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Other Is Apple going in the wrong direction with the camera improvements?
- Thread starter 1800AirTAG
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I think no one will say no to better camera performance, but aren’t DSLRs a thing of the past and the high end is now with mirrorless cameras?
I’m also not shocked that a full frame sensor and interchangeable lenses have not made it into the standard offerings for any smartphone maker - they are enormous in size and need lots of battery power to be operated.
I'd like to see the improvements go in a different direction.
We have cameras that take high quality photos and video.
We don't yet need 8K recording - may people don't even have 4K TV's!!
I'd like to see greater quality in the glass and the optical zoom/telephoto capability - the rumoured periscope lens tech - 10x optical zoom (22-220 35mm equivalent) would kill off the pocket camera for good, if the elements & sensors were good enough.
I'd likely never take my camera anywhere again. I'd simply carry my iPhone. As I mostly do now.
We have cameras that take high quality photos and video.
We don't yet need 8K recording - may people don't even have 4K TV's!!
I'd like to see greater quality in the glass and the optical zoom/telephoto capability - the rumoured periscope lens tech - 10x optical zoom (22-220 35mm equivalent) would kill off the pocket camera for good, if the elements & sensors were good enough.
I'd likely never take my camera anywhere again. I'd simply carry my iPhone. As I mostly do now.
It might be the demographic… I bet high school kids are mostly concerned with the front facing camera for Instagram and Snapchat, but I bet most people in their late 30s/40s are more concerned with the rear cameras for photos of their kids, family, vacations, etc.
There’s probably a fair number of people who use their iPhone for their career too (e.g. real estate agents taking photos of houses for sale).
If by getting better every year than the previous year ... no. I take a lot of pictures of things that aren't me, so I'm very grateful for the rear camera improvements.
There is a line of diminishing returns, though. In the '90s, Macs had models like the 6100, 6115, 6130, 6200, 7500, 7550, 8640 and so forth, until some guy in a turtleneck came along and said "this is just silly" and cut it all down to the basics. Creating a physically poorer quality CCD/lens/imaging logic is more expensive than just using the same kit across the lineup – you have to make the retail difference basically bank-breaking to make it worth using different parts. (Of course, you can differentiate in s/w and tell everyone the Pro is better when it is merely unhobbled.)
absolutely not what I feel. The best camera should be in all the models. people dont need to know all about photography or how things work to appreciate the Quality or the beautiful pictures that come out of it. Even the non techie people that don't really care about camera specs can enjoy the results. I think that Apple should focus more on the camera than pretty much anything else at the moment. The displays are amazing already, the processing speed is already so fast that you can't notice another 20 precent improvement. Cameras are where it is at. I don't mind the bump and even if they need to make it longer down the back of the phone that should be fine.
Respectfully, I disagree. Basically you’re asking for a ‘platform’ camera vs the best photographic (Hollywood) camera that they can make. You can do ‘platform’ work with a good camera, but you can’t do the best work with an under-specified camera. And the ’non-pro’ models have lesser cameras, so why not buy one of those for the platform work rather than paying for the Pro models? Really, it doesn’t take much of a camera for the internet unless you’re streaming high-res video to a high-res TV.
I’ve been an advanced amateur photographer for decades, appreciate the best camera that I can get, and I participate in none of the platforms mentioned. Just get the ‘regular’ phones instead of the Pros, this is exactly why the non-Pro models are made.
There’s another reason to go with the ‘Pro’ models in some instances. Computers (like the iPhones are) with more powerful processors, more RAM, better graphics hardware, and yes better cameras, have a longer usable life than lesser specified computers. This is why most Android phones are 3-year phones at best, and iPhones are 6 year phones.
that is no good: it needs a camera bump
Photographer here. Unless you are cropping significantly in post or doing large print photography 48MP is a complete and utter waste of time.
It will make you fill up your iCloud storage allocation faster, however. Which is probably the point.
It will make you fill up your iCloud storage allocation faster, however. Which is probably the point.
Oh that's wonderful! See, the back of my local Walmart store is kind of a dead zone for signal. Being able to snap a pic of something on the shelf at the back of the store while standing at the front of the store means I don't have to spend the time walking to the back!
