more reach. So a focal length of 300mm [1]"

    S23 Ultra periscope telephoto specs: 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (FF equivalent)
    Based on specs, the telephoto lens can actually reach the moon, but at a smartphone scale, is it capable of resolving fine details without using AI?

    The answers to these questions heavily rely on what is defined as "honest marketing," and which criteria we use to differentiate a photo from an AI-generated image.

    Source(s):
    [1] digital-photography-school

      • J
      • James
      • d%t
      • 17 Mar 2023

      I owned d s23u,but i never used the periscope for taking photos of the moon,but rather to zoom into something that my eye cant casually see,its useful somehow for me. But the biggest disappointment for me is the no SD card feature. They should bring it back.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • 70d
        • 17 Mar 2023

        SuuperBaka, 17 Mar 2023Problem is that he can still comment as an anonymous person... moreAs if people couldn't create new accounts.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • S4Q
          • 17 Mar 2023

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

          No you don't. You just need a cheap point and shoot with decent zoom to pull it off! Not even a tripod if you have a somewhat steady grip.

            [deleted post]Problem is that he can still comment as an anonymous person. They should remove that ability and have people make accounts.

            I remember arguing with something that switched from 3 different anonymous accounts, but they were responding in the same manner and to me directly.

              [deleted post]Sony and Huawei are still in the smartphone market, so they aren't all "failed" companies. LG and Nokia, unfortunately, did leave.

              Not really an argument tho since this has nothing to do with Samsung misleading consumers.

                [deleted post]Your video doesn't prove anything.

                This was done in a controlled environment and can be replicated by anyone. The fact that your only response is to link a video (I've already seen it before you posted it) that doesn't even respond to our argument shows that you can't actually respond to what we said.

                  DarlingYext, 17 Mar 2023iTrolls? Samsung and Apple aren't the only smartphone ... moreI'm a Sony, LG, and Nokia (not HMD) fan lol. I used to be a Huawei fan until they got bodied by the US Government.

                    TheEEengineer, 17 Mar 2023Before saying adding things that weren't there check s... moreMaybe if you fixed your comprehension problems you would know that Samsung is indeed adding detail that wasn't there.

                    Let me break this down so you can hopefully understand:

                    1. OP takes picture of a high resolution picture of the moon on his monitor
                    2. They blur the entire image so that you can't see it clearly, the real moon can't be blurred.
                    3. Samsung somehow managed to get detail that wasn't there.
                    To add on to this, it can't be sharpening and it can't be using multiple frames since there wouldn't be extra detail because all the frames have the same amount of detail.

                    4. Samsung is misleading consumers.

                    Bonus: The OP added a grey square to the blurred image of the moon and Samsung added that square as a crater. It's not representing what's there, it's adding in things that it THINKS are there.

                    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.

                      [deleted post]Not sure, which one was it, you must've commented that as anonymus. Mind reposting that youtube video as a reply to this comment?

                        TheEEengineer, 17 Mar 2023Before saying adding things that weren't there check s... moreiTrolls? Samsung and Apple aren't the only smartphone companies, I'm a user of neither of these brands. As for SuuperBaka, well I don't know, but I don't think it matters, people can use and enjoy whatever phone they like, it's their choice.

                          SuuperBaka, 17 Mar 2023"Every phone have AI-enhancement feature. Get your fac... moreBefore saying adding things that weren't there check some sample and DSLR comparisons. Why do these iTrolls never want to learn about tech.

                            Anonymous, 17 Mar 2023I don't see how this is controversial when every phone... moreusing ai to enhance images are a different thing, but this one adds only fake moon. specifically, works better at only night shots.
                            "people living under a rock" argument is irrelevant and overused. just because people doesnt accept one gimmicky feature, doesnt mean they live before earth or neither the universe existed.

                              Anonymous, 17 Mar 2023Every phone have AI-enhancement feature. Get your facts str... more"Every phone have AI-enhancement feature. Get your facts straight. 👍"

                              "Every phone" does not have AI-enhancement feature, there are still basic phones being sold without cameras, so clearly that's not true.

                              Get your facts straight. 👍


                              Anyways, there is a difference between AI processing to enhance something vs adding detail that wasn't there and claiming that it was but AI just enhanced it.

                                MrezaMirali, 17 Mar 2023Yes, we can somehow say it's a gimmick but galaxy is b... more"and to be honest it's not limited to the moon"

                                Except it is. When you blur an image of a half-moon, it doesn't work. Only when you got a blurred image of the full moon.

                                It's not going to recover a face that is blurred in a photo, it only does this for the moon.

                                "Contains rebuilding text building and... algorithm"

                                Speaking of text building, I saw a video of Samsung's AI turning windows on a building into text.

                                  ALonZo, 17 Mar 2023Ok, so it's not real, it's AI controlled and mani... moreNope, not at all. If you take a selfie of yourself and add a filter, yes it will make you look different, but the AI won't just magically swap you with a selfie of Usain Bolt, or someone famous, to be fair maybe there are features like this as well, in that case, those are fake yes. Usual selfies with filters aren't. However this moon situation is completely fake, it's not enhancing anything, the AI just swaps your blurry moon image with a pre-shot stored image, which will obviusly be perfect, since it wasn't shot on a smartphone. People have pointed out that the craters seem to stay in the same place as they are on the blurry image, but of course they do, there are only so many ways the moon can look like, and obviusly Samsung didn't just store 10 images, but rather a couple 1000, so it will always be able to find one that's close enough.

                                  Another thing, hanging a blurry image of the moon with a thread, will actually result in a perfect image of the moon without the thread, because it's fake.

                                    Ok, so it's not real, it's AI controlled and manipulates an actual image to make it much more enhanced, giving off the impression that it's real and something to show off.

                                    Ain't that a bit like most Instagram selfies then?

                                      As a more controversial I see no IR mode in flagship phones, with it being nothing new in camera world, but also being popular in tough phone category, I dont see why are so popular brands too wary of experimenting.
                                      Home made full spectrum camera by removing IR/UV blocking glass is something anyone willing to can do, also giving sensitivity to UV light.
                                      Phone brands pursuing Mp or even Gp are quite forgetting there is more to the light and photography than what we see... Moon mode is just one example.

                                        I do not expect ''AR'' shooting to go away, more like it will be more common and on many objects and people.
                                        I wish there was a disable button, but shooting in pro mode is also an option.
                                        Hope gsma outs some pro mode moons when testing, otherwise we may as well compare dust particles of the Moon when comparing the zoom abilities of phones, after all, there are also some hi res images of the Moon, so having artificial 1000x in phone is quite possible.
                                        I just wait for some to advertize it as such...

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