JasonTheBirder
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 p.2 #2 · With Ai do we really need high res FF cameras? | |
Probably 95% of people will disagree with me. Don't care at all. But, I don't consider using AI upscaling photography any more. It interpolates using data from other photos from completely different scenes, and thus some of the resulting areas in the upscaled photo will contain stuff that is from unrelated scenes. For example, a bird photo that is missing some feather detail will now have feather detail using interpolations derived from other birds. Sometimes the interpolations can be quite aggressive and obvious, and other times it just seems normal. Regardless, categorically, I don't consider that to be photography at all, just graphic art whose first step was photography.
Moreover, in my opinion, photo upscaling, while it can be used conservatively with care, I think it has a net negative impact on photography. And I think the same of denoise AI – which I do not use. And I think that for two reasons. First, it is built upon the assumption that photographer should no longer be satisfied with what can be obtained using light through lenses projected onto a sensor, along with algorithms that are oblivious to the high-level content such as traditional denoising. It implies that we must crowdsource the ideal and go beyond photography to make everything into a plastic perfection.
And second, supporting AI itself supports its more aggressive forms, which will only evolve over time, and whose ultimate goal is to make everything about the final image and final product. Supporting any AI development means supporting a body of knowledge that can also be used to produce new generative AI technologies whose ultimate aim of soulless image generation spits in the face of what photography is all about.
Yep, people can enjoy using AI denoise or AI upscale. Yep, they can live in their world where they think it's a harmless activity that provides only value if used with intelligence and care. Nevertheless, photography as a social activity is still something I also think important, and AI technologies go against that. And no doubt, an AI-denoised image at ISO 51,200 can look beautiful. I won't deny that. When I see one, I do find them pretty, but I don't consider it photography, but instead an AI-assisted redrawing based on a noisy photo. (Lest one argue confusedly that AI these days is also AI based, let me remind you that there is a qualitative difference between the two. Autofocus does not alter an image that could have theoretically be obtained using manual focus. AI denoising does, since an AI-denoised photo is never identical to one taken in stronger light.)
So, give me my high-res FF camera. If my photos are noisy or too small when cropped, I'll just attempt to use longer shutter speeds or gasp, be happy even if I don't get my photo for the day. AI companies can take their fancy trained product that couldn't exist without millions of existing images, and shove it.
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