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Other Can we talk cameras? (7 Plus vs XR)

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Baldrake

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 22, 2012
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Great White North
So I'll be upgrading my 7 Plus this year. I'm leaning to the XR.

Nothing I've read compares the 7 Plus dual-camera to the XR's single camera. It looks like the single camera is itself better. But what am I losing by giving up the second camera?

Over all, is this an upgrade or downgrade for camera?
 
I believe you lose the 2x optical zoom. If you don’t really zoom in photos, then the xR single wide angle camera is superior to the 7+ wide angle camera
 
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Baldrake said:
So I'll be upgrading my 7 Plus this year. I'm leaning to the XR.

Nothing I've read compares the 7 Plus dual-camera to the XR's single camera. It looks like the single camera is itself better. But what am I losing by giving up the second camera?

Over all, is this an upgrade or downgrade for camera?
Click to expand...
It is both an upgrade and a downgrade for the camera.

The XR has a larger sensor with physically bigger pixels, and thus should have better low light capability. The 7 Plus has a telephoto lens that is used for Portrait Mode and for 2X zooming.

The XR can do Portrait Mode, but without the telephoto perspective, so if you're up close it could distort facial features. OTOH, XR can probably more easily do full body portraits, which is harder if you're using a telephoto lens like on the 7 Plus.

The XR gets adjustable bokeh. The 7 Plus does not have this feature.

Etc.
 
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fitcious said:
I believe you lose the 2x optical zoom. If you don’t really zoom in photos, then the xR single wide angle camera is superior to the 7+ wide angle camera
Click to expand...
I use the the telephoto for lazy macro shots, business cards, receipts, misc random, etc
 
OVERTASK said:
I use the the telephoto for lazy macro shots, business cards, receipts, misc random, etc
Click to expand...
I wonder how good the 2X digital zoom will be on the XR. I note that on iPhone 7 Plus, in certain scenarios like low light, when you hit that 2X button it doesn't necessarily actually use the telephoto lens. Instead, sometimes it will just use digital zoom from the wide angle lens. Strange but true.

https://www.macworld.com/article/31...d-of-optical-more-often-than-youd-expect.html
 
I’m not deep-diving this but I returned the 7+ for the 6S+ based on camera alone. Maybe Apple finally fixed it but the two lens ‘math’ was JACKED for a long while. Atrocious pictures. I did extensive testing and gave Apple the results. Issue there on a MUCH smaller scale with 8+. If you don’t need optical zoom the Xr likely to be much...MUCH better IMO.
 
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PBz said:
I’m not deep-diving this but I returned the 7+ for the 6S+ based on camera alone. Maybe Apple finally fixed it but the two lens ‘math’ was JACKED for a long while. Atrocious pictures. I did extensive testing and gave Apple the results. Issue there on a MUCH smaller scale with 8+. If you don’t need optical zoom the Xr likely to be much...MUCH better IMO.
Click to expand...
To what are you referring that they fixed, and when did they fix it?
 
EugW said:
To what are you referring that they fixed, and when did they fix it?
Click to expand...
Maybe they didn’t. I tapped out. The software using data from both lenses. Horrible skin tones (my kids), bad waxy skin issues, and color temp. I went through 4-5 7+, isolated lenses, checked SS & my 6S+ (even a 6 sometimes) was more reliable & accurate.
[doublepost=1537156642][/doublepost]
EugW said:
To what are you referring that they fixed, and when did they fix it?
Click to expand...
Images removed.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all this feedback. It's confirming my thought, that the loss of the 2x zoom and the quality of the bokeh may be a loss, but that this should be compensated for by the higher quality of the main camera.

Obviously, better yet would be to buy the XS, but I can't personally justify that expenditure.
 
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Exactly the topic I am looking for

I am using 7plus and going to get XR

My question is I am not sure if it is a hardware or software improvement
It looks like the spec of hardware is the same when comparing the main cameras

Is the main camera the same between 7 plus and XR?
Or is it just a software improvement when taking picture between them?
 
lllfyc said:
Exactly the topic I am looking for

I am using 7plus and going to get XR

My question is I am not sure if it is a hardware or software improvement
It looks like the spec of hardware is the same when comparing the main cameras

Is the main camera the same between 7 plus and XR?
Or is it just a software improvement when taking picture between them?
Click to expand...
As already mentioned above, the hardware of the camera of the XR is a pretty significant upgrade over the main / wide angle camera of the 7 Plus. Furthermore, the XR gets a big software upgrade too.

OTOH, the XR simply doesn't have a telephoto lens at all, which is a dealkiller for many.
 
Baldrake said:
Thanks for all this feedback. It's confirming my thought, that the loss of the 2x zoom and the quality of the bokeh may be a loss, but that this should be compensated for by the higher quality of the main camera.

Obviously, better yet would be to buy the XS, but I can't personally justify that expenditure.
Click to expand...

You can’t compensate hardware limitations. You won’t see much of a difference in the quality of picture produced between the two.
 
lllfyc said:
Exactly the topic I am looking for

I am using 7plus and going to get XR

My question is I am not sure if it is a hardware or software improvement
It looks like the spec of hardware is the same when comparing the main cameras

Is the main camera the same between 7 plus and XR?
Or is it just a software improvement when taking picture between them?
Click to expand...

2018 is the first time since iPhone 6s the sensor has been enlarged. It's most definitely a hardware improvement.
 
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