Apple Explains Why iPhone 15 Pro Max is Limited to 5x Optical Zoom

[citysnaps]

Of course, a camera is a tool, I've never claimed otherwise.

However, a smartphone is limiting to the majority of photography enthusiasts. Evidently you are talented at street photography and make great use of your phone camera.

I mainly shoot wildlife and can assure you a phone camera does not meet my needs.

So... does that mean you're retracting your response (below) to my earlier post:

"You claim to have exclusively dropped dslr's and mirrorless cameras since 2013, so the iPhone 5s, IF you had the most recent phone, and also claim to be an enthusiast photographer.

*cough* bs *cough*

That's the problem with these forums, people post such bs all the time and claim to be what they aren't."



Also... your denigrating wedding photographers using iPhones up above, there are some that are outstanding shooting in a journalistic/reportage style and doing outstanding business.

Again, it's the photographer that makes strong and compelling images. Not camera gear.

I've seen many people with expensive dSLRs/mirroless/Leica cameras and for the most part their photos are snoozers. Not all of course. Just the people who believe an expensive camera will somehow automatically "make" great photographs.

 

[Astrohunter]

All the additional lenses are always crap anyway.

Especially telephoto.

 

[Jensend]

This Wedding Was Shot On An iPhone And The Photos Will Amaze You - Weddingbells

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There are photos of the bride holding a bouquet that were shot with portrait mode, and they are riddled with segmentation errors (things in focus that should be out of focus, and vice versa)

Sure, a pro with an iPhone may be able to shoot better photos than an unexperienced amateur with pro gear.
But a pro can take better photos with a pro camera.

And it isn't just about price. You could get an entry level interchangeable lens camera that would produce better photos than any iPhone, and is less expensive.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I find these interviews done with “marketing” are pointless. Why not actually speak with an imaging engineer or expert. There of course are reasons. We’d all listen and understand better with proper research based fact. Of course they won’t share everything publicly but these interviews are just marking bulls*%t. They know nothing about the actual technology or science behind it.

We’re not stupid a bigger zoom needs a steadier hand. Duh. I think folk are so fast to compare a camera to another manufacturer but there are huge differences of which maybe aren’t so noticeable on a phone screen. But I’ve read many times as soon as you put that image anywhere “other” the issues are obvious (in relation to the Samsung lens)

I agree with the request to have interviews with the engineers but Apple has squeezed donuts so tightly they even place the head of macOS/iOS with an engineers to be interviewed to keep comedy quips to distract any line of deep questioning. Even 1 on 1 we’d not get the answers nor insight we want.

Never will get from an engineering lead ‘we wanted 10x optical zoom but cost or marketing decisions or software was not up to par with the spec as of yet, but we’re working on it’ nope not even that we’ll get.

The LAST time we did is with Bob Mansfield last work on the MBP.

 

[dk001]

I get it, the further the optical zoom the harder it is to stabilize the shot. I think everyone knows that. But give us the option at least?

Actually maybe I'll take that back a bit. If it's 10x optical zoom and it's hard to get a stable shot, that means you won't be able to do 5x optical shots. 5x would basically be the main camera digitally zoomed until it gets to 10x. Maybe they could've added a 4th camera, but you don't want to add an extra camera for every level of optical zoom you want.

"The 5x zoom is something that we can stabilize incredibly well," McCormack said in the interview. "If you look at the 10x zoom, unless you have the steadiest hands in the world or a tripod, it's really difficult to use."

I use the 10x on my S23 Ultra all the time and at my age I do not have "the world's most stable" hands.
I it extremely easy to do 3x and 10x on my device. I tend to take a lot of photos when I am out hiking. Have to call BS on this claim.

 

[darngooddesign]

I agree with the request to have interviews with the engineers but Apple has squeezed donuts so tightly they even place the head of macOS/iOS with an engineers to be interviewed to keep comedy quips to distract any line of deep questioning. Even 1 on 1 we’d not get the answers nor insight we want.

Never will get from an engineering lead ‘we wanted 10x optical zoom but cost or marketing decisions or software was not up to par with the spec as of yet, but we’re working on it’ nope not even that we’ll get.

The LAST time we did is with Bob Mansfield last work on the MBP.

Does it really matter if an Apple Engineer or Representative told you "10X is hard to stabilize to our standards and it just wasn't ready yet"?

 

[dannyyankou]

I use the 10x on my S23 Ultra all the time and at my age I do not have "the world's most stable" hands.
I it extremely easy to do 3x and 10x on my device. I tend to take a lot of photos when I am out hiking. Have to call BS on this claim.

