News PhotoPass at some character locations being replaced by automated cameras

Rteetz

Well-Known Member
They also have them on the front page of WDW NT.

Not the multiple cameras and angles that some were hoping for, but the single camera in a fixed position. There's still a photopass photographer shooting when these were taken, but it doesn't give me any optimism for it.
They have been tested off and on. I saw a report from a guest who had the automated camera take their picture. It wasn't the best but it wasn't terrible.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
They have been tested off and on. I saw a report from a guest who had the automated camera take their picture. It wasn't the best but it wasn't terrible.

I'd love to see the photos, and I'm sure we will at some point. But that's not an encouraging sign. lol "Not terrible" is not a selling point. :)
 

GlacierGlacier

Well-Known Member
Technically - that's pretty cool. Having a camera that programmatically detects and captures magical moments is a technological feat. And the use of cameras with wide angle lenses and digital composition afterwards to transform it into a regular photo (with Disney effects) is awesome.

Of course, it's going to be a while before it's better (technically) than a human photographer. It's going to be much, much longer than that, if ever, that it's going to be a better interpersonal experience than a human photographer.
 

LukeS7

Well-Known Member
BlogMickey has photos of the cameras installed and a breakdown of the exprience: http://blogmickey.com/2019/02/autom...t-tinkerbell-meet-and-greet-in-magic-kingdom/
The final photo in that post really says it all for this. The photographer is at an angle that the fixed cameras will never be able to replicate. Character actors are gonna be pulling double duty trying to get guests to pose perfectly so the camera will capture them as intended. This was and is a really stupid idea (though I may be slightly biased as a photographer).
 

DisAl

Well-Known Member
The final photo in that post really says it all for this. The photographer is at an angle that the fixed cameras will never be able to replicate. Character actors are gonna be pulling double duty trying to get guests to pose perfectly so the camera will capture them as intended. This was and is a really stupid idea (though I may be slightly biased as a photographer).
Next thing you know they will want to open a can of corned beef at Le Cellier and try to convince you it is just as good as steak. It is still meat, after all......
 

DisAl

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any experience with this yet? I have about a week before we have to make the decision on Memory Maker.
I keep hoping they will abandon this idiotic idea and keep the PhotoPass photographers.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any experience with this yet? I have about a week before we have to make the decision on Memory Maker.
I keep hoping they will abandon this idiotic idea and keep the PhotoPass photographers.

The only place I've heard they've been installed so far is Grand Expo/ Town Square at Magic Kingdom, and I'm not sure that they are even in use yet. I don't know where the installation process is in any of the other locations, but the photopass photographers I've talked to have said that currently they are still shooting in those locations.

Edit- I'm leaving Tuesday for our weeklong trip, and will be at MK on Weds. I'll try to find out what the status is then.
 

Patcheslee

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any experience with this yet? I have about a week before we have to make the decision on Memory Maker.
I keep hoping they will abandon this idiotic idea and keep the PhotoPass photographers.
The only location I saw pictures from the automated was for the Tink M&G, it did look like the light settings needed work. A CM was still on hand but pictures were just "blah"
 

Launchpad McQuack

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any experience with this yet? I have about a week before we have to make the decision on Memory Maker.
I keep hoping they will abandon this idiotic idea and keep the PhotoPass photographers.

We did this last Friday night at Tinker Bell. It's... not great. The difference in quality for the shots you get from an actual photographer is pretty big. They are all wide, straight on shots, so no zoom or angles or anything like that. The images are fine, but it lacks that "catching the moment" quality.

Edit: Also, it took like two days for the pics to show up in our MDE account.
 

TOCPE82

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I had several Photopass photographers be highlights of my trip. Enough with this automated nonsense. If I want ty photos, I'll have my kids take them themselves.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
So here's the update as I've been able to determine while here. The box is only in one location so far- only one of two Tink rooms. They are starting to install in the other Tink room but no other locations as of yet. The one installed still has issues so is sometimes covered by a photographer anyways. But for now at least your chances of encountering a box are none in any location but that one.

