Apple's response to the latest complaint about the camera on its new iPhone has set the tongues of fans and critics alike wagging, as many object to the company's failure to take responsibility for what appears to be a unique iPhone 5 defect.
Commentary via various social media platforms reveals users are experiencing what has been referred to as a "purple haze" in photographs taken with the camera facing a light source. While the phenomenon - known as lens flare - is common with all cameras when bright light "leaks" through the lens at an oblique angle, users say the issue was not a concern with the iPhone 5's predecessor.
Apple's support document addressing the problem (published on Sunday) raised the ire of smartphone users, who took to social media to slate the tech giant's statement that suggests users are holding the camera incorrectly, and that the problem can be eliminated or reduced by "moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand".
One Facebook commentator said in response: "Now iPhone 5 users have to worry about where they point their cameras in order to not get the purple flaring? As usual Apple diverts the issue as not being unique and blames users for not doing it right. To the loyal iPhone users: Apple thinks you're a bunch of mindless drones." (sic)
Another quipped: "Perhaps an iHood is in order!" (sic)
A number of responses posted online by offended consumers imply Apple's response - labelled "typical" by some - is an aversion from the product's shortfall: "Typical Apple response when their products have issues...blame the user."
Cause and effect
Apple acknowledges the problem in its support statement: "A purplish or other coloured flare, haze, or spot is imaged from out-of-scene bright light sources during still image or video capture", but does not label it a fault of the device itself.
Instead Apple says the problem is not limited to the iPhone 5, and the solution, it says, is the onus of the user. "Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources."
Apple says this happens when a light source is positioned at an angle, so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor.
Photographic facts
Stock photography agency Shutterstock delineates the occurrence of lens flare and what it terms "purple fringing" in its online newsletter. The photographic authority's scientific explanation is followed by advice on how to reduce the unwanted visual effects of lens flare and fringing.
As online platforms reinforce, lens flare is nothing new. The purple tinge that accompanies the flare, however, has been described as absent from images produced by forerunners of the iPhone 5.
Several comments debating the iPhone 5 camera's "purplish haze" reveal two factions of opinion - while some tend to side with Apple and put the purple problem down to a scientific formula of light and lens sensors, others feel the company is pulling the wool over consumers' eyes to avoid lending credence to the possibility of a flaw in its prize product.
Some of the statements include:
"OMG, you devoted Apple fans will eat up anything, won't you? I've used many cameras, including some really crappy ones and first ever smartphone cameras, and I've never had this effect. Even old iPhones never had this effect...STOP eating Apple's BS. The longer you do it, the crappier quality control Apple will have in the future." (sic)
"Apparently you're part of the photographically ignorant masses...The lens is simply failing to focus all colours to the same point... nothing new here."
"If you take a picture of the bright sun, or a bright light with any camera you're going to get lens flare. Nobody complains about the poor low light shooting performance of Samsung or HTC."
"As much as I love Apple this is really irritating. It's already been well demonstrated when taking the exact same pic with the 4/4S - there is no purple flare!"
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