Other 15 Pro / Pro Max camera hardware changes are really disappointing

[The Game 161]

Odd how you call it disappointing where completely ignoring the fact it now has smart HDR 5 which is the biggest upgrade the new iPhones could have

Should mean superior HDR with better highlight control and no more blowing out backgrounds

Was expecting some topic like this as people moan every year about something

Not sure why people think having new sensors every year is a must. It’s fine having new sensors but you also need to
Optimise those new sensors. Which can take time

You need 4 lens really if you really want 3x and 5x. Xiaomi do it and so do Samsung bit nobody else has

 

[Torty]

Odd how you call it disappointing where completely ignoring the fact it now has smart HDR 5 which is the biggest upgrade the new iPhones could have

Should mean superior HDR with better highlight control and no more blowing out backgrounds

Was expecting some topic like this as people moan every year about something

Not sure why people think having new sensors every year is a must. It’s fine having new sensors but you also need to
Optimise those new sensors. Which can take time

You need 4 lens really if you really want 3x and 5x. Xiaomi do it and so do Samsung bit nobody else has

HDR 5 is SW only so theoretically older iPhones could do that too.

 

[The Game 161]

HDR 5 is SW only so theoretically older iPhones could do that too.

Not for Apple it isn’t. We also don’t know what’s in the hardware that might be helping with it. Image processing in A17 could also be adding things to the software

 

[Torty]

Not for Apple it isn’t. We also don’t know what’s in the hardware that might be helping with it. Image processing in A17 could also be adding things to the software

HDR 5 is also implemented for iPhone 15 with A16 SOC. And A16 is almost same as A15. And that’s almost the same as…

 

[The Game 161]

HDR 5 is also implemented for iPhone 15 with A16 SOC. And A16 is almost same as A15. And that’s almost the same as…

Point is Apple don’t tend to bring software camera improvements. So any improvements are done with a new version. Wrong or not it’s still an improvement on previous iPhones

 

[Torty]

Point is Apple don’t tend to bring software camera improvements. So any improvements are done with a new version. Wrong or not it’s still an improvement on previous iPhones

Is it an improvement or was the software on older iPhones simply not as good as it could be?

 

[Torty]

Is it an improvement or was the software on older iPhones simply not as good as it could be?

And dont you think Apple will continue this strategy with iPhone 15p? So it got the new 3nm A17 with improved gpu etc but it will not get the SW features optimized for it because it will be exclusively available for the next iterations.

 

[The Game 161]

Is it an improvement or was the software on older iPhones simply not as good as it could be?

Last years models should have had HDR 4 and there likely would be no issues with 14 series. It needed HDR 5 but here we are this year so hopefully those issues are fixed

 

[The Game 161]

And dont you think Apple will continue this strategy with iPhone 15p? So it got the new 3nm A17 with improved gpu etc but it will not get the SW features optimized for it because it will be exclusively available for the next iterations.

I don’t see why as next year it’s getting new main sensors. A year of optimising the main sensor another year won’t do any harm

 

[Torty]

And dont you think Apple will continue this strategy with iPhone 15p? So it got the new 3nm A17 with improved gpu etc but it will not get the SW features optimized for it because it will be exclusively available for the next iterations.

IMO that’s not a good treatment to customers who spent good money. Let’s see how this will work in the long run. You need to be really successful and very very good in your products that you can afford such a behavior.

Customers often have better memories than companies think.

 

[the future]

very good video on this subject.

The good points he makes are the same made in this thread. The other points are either quite histrionic or flat out wrong. For example the 48 MP sensor in the Pro/Max 14 absolutely shows more resolution (when shot in ProRaw) than the 12 MP sensors we had before.

 

[vngannxx]

The 5x telephoto lens will perform in between 1” inch sensor and 1/2.3” sensor compacts.

Sony RX100VII (1” inch sensor) at 120mm max aperture is f4.5 for a full frame equivalent f12

Canon PowerShot SX740HS (1/2.3” inch sensor) at 120mm max aperture f5.0 for a full frame equivalent f28.2

iPhone 5x telephoto (1/3.2” inch sensor) at 120mm max aperture is f2.8 for full frame equivalent f21

The iPhone 5x telephoto is two stops slower than the Sony but one stop faster than the PowerShot. We are not taking into account computational photography and we are also comparing zooms vs prime lens.

 

[Nite0wlz]

I’m so happy someone mentioned this. I thought I was going crazy. All the reviewers are just boasting about it, but it’s literally the same camera besides the 5x, and some software. They could had at least bump the aperture on the 3x for god sakes.