I wonder if Samsung does 10x zoom, but crops it as you're taking the picture to digitally stabilize it

 

[TheRoxyTheatre]

Also... your denigrating wedding photographers using iPhones up above, there are some that are outstanding shooting in a journalistic/reportage style and doing outstanding business.

Again, it's the photographer that makes strong and compelling images. Not camera gear.

I've seen many people with expensive dSLRs/mirroless/Leica cameras and for the most part their photos are snoozers. Not all of course. Just the people who believe an expensive camera will somehow automatically "make" great photographs.

Of course it's the photographer's eye and skill that makes a photo, but dismissing the impact high quality camera gear has on getting that image is simply ridiculous.

And the thought of paying someone top dollar to shoot your wedding, one of the most important days of your life, on an iPhone.....that's on you.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Does it really matter if an Apple Engineer or Representative told you "10X is hard to stabilize to our standards and it just wasn't ready yet"?

By Representative - if you mean someone in marketing then a resounding YES it matters.

And engineer would be able to not only explain any difficulties without bs but also explain where improvements can be made in the future. I dislike bs at any level from anyone regardless, don’t you?

 

[darngooddesign]

By Representative - if you mean someone in marketing then a resounding YES it matters.

And engineer would be able to not only explain any difficulties without bs but also explain where improvements can be made in the future. I dislike bs at any level from anyone regardless, don’t you?

If they both say the same thing then does it really matter if an engineer says it.

 

[FasterQuieter]

The 120mm should have been a 4th lens. Having a 24mm prime then nothing until the 120mm prime is madness.

 

[kkee]

Insane photos taken with iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Reuben Wu:

Stephen Wilkes:

 

[heretiq]

In an interview with Numerama's Nicolas Lellouche, Apple's VP of camera software engineering Jon McCormack explained why the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism lens system is limited to 5x optical zoom, instead of 10x like on Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. The interview is in French, so quotes below are computer translated.

Apple says the Telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max features the company's most advanced camera stabilization system yet, with a combination of optical image stabilization and an autofocus 3D sensor-shift module. McCormack said the iPhone's 5x zoom lens can be stabilized "incredibly well" compared to a 10x lens.

"The 5x zoom is something that we can stabilize incredibly well," McCormack said in the interview. "If you look at the 10x zoom, unless you have the steadiest hands in the world or a tripod, it's really difficult to use."

Apple's senior director of iPhone product marketing Maxime Veron, who was also interviewed, added that the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x lens opens at ƒ/2.8, allowing for "excellent light management." By comparison, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x lens has a ƒ/4.9 aperture. A lower aperture allows for more light to be captured by the camera's sensor, which can be especially beneficial for Night mode photos.

5x optical zoom is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with the iPhone 15 Pro remaining limited to 3x optical zoom. It has been rumored that Apple plans to expand the tetraprism lens system to both iPhone 16 Pro models next year.

McCormack and Veron discuss the latest camera innovations on all iPhone 15 models in more detail in the Numerama interview. The devices launch Friday.

Article Link: Apple Explains Why iPhone 15 Pro Max is Limited to 5x Optical Zoom

Does anyone know if the 5X optical zoom is variable? Traditionally, Apple optical zoom of 2.5X or 3X means optical zoom is only realized when zoom equal to 2.5X or 3X and any zoom level other than these are digitally zoomed (which introduces digital artifacts/distortion). This was a big surprise for me so I’m curious if this is still the case with the new iPhone models and new camera lenses.

 

[powerbook911]

Does anyone know if the 5X optical zoom is variable? Traditionally, Apple optical zoom of 2.5X or 3X means optical zoom is only realized when zoom equal to 2.5X or 3X and any zoom level other than these are digitally zoomed (which introduces digital artifacts/distortion). This was a big surprise for me so I’m curious if this is still the case that the new iPhone models and new camera lenses.

Right if you go under or below 5x you are digitally zooming.

 

[kkee]

Does anyone know if the 5X optical zoom is variable? Traditionally, Apple optical zoom of 2.5X or 3X means optical zoom is only realized when zoom equal to 2.5X or 3X and any zoom level other than these are digitally zoomed (which introduces digital artifacts/distortion). This was a big surprise for me so I’m curious if this is still the case that the new iPhone models and new camera lenses.

