Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Other 15 pro max has no optical 3x zoom?

M

mingieseok

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 22, 2023
8
1
I noticed from youtube that the pro max camera has options of .5x 1x 2x and 5x optical zoom.

Does it mean there is no other options between 2x and 5x optical zoom?

It looks like some people are guessing that any zoom between 2 and 5x in pro max would be digital zoom. I'm so confused about this.
 
It will be digital like before.
Since the iphone 11 we only have 3 fixed optical zoom lenses. The rest is done by software. Nothing new…
 
Yeah I feel 120mm is really too long a jump to the simulated 48mm (which is already just 12MP as it's crop). 77mm was perfect for portrait even indoors. Now with 120mm will be harder. I can go 15 Pro but I was really meaning to go Max. Decisions decisions
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macalicious2011
nanogirl21 said:
What exactly is optical zoom? I don’t understand it.
Click to expand...
Optical zoom is essentially using light beams and lenses to capture images with a narrower field of view. Like using a zoom lens on an olde worlde camera (one that isn't attached to a phone). Shorter the focal length, the wider the field of view.
Digital zoom is essentially cropping (although I'm sure someone will say Apple's doing some wizardry that's different).
 
I was today old when I learned that I actually had to press the 0,5 / 1x and 2,5x to take advantage of the optical zoom on my iPhone 12 Pro Max :eek: I have always just been zooming in and out with my fingers.

I assumed anything between 0,5 and 2,5 was always optical
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Macalicious2011
This makes me unsure if I want to go from the Pro to Pro Max for the 5x zoom. I use the 3x a lot currently taking photos of my kids playing- its the perfect zoom length.
Whilst the 5x will be handy when I'm out of about, I'm worried about the digital crop going between 2x & 5x
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dsmith7 and coso
contacos said:
I was today old when I learned that I actually had to press the 0,5 / 1x and 2,5x to take advantage of the optical zoom on my iPhone 12 Pro Max :eek: I have always just been zooming in and out with my fingers.

I assumed anything between 0,5 and 2,5 was always optical
Click to expand...
Iphone is chosing the other lenses automatically.
 
nanogirl21 said:
What exactly is optical zoom? I don’t understand it.
Click to expand...
I always think of digital zoom as like pinching on an existing photo and zooming in that way.
You don’t get more detail. You’re just taking an existing image and making it bigger.

Optical zoom is like a magnifying glass. The light you see is actually, well, magnified. 😊

Photography people feel free to correct me.
 
Yes you're losing the x3. Not ideal, but 5x or even greater opens up many more options for more people. This is a good direction and a big win.
 
3x is way more useful than 5x in most cases, if you can only choose one true optical len. So Apple is going to sell something less useful for much more expensive price, good for APPL.
 
nanogirl21 said:
I have an iPhone 11 Pro and am able to zoom up to 6x if I hold down the 2x button. How is this? What does this mean for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max?
Click to expand...
For photos, Iphone 15 Pro Max can do 25x max zoom (5x optical and the rest digital zoom)
 
drugdoubles said:
3x is way more useful than 5x in most cases, if you can only choose one true optical len. So Apple is going to sell something less useful for much more expensive price, good for APPL.
Click to expand...
It’s not less usefull. Your current phone uses the wide lens 98% of time because the current sensor in the tele lens is crap. The only real use of tele on these phones is to record far away objects like
wildlife or sporting events which is where the extra reach of the 5x will be beneficial. For everything else just use the wide lens.
 
5x is too much of a closeup for most of my traveling photos. 2.5x/3x was the sweet spot.

I thought everything in between was still optical though.
 
Can portrait mode be used with the simulated 2x right? 48mm is the second most useful focal length I can think of after 77mm. Anything wider and you get that deformed wide lens look, especially for close objects
 
contacos said:
I was today old when I learned that I actually had to press the 0,5 / 1x and 2,5x to take advantage of the optical zoom on my iPhone 12 Pro Max :eek: I have always just been zooming in and out with my fingers.

I assumed anything between 0,5 and 2,5 was always optical
Click to expand...
In reading things recently, I just recently recognized that any zoom level between the fixed lenses -- for example, between 1x and 3x zoom lens -- was actually digital and interpolated. I hadn't thought of it that way but it makes sense.

I also have a better understanding now that really those lenses are not zoom lenses but telephoto lens. I think zoom lens properly describes lens that have variable optical (not digital) focal lengths allowing them to zoom from one length to another seamlessly. https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/understanding-focal-length.html

Do actual zoom lenses (not telephoto) exist on cell phone cameras? I suppose some Android ones may have it.
 
msackey said:
In reading things recently, I just recently recognized that any zoom level between the fixed lenses -- for example, between 1x and 3x zoom lens -- was actually digital and interpolated. I hadn't thought of it that way but it makes sense.

I also have a better understanding now that really those lenses are not zoom lenses but telephoto lens. I think zoom lens properly describes lens that have variable optical (not digital) focal lengths allowing them to zoom from one length to another seamlessly. https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/understanding-focal-length.html

Do actual zoom lenses (not telephoto) exist on cell phone cameras? I suppose some Android ones may have it.
Click to expand...
There were some fugly attempts. Looking lile a point and shoot cam with a phone attached
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back