My wife will also be happier that she got texted a picture faster. It means she can decide what she wants faster. Now all I need is a Star Trek transporter so I don't have to walk to the back of the store.
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I can't speak for OP, but you should know…not everyone uses a case. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. There are people out there (such as myself) who go against the norm and resist societal pressure to put their devices in cases.
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Myself, I'm kind of partial to making phone calls with my phone.
I mean the camera is cool, but being able to call the people I need/want to is more important to me than the camera. If that's all Apple should focus on then why doesn't Apple just turn the iPhone into the iCamera?
Yes but how far do we take that. If you put the best camera why not the best screen to see the photos. At that point just stop making the regular iPhone and only offer the Pro.
My only issue with the direction phone makers are taking nowadays, particularly Apple & Google, is their insane over processing. They have been steadily improving their hardware but have simultaneously not dialed back any of the post-processing that was more suited to older phones.
I've never wanted my phone to be an optical behemoth or to actually replace my DSLR. There is only so much you can do with a chassis this small and you can't cheat physics. iPhones & Pixels should primarily aim to be dependable point-and-shoot cameras, but they have pushed their software correction a tad further than necessary. The fact that this high processing trajectory is the one they seem quite happy to continue on is what concerns me more than anything else.
They need to do a better job at harmoniously marrying the hardware and software. I want to be able to take solid, natural-looking shots without needing RAW mode or using apps like Halide.
I've never wanted my phone to be an optical behemoth or to actually replace my DSLR. There is only so much you can do with a chassis this small and you can't cheat physics. iPhones & Pixels should primarily aim to be dependable point-and-shoot cameras, but they have pushed their software correction a tad further than necessary. The fact that this high processing trajectory is the one they seem quite happy to continue on is what concerns me more than anything else.
They need to do a better job at harmoniously marrying the hardware and software. I want to be able to take solid, natural-looking shots without needing RAW mode or using apps like Halide.
I think that everyone benefits from the camera upgrades, because everyone takes photos.
However, the marketing for said upgrades is definitely disconnected from reality, at least for most people. I agree with you on that.
Apple tries to market these devices as pro-level tools and they just… aren’t. Not that they can’t be used in professional applications, but shooting Hollywood movies isn’t what the average person is buying these phones for.
Apple needs to lean a little more into how these upgrades tie into the average person’s life rather than trying to convince them that they will be a Hollywood producer. I think it’d go a lot farther.
However, the marketing for said upgrades is definitely disconnected from reality, at least for most people. I agree with you on that.
Apple tries to market these devices as pro-level tools and they just… aren’t. Not that they can’t be used in professional applications, but shooting Hollywood movies isn’t what the average person is buying these phones for.
Apple needs to lean a little more into how these upgrades tie into the average person’s life rather than trying to convince them that they will be a Hollywood producer. I think it’d go a lot farther.
The rumor is the front facing camera will be auto focus. That alone should be a huge improvement over selfies for social media. Also, there are more improvements nowadays through the ISP/machine learning than the actual hardware. You can only do so much for a tiny camera module to fit inside a phone.
The lenses are as small as they are ever going to be. Apple can't beat physics.
I thh
I think they’re going the wrong direction. Cinema Mode or whatever it’s called is extremely niche, I’d rather they focused on making the telephoto camera quality better as currently it’s absolutely garbage compared to the main camera.
I don't think you understand photography... How do you suppose you get a APSC size sensor inside an iPhone? And larger more expensive glass? Many lenses on their own cost more than even the most expensive iPhone. It physically cannot be done. The largest sensor in a phone is a 1" Sony sensor, a few phones use it however even they don't use the whole sensor area, and a 1" sensor is still tiny compared to DSLR/APSC sized sensors.
However as a photographer myself, I can guarantee that give a complete novice an expensive camera and lens, and give a professional an iPhone who knows what they are doing, and the iPhone photo will be better in most cases.
For the size of the sensor and lenses used, Apple have done great work and each year it's improved (mostly).
As others have said, DSLR's are dead in the water, mirrorless is the current and future of professional photography until something even better comes along. Micro 4/3 is basically finished as well, its an ever decreasing market.
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