It's not that simple. Firsly Apple’s unorthodox 5x optical zoom solution also explains the circular appearance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x zoom camera. Traditional periscope cameras look squarish on the outside. Apple “Tetraprism” mirror, which (unlike a traditional periscope solution) seems to be far more compact, allowing the camera to utilize a noticeably larger image sensor (25% larger than the 3x sensor of the iPhone 15 Pro), and take in more light.
The larger aperture, larger sensor, and overall better light-gathering capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x zoom camera will likely help Apple’s flagship perform better than competing phones with 5x optical zoom - especially in low-light.

 

[sstiwari]

Apple did not make the camera. Sony supplied this component.

Apple chose not to select Sony's better available sensors for iPhone 15 PM.

Why?

Apple has more confidence in their marketing competence rather than the actual technical features of the product.

Battery life of iPhone 15 Pro/Max is also going to disappoint a lot of people.

 

[svish]

F2.8 lens is good. Will definitely allow for more light

 

[mike2q]

Samsung is going from 10X to 5X next year so I guess even Samsung doesn’t want to pay Samsung.

Samsung has never announced anything of the sort. Unsubstantiated rumors aside, I'd put more money on Samsung adding an additional lens rather than downgrading another. I think a 0.6x, 3x, 5x & 10x would be a killer combination. If anything, Apple's 5x announcement will more than likely solidify the future of the 10x for at least the near future.

 

[Hails09]

They easily could, but it comes with compromises. Apple's only has half the focal length, but at the same time it gathers around 3 times as much light as Samsung's. Leading to better photos in more varied lighting conditions. You don't like it, that's fine, but it's not a case of "they can't match Samsung", they made a choice to restrain the focal length in trade for more light and more reliable stabilization.

Why are you saying that I don’t like it fine? I’m just saying the guy is talking rubbish. it makes no difference to apples’s sales to their pro max if they put in an x5 zoom or a x10 zoom people will still buy the phone anyway. Where as Samsung on the other hand have to throw everything at their ultra lineup because it need to get new customers.

 

[Und Eser]

Because tech products with more features and/or better performance cost more money than tech products with less features and performance. An example of that is the 15 Pro Max.

I'll never understand why many people don't understand that as that's the way it is with most things in life. For example... a 75" TV costs more than a 40" TV.

The 75" TV costs more because it's bigger, not because the 40" does less. Have another go.

 

[aleksander]

Sorry but even as an Apple fan, I have to call BS on that. The 10x optical zoom is perfectly usable on the S23 Ultra I have used it myself. It’s only when going to the 100X that it can be very unstable and you simply tap the stabilisation window.

Probably BS *but* we all know Apple caters to every single user type and it's ability, so I guess it's better for them to be on the safe side rather than to be picked apart in stringent tests and comparisons.

 

[ds2000]

I would be more curious to find out why 5x zoom is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Indeed, them gimping the camera on the Mini was my only reason for going Pro. A Pro mini would have been my perfect phone.

 

[macduke]

Most normal users won't understand that f/2.8 is really useful for a telephoto zoom of 120mm because it makes it actually usable in lower light conditions.

Doubt you'll be able to take full on night mode photos in a lot of circumstances without a tripod or propping it up, but is going to be way better in near low light and some brighter night situations in a city, for instance. f/2.8 gathers 206% more light than f/4.9 in the Samsung. That is fairly significant. Furthermore, their 10x zoom is 10mp vs 12mp in the iPhone, so you lose a little bit of resolution.

 

[dk001]

I wonder if Samsung does 10x zoom, but crops it as you're taking the picture to digitally stabilize it

Doubt it. I use various methods to take shots and haven't noticed this.
Single hand
Two hand
Braced
Stand - especially for low light or night.

I'll have to do some testing on this.

 

[Jimmy_Banks]

So... does that mean you're retracting your response (below) to my earlier post:

"You claim to have exclusively dropped dslr's and mirrorless cameras since 2013, so the iPhone 5s, IF you had the most recent phone, and also claim to be an enthusiast photographer.

*cough* bs *cough*

That's the problem with these forums, people post such bs all the time and claim to be what they aren't."



Also... your denigrating wedding photographers using iPhones up above, there are some that are outstanding shooting in a journalistic/reportage style and doing outstanding business.

Again, it's the photographer that makes strong and compelling images. Not camera gear.

I've seen many people with expensive dSLRs/mirroless/Leica cameras and for the most part their photos are snoozers. Not all of course. Just the people who believe an expensive camera will somehow automatically "make" great photographs.

Yes I retract my response to you, and I apologize as well. 👍

No, I do not retract my response to wedding photographers using iPhones, especially when the articles that user shared were essentially amateur shots.