Apple created a surprise two months ago by launching the Studio Display, a 27-inch 5K monitor with a webcam controlled by an A13 Bionic chip. But many users have complained about the poor quality of the camera, which has a 12-megapixel sensor similar to that of the front module of the iPhone 11. Apple is trying to correct the situation by offering a firmware update for the camera , currently only available within the macOS 12.4 Monterey beta.
As the tweet below shows, there is some progress, but the quality is still disappointing compared to other Apple devices. Developer James Thomson says the new 15.5 firmware (left image) helps reduce noise and get a bit more contrast.
Comparing the 15.5 (1st pic) and 15.4 (2nd pic) firmware for the Studio Display camera. There’s a _lot_ less noise, and a touch more contrast, but it’s still quite washed out compared to the iMac Pro camera (3rd pic, taken last month). pic.twitter.com/xvaYNgnB4q
— James Thomson (@jamesthomson) April 26, 2022
On the other hand, he notes that the quality remains much worse than that obtained with the camera of an iMac Pro (photo bottom right).
Podcaster Jason Snell testifies for his part to the improvement of the camera in terms of cropping the image. The new firmware (top right image) provides more space than the current version (top left image).
new Studio Display camera firmware (top right) seems to be less aggressive at cropping than old firmware (top left) and much less than iPad Center Stage (bottom) pic.twitter.com/lk3NaIduHE
—Jason Snell (@jsnell) April 26, 2022
Jason Snell also shows that the cropping is much less advanced than with the front module of an iPad.
But the image quality problem could come from Apple’s choice to put an ultra-wide-angle camera module in its monitor. This allows the use of the Center Stage function which uses artificial intelligence to keep the user in the center of the image during a conference or video recording.
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The Center Stage function then applies a crop of the 12 megapixel image, which causes a loss of quality. It would therefore be necessary to use a sensor with a greater resolution so as not to lose quality during cropping. A technological development that Apple may apply in a possible second generation of the Studio Display…
Source : 9TO5Mac