HN Reader

Doesn't Samsung use AI models to fill in images of the moon with higher resolution detail? Not sure if this comparison makes sense given that the astrophotography device almost certainly won't be doing that.

Some technical detail from an older thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35172190

Slightly off-topic but as a fairly serious backyard astronomer I almost never look at the full moon with my telescope because it's boring. Full moons are like cloudy skies: The viewing will be shitty tonight so best not to even set up the 'scope.

But looking at the terminator during a partial moon -- especially a new moon -- is quite spectacular.

The author asks, "So... do you need a telescope?" then politely and politically answers the question.

I, however, looking at the side-by-side comparison, would answer, "hell yes."

Its likely the S25 did well because it knows what the moon looks like so it fakes the details.

Since the Galaxy S21 series, Scene Optimiser has had the capacity to recognise the moon as an object. This means that the detail enhancement engine, a key feature of Scene Optimiser, is applied to photos of the moon.

When you take a photo of the moon with your Galaxy device, the camera system uses deep learning-based AI, along with multi-frame processing, to enhance details.

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-galaxy...

The OP has not said anything about turning the relevant options off.

NASA PDF guide to create good photos with smartphones:

https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/SMBooks/AstrophotographyV1.p...

Hi everyone, I’m the author of the article.

To the best of my knowledge, Scene Optimiser was turned off for the shot I discussed in my write-up. That said, a great point was raised, and I’d like to address it thoroughly. I’ll take some comparison photos with Scene Optimiser both on and off and update the blog post as soon as I get the chance.

The goal wasn’t to run a detailed, scientific comparison, but simply to do a quick check on the spot. The post is really aimed at people who just want to snap some fun photos of the Moon, not folks doing serious astrophotography.

Do feel free to leave your comments in my page, I appreciate everyone's input.

Pointless article really.

Casual shots of the moon, a phone is fine (duh). High quality shots of the moon you need a telescope (duh).

I get the impression this is not a 'serious' question of what you need but more of a review of both products. I have to say, for such a small telescope, that Seestar S50 is a very attractive little thing. And for that price, I'm really considering getting one.

Samsung phones use pre baked images of the moon. This is not a great test.

The telescope's result seems poor, especially considering its price tag and limited usability. Perhaps it's the image compression/post-production issue, but you can get much better results with an average DSLR and a budget 250-300 mm lens, which will offer much more for a similar price.

What's the point of taking your own highly detailed photos of the moon? You can find much higher resolution images elsewhere. I usually only want to take a photo of the moon as part of a moonlit scene.

So many comments about scene optimizer replacing the moon. It's a feature that's off by default atleast in my s24.

Does the Samsung have night mode?

Honestly the main thing I notice is how awful the color balance is on the telescope.