When it is working the photos it takes are pretty bad. Zoomed way out, color is off, timing is terrible, only one camera in a fixed position, so no multiple angles, and its "zoom" is cropping the photos. And the character isn't supposed to move off a fixed spot so they dont ruin the photos. I saw a few examples (but dont have copies, sorry) and I would be embarrassed if I had to show those or attempt to sell them to guests.

So many issues- large groups are going to be very problematic, and they are going to have ongoing issues with guests blocking the cameras. No one likes them- characters, photographers or attendants. The one but of good news is Disney had told the.m they would be fully rolled out at the end of Jan and we are at the end of Fab with only one installed and not working a good portion of the time. We will see what the future holds.
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
So here's the update as I've been able to determine while here. The box is only in one location so far- only one of two Tink rooms. They are starting to install in the other Tink room but no other locations as of yet. The one installed still has issues so is sometimes covered by a photographer anyways. But for now at least your chances of encountering a box are none in any location but that one.

When it is working the photos it takes are pretty bad. Zoomed way out, color is off, timing is terrible, only one camera in a fixed position, so no multiple angles, and its "zoom" is cropping the photos. And the character isn't supposed to move off a fixed spot so they dont ruin the photos. I saw a few examples (but dont have copies, sorry) and I would be embarrassed if I had to show those or attempt to sell them to guests.

So many issues- large groups are going to be very problematic, and they are going to have ongoing issues with guests blocking the cameras. No one likes them- characters, photographers or attendants. The one but of good news is Disney had told the.m they would be fully rolled out at the end of Jan and we are at the end of Fab with only one installed and not working a good portion of the time. We will see what the future holds.
Sorry, but it's funny that they have issues with guests blocking the camera. Duh. They should have seen that one coming. The one I hadn't thought about the limitations on characters moving. Blech!
 

mikejs78

Well-Known Member
So whatever happened to this? I didn't experience it at all on my last trip, everywhere I went still had the PhotoPass photographers. Admittedly, did not go to Town Square Tinkerbell..

Anyone have any recent experience with this or an update? Did they kill the whole thing?
 

MattyBear

Member
I could see this being successful with three different cameras and some sort of timer. I don’t think you could have cast members taking pictures for you. They would get in the way of the camera.
You would also probably have to have some sort of circle in which people would have to stand to have the pictures come out.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
So whatever happened to this? I didn't experience it at all on my last trip, everywhere I went still had the PhotoPass photographers. Admittedly, did not go to Town Square Tinkerbell..

Anyone have any recent experience with this or an update? Did they kill the whole thing?
They are installed and in use with Tinkerbell. One camera in one location in a corner of the room. Tinkerbell is now stuck in a little spot on the floor and unable to move around for fear of moving out of the camera angle. Photo quality is terrible. From what I've heard it was just one of two rooms, but may very well be both rooms now. Reports I've had is that it's unreliable and they still have to put a photographer in there sometimes.

I could see this being successful with three different cameras and some sort of timer. I don’t think you could have cast members taking pictures for you. They would get in the way of the camera.
You would also probably have to have some sort of circle in which people would have to stand to have the pictures come out.

There aren't 3 cameras, there is one. And it's in a fixed location and uses a sensor to attempt to detect when to take the photos. It may as well be random. Yes, people get in the way of the camera, and yes the character is stuck in a specific area so they don't move out of the range of the camera.

Latest I heard was they were installing them in Launch Bay after installing at Tinkerbell in Magic Kingdom. I haven't heard of them going forward in other locations, maybe due to contruction and realizing that many of the places they were putting this are going to disappear in the not to distant future because of construction.

But the photos I've seen from the Tink box were terrible. zoomed out, lots of backs, obviously missed moments, low quality. Absolutely nothing I saw that I would want to buy, and nowhere close to the quality of even a mediocre photographer.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
Why is this "test" even still happening. If the photos are coming out that bad (and thus profits on people who would buy those photo's are down.." then this should have been killed along time ago.

Because they haven't seen the dip in profits from it as of yet. Right now all they are seeing is saving labor costs by not having to pay photographers, and if they sell one or two less photos, not a big deal. They're expecting overall photo sales to stay the same since most people have paid for the Memory Maker that includes all of their photos. And a number of those don't see a whole lot of difference in what the box takes vs what they would take on their phones.
 

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