 

[Icehart]

I'm on 13 Pro Max. Waiting for 16 Pro Max. Apple please introduce 1" sensor.

 

[ShadowGuardian87]

I’m so happy someone mentioned this. I thought I was going crazy. All the reviewers are just boasting about it, but it’s literally the same camera besides the 5x, and some software. They could had at least bump the aperture on the 3x for god sakes.

Yeah, it seems like some tech reviewers who are usually more cynical or harsh on Apple and iPhone releases are giving them a "pass" this year just because of the A17 chip, USB-C, and titanium body.

Very few have mentioned that the camera is largely the same as the 14 pro and Pro Max. The rest are acting like it's a brand-new camera system.

I do think the iPhone 15 pro max is a great release and I could possibly upgrade, but it is shocking to see many overlook the obvious about the camera.

 

[fraternihil]

iPhone 14 Pro can now shoot in Max HEIF (had a shortcut running before which would automatically convert the RAW to HEIF and delete RAW afterwards). This means that ‚zooming‘ in to 1.2 gives me 32 MP photos, 1.5 21 MP (was 12 MP before, as soon as you zoomed in). Huge update to me and presumably the same as 15 Pro.

 

[jdee2wheels]

Very few have mentioned that the camera is largely the same as the 14 pro and Pro Max. The rest are acting like it's a brand-new camera system.

Agreed, they all got duped by Apple's sleight of hand in the presentation. Really lazy reporting this year. The Verge, MKBHD, the guys at Accidental Tech Podcast, etc, have all said the sensor is larger on the 15 Pro.

 

[Ryan1524]

Curious why the 3 focal length modes on the main sensor are not made available to 14 Pro. Is this purely choice?

 

[danpam12358]

Guys, the truth to have a best picture quality is as follows:

- To have big sensor (bigger is always better).
- To have high class lens
- To have a powerful chip (for continuous shooting, fast image processing)

What we have in iPhone 15 Pro/Max is an old sensor - Sony IMX-803, and I know that the excuse is to have cheaper production cost, but in the end, this is PRO model, make it like a PRO. If Xiaomi 12s Ultra (750$ phone) can have the latest sensor, why Apple cannot? They're making their own chips (they're saving cost), only the displays are shipped by Samsung (I believe, it was like this in the past).

Xiaomi sells 1000 fold less 12S Ultra vs iPhone Pro models. It is logistically impossible for Apple to source that many full 1” sensors for the iPhone.

 

[danpam12358]

Curious why the 3 focal length modes on the main sensor are not made available to 14 Pro. Is this purely choice?

Apple gatekeeps newer features for newer iPhones for over a decade now. I don’t know why people get shocked pikachu face as if it’s something new or get pissed.

 

[257Loner]

It's surprising Apple is so behind in its camera system's hardware compared to their competitors' hardware. I know computational photography techniques are the other part of the equation. And yet it seems like the latest hardware debuts on Huawei, Sony, and Samsung phones before eventually making their way to Apple. I don't think Apple is interested in the latest and greatest. I think they're in trickle-down mode to keep iPhones interesting for as long as possible.

I think the Samsung S23 Ultra's 4-lens camera system is a bellwether of things to come for Apple. Although other camera systems have interesting focal length choices as well.

 

[skrungemaster]

I literally just took a picture of my kid this evening, it looks completely fine when it’s playing the Live Photo “video” and then it turns to crap before my eyes when it ends on the real photo. Over sharpened and it looks like someone cranked the “HDR” setting to 10 in a cheap editing app.


I get that the sensor they’re using isn’t the latest etc. but it’s so much worse knowing they choose to completely over process pictures to the point of them being objectively ugly. Again, the Live Photo looks fine, it looked fine in the preview, it looks like ass after my “pro” phone processes the image.

13PM

 

[NdTonks]

Reviews won't release until next week, after the pre-orders open. Last year the review was 2 days before launch.

Yep this was when I cancelled my 14PM last year...hope I don't get encouraged to do the same this year

 

[skrungemaster]

iPhone 14 Pro can now shoot in Max HEIF (had a shortcut running before which would automatically convert the RAW to HEIF and delete RAW afterwards). This means that ‚zooming‘ in to 1.2 gives me 32 MP photos, 1.5 21 MP (was 12 MP before, as soon as you zoomed in). Huge update to me and presumably the same as 15 Pro.

Would you mind pointing me in the direction of that shortcut?

 

[sevoneone]

You will not need it in iOS 17. HEIF Max (or JPEG Max depending on your main format setting) will be selectable as your default Pro setting…