Since the AI in scene optimizer seems to have been trained for the near side of the Moon (the side we always see), I thought why not take a picture of the far side of the Moon (rhe side we never see from earth).
Left: originalMiddle: WITHOUT scene optimizerRight: WITH scene optimizer
Left column: originalMiddle column: WITHOUT scene optimizerRight column: WITH scene optimizer
Here's how I did to make it like the Moon's far side of the Moon was in the sky.
Left: originalMiddle: WITHOUT scene optimizerRight: WITH scene optimizer
- I downloaded image from NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-farside.html)
- scaled it to 200px by 200px
- created clear and blurred(Gaussian blur) version of it
- displayed on my screen with the size of 1 inches and set a tripod away from then screen 108 inches (9 feets) so this will create about the same angular size of the real Moon in the sky
- I used 30x zoom and took the shots with and without scene optimizer.
"Clear original image"
Let's compare the results side by side
The right photo appears to be sharper than the middle photo, but I could see filters (such as contrast and sharpening) being applied or enhanced (via AI) where the craters are. However, the AI seems to incorrectly enhance details near the top. I mean I can kinda see the crater features in the original image, but the AI seems to heavily enhance the detail here. Overall, they both look similar to the original image. For me, I like the photo without scene optimizer.
I don't see any additional details on either photo that are not in the original image.
"Blurred original image"
Here are the results side by side
Again, the right photo seems to be sharper than the middle photo, but some filters (such as sharpening) and enhancements have been heavily applied. However, the AI appears to define too much at the bottom left and enlarges too much of the crater at the top left in comparison to the blurred original image. Still, the AI improves the shots and does not seem to overlay an image on top of it. I still prefer the photo without scene optimizer because the one with scene optimizer looks overly processed.
I don't think the AI is adding additional craters that are not already in the blurred image.
Let's see all of them together
What do you think? I feel like the 30x shot with scene optimizer on the blurred original image(bottom right) is just a blurry version of the 30x shot with scene optimizer on the clear original image(top right).
"Conclusion"
The scene optimizer seems to work with the far side of the Moon, which I assume it has not been trained for, and I get the perception that it simply applies some sharpening and enhancing the shot but in an intelligent manner (look at both 30x shots with scene optimizer on the clear and blurred original images).
If it actually adds details from its learning photos, should not these shots have some kinds of crater features ("rabbit") like the near side of the Moon on them?
If you don't like what scene optimizer is doing, which results in a "fake" photo, you can turn it off to get a "real" photo.
Even if the Moon shots are "fake" with scene optimizer, the zoom camera system is still fantastic (look at 30x shot without scene optimizer on the clear original image)
