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

[sack_peak]

Apple expects >50% of all iPhone 15 buyers to replace their 2020 iPhone 12 & older.

From that perspective the iPhone 15's specs makes sense.

I'm coming from a 2021 13 Pro Max to a 2023 15 Pro Max, 3 of 10 phone users.

If I knew COVID would ground me from Q1 2020 to Q1 2023 I could have kept my 2017 8 Plus until 2022 14 Pro Max.

Yearly upgraders are 1 of 20 phone users.

iPhone 12 Pro uses a A14 Bionic chip vs iPhone 15 Pro uses a A17 Pro. See the single & multi core performance differences.

 

[The Game 161]

I don't understand why all brands aren't going quad camera route. Just seems better option so portraits aren't affected

That said I'm excited to try the 5x to compare it to others

 

[Torty]

it’s 45% for 1-3 years vs 47% 3-5 Years. No big difference to me.

 

[Torty]

I don't understand why all brands aren't going quad camera route. Just seems better option so portraits aren't affected

That said I'm excited to try the 5x to compare it to others

I think apple will also get 4 lenses for improved spatial videos (different location) and filling the gap between 2x and 5x zoom.

 

[MarkNewton2023]

For me, I love and appreciate the camera upgrade. 👍👍👍camera. However, every individual has their preferences and some might not like it. Apple as well as all of us cannot make everyone happy.

 

[sack_peak]

For me, I love and appreciate the camera upgrade. 👍👍👍camera. However, every individual has their preferences and some might not like it. Apple as well as all of us cannot make everyone happy.

For over the past decade cameras is a very important reason why anyone upgrades their phone.

This is why Apple & other brands heavily emphasize it.

Now, to expand further they are making phone chips with ray tracing that are challenging the Switch, PlayStation & Xbox.

 

[Torty]

For over the past decade cameras is a very important reason why anyone upgrades their phone.

This is why Apple & other brands heavily emphasize it.

Now, to expand further they are making phone chips with ray tracing that are challenging the Switch, PlayStation & Xbox.

I think the improved gpu is targeted more to the M3 which is used in future macs and the next gen vision pro. Maybe I am completely wrong here cause I never play games on the iPhone and I am not interested in doing so.

 

[sack_peak]

I think the improved gpu is targeted more to the M3 which is used in future macs and the next gen vision pro. Maybe I am completely wrong here cause I never play games on the iPhone and I am not interested in doing so.

Back in 2001 Mac OS X's 3D accelerated GUI was poo poo'd by many as not targeted to "them". Could you imagine still using OS9-quality GUI on your current iPhone, Mac & iPad a quarter of a century later?

iPhone and Android are moving to new markets and markets that will replace sooner than 3 years.

iPhone & Android destroyed

- Digital point & shoots (Canon, Sony, Nikon, FujiFilm, Panasonic, etc)
- Phones (Moto, Blackberry, Palm, Nokia, etc)
- MP3 players (iPod)

So what remains are PCs & game consoles.

Including ray tracing into the A17 Pro chip and USB-C into the iPhone 15 Pro & 15 Pro Max is inching towards directly challenging the Nintendo Switch.

M3 with ray tracing is inching towards PC gaming.

With the App Store and Mac App Store give it within 5 years for Apple to eat into at least 20% of the gaming market of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft even without 1st party AAA exclusives.

 

[unobtainium]

Absolutely agree but I hope you agree as well that these yearly or even bi-yearly upgrades are mostly status related and an absolute waste of money.
There aren’t these substantial upgrades anymore, not on Apple device and neither on Android phones.
There is a lot or marketing buzz around it and some software related exclusives features… that’s all.

For me it’s not status related at all, in fact I’m always embarrassed to have the newest iPhone at first and try to cover it up with a case so nobody notices lol. It seems so lame to have immediately jumped on the newest device like a sheep.

The reason I upgrade is because I’m a compulsive tech enthusiast, not status.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

I tried mentioning that the cameras in iPhone 15 Pro are basically the same as 14 Pro. However, nobody will see it because Apple has all the biggest influencers and blogs on their payroll.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

This reviewer from TechCrunch is definitely not disappointed by the Pro Max's camera. He's thrilled with it.

 

[SteveJawbs]

This reviewer from TechCrunch is definitely not disappointed by the Pro Max's camera. He's thrilled with it.

Not trolling here, but I think it’s hilarious that the iPhone 6 had the same praise and review videos. The camera was breathtaking and so advanced. Will we ever have a 35mm Scarlett packed into a phone?

 

[LD Curb]

Here's a well-done video about the 15 pro max and camera ..

 

[257Loner]

Marques Brownlee makes some interesting points in this video:

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Another mostly positive review of the 15 Pro Max camera (from Peta Pixel).

 

[drugdoubles]

I tried mentioning that the cameras in iPhone 15 Pro are basically the same as 14 Pro. However, nobody will see it because Apple has all the biggest influencers and blogs on their payroll.

Yes I don’t understand why some people are so excited over here while it is basically the same phone.

 

[HiRez]

Ideally I'd want ultra wide, main 1X, 3X/3.5X (portrait) optical lenses, all with large 48MP sensors. Then if you want to add a 5X-6X range fourth lens (prism), that would be useful, but it should also give you full 48 MP data to work with. I don't like having to make the choice to degrade resolution whenever I want a different focal length. They should all take 24 MP images by default with the option to capture the full 48 MP.

The other big disappointment is that, as I understand it right now, Apple isn't utilizing the capability of the HEIC format to capture 16 bits per channel of color/dynamic range. The HEIC format is a great way to take good-quality photos where RAW generates insanely large files, but HEIC should be used to give you a lot more editing latitude (recovering blown highlights, etc.). If they utilized 16 bps color (or even 10-12 bpp), it could be sort of a "mini RAW" photo but still with much smaller file sizes.

In short, as with many of Apples products, the "Pro" moniker is only half way there in places.

 

[73CortinaV8]

There's an upper limit to the number of pixels that makes sense to have on a camera. Especially a point and shoot camera.
The human eye struggles to resolve anything above 300dpi

With a 12mp image, you can make a 14x20 print at 300dpi

With a 48mp image, you can make about a 20x30 print at 300dpi

More pixels, bigger file size.

BTW, 35mm film scanned with the highest resolution possible yields about 8-15mp

 

[labyrinth153]

I just received my 15 Pro Max, so I haven’t had a chance to test it much yet, but here are a few takeaways.

I do agree that the 5x zoom isn’t enough for wildlife photography. Even the 200mm on the Sony RX100 was insufficient for decent zoo pictures. Every little bit helps, though.

Now, for portraits, it’s another matter. I wanted to get a picture of my friend for a quick ad promoting his merchandise while we were on the road. The 3x telephoto lens just didn’t reach far enough for the kind of shot I needed. I feel like this new phone will offer a much more natural bokeh and overall better performance for portraits. It feels like a huge improvement in that area.

The camera’s default 24MP is a game-changer. It’s high-resolution enough to preserve a lot of fine detail while maintaining the dynamic range of the 12MP shots. It’s completely better overall, even when using the same lens/sensor.

 

[Hatshepsut]

There's an upper limit to the number of pixels that makes sense to have on a camera. Especially a point and shoot camera.
The human eye struggles to resolve anything above 300dpi

With a 12mp image, you can make a 14x20 print at 300dpi

With a 48mp image, you can make about a 20x30 print at 300dpi

More pixels, bigger file size.

BTW, 35mm film scanned with the highest resolution possible yields about 8-15mp

What about zoomed-in detail? I assume the higher MP captures more detail so you can zoom in and confirm that yes, that cute guy in the background was wearing a great band t shirt

 

[The Game 161]

I tried mentioning that the cameras in iPhone 15 Pro are basically the same as 14 Pro. However, nobody will see it because Apple has all the biggest influencers and blogs on their payroll.

it certainly isn't the same so would disagree there

processing is certainly better and the improvements to HDR is enough to say that is a good improvement. no more blowing out highlights for simple subjects and destroying the sky. I would say the camera upgrades are worth it for that alone. Not to mention better detail now you can shoot in 24MP.

portrait mode is a massive improvement. it went from meh to one of the best if not the best phone for portraits.

Overall it isn't a big upgrade but least it's better than previous years where 13 pro max to 14 pro max was a waste of an upgrade.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

it certainly isn't the same so would disagree there

processing is certainly better and the improvements to HDR is enough to say that is a good improvement. no more blowing out highlights for simple subjects and destroying the sky. I would say the camera upgrades are worth it for that alone. Not to mention better detail now you can shoot in 24MP.

portrait mode is a massive improvement. it went from meh to one of the best if not the best phone for portraits.

Overall it isn't a big upgrade but least it's better than previous years where 13 pro max to 14 pro max was a waste of an upgrade.

The HDR is better. That is true. However, in order to see the 24 pm difference you need to zoom in or crop. Without doing that it is more difficult to see the differences.

 

[MacDevil7334]

The HDR is better. That is true. However, in order to see the 24 pm difference you need to zoom in or crop. Without doing that it is more difficult to see the differences.

But that’s just it. On previous iPhones (especially the past 2-3 generations), the over processing was immediately apparent the moment you zoomed in on an image. Sure, on the relatively tiny phone screen it looked ok. But if you wanted to view on a larger monitor or TV, or print at a decent size, you could clearly see the sharpening and processing that was done by the phone. And cropping more than a little bit would make that problem even more visible, even on the phone screen.

The images coming off the 15 Pro main camera are a significant improvement. Much less visible over processing, better HDR, and a generally more natural look overall to my eye. And the 24 MP resolution also gives better fine detail and even allows for some cropping without losing quality. If Apple had chosen to lie and claim the phone had a new sensor this year, I would have 100% believed them. The main camera is improved that much. And the fact that it is completely due to software blows my mind a bit.

 

[The Game 161]

The HDR is better. That is true. However, in order to see the 24 pm difference you need to zoom in or crop. Without doing that it is more difficult to see the differences.

the 24mp I would say is noticeable even without cropping in. Comparing shots between pixel 8 pro, s23 ultra and xiaomi 13 ultra the detail i think you can tell who is shooting in 24mp and who isn't based off my testing. The HDR i think is a massive deal. blowing out highlights is a massive issue as even if the subject looks good the background often ruined the photos. That no longer is a problem.

 

[danpam12358]

I was originally disappointed Apple did not stuff in a new larger main sensor but quite pleasantly surprised how much they made up for it with software tweaks.

The 24MP shots are way less over-sharpened and have quite a bit more detail than 14 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro.

The Smart HDR improvements are the biggest selling point. It balances the image without the crazy over HDR look.