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soundweave

macrumors member
Jul 6, 2010
40
54
This camera is a true beast. Quite big difference vs 15 Pro Max on all lenses which is probably thanks to the new ISP in A18 Pro.


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 5x, 120mm, 0.01s, f/2.97, ISO 32, 11.7MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.01s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 12.07MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 5x, 120mm, 0.04s, f/2.97, ISO 32, 12.01MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 5x, 120mm, 0.01s, f/2.97, ISO 32, 11.59MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 5x, 120mm, 1s, f/2.97, ISO 32, 11.53MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.1s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 11.85MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.14s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 11.49MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.1s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 12.19MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.25s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 11.92MP)
WOW, jajo.j, these are excellent. They look completely natural. Sharp and with soft lighting. No artificial over-sharpening or crunchy textures. It looks like a 1 inch sensor on Sony RX100 on a tripod.

Please explain your process. It seems you said default camera app? Did you use ProRAW? Or the new Photographic Styles? Exposure adjustment? Did you use a tripod? Edited?

Other samples I've seen look the same as previous phones so I'm curious how yours are so natural.

If these are done without ProRAW I might have to upgrade. (ProRAW looks pretty great on iPhone 15 Pro but cumbersome to handle in the library, with the huge files needing compression).

Amazing work!
 
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al404

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2011
541
35
Novara, Italy
Exactly! It’s not always about a new sensor and all, the ISP plays a huge role. Just look at the Pixel lineup, it has the same sensor for years and still produced some of the very best photos.

The 16 Pro with the A18 and new ISP definitely shoots much better photos than my 15 Pro.

Yes but this exactly what I'am afraid off

Did you ever see a RAW from a pixel? it looks awful
You can download from DpReview some picture as JPG and RAW and you can see how awful are RAW file

try yourself
 

jajo.j

macrumors 6502
Oct 11, 2023
321
986
WOW, jajo.j, these are excellent. They look completely natural. Sharp and with soft lighting. No artificial over-sharpening or crunchy textures. It looks like a 1 inch sensor on Sony RX100 on a tripod.

Please explain your process. It seems you said default camera app? Did you use ProRAW? Or the new Photographic Styles? Exposure adjustment? Did you use a tripod? Edited?

Other samples I've seen look the same as previous phones so I'm curious how yours are so natural.

If these are done without ProRAW I might have to upgrade. (ProRAW looks pretty great on iPhone 15 Pro but cumbersome to handle in the library, with the huge files needing compression).

Amazing work!

The "Stock camera" label below the images is actually wrong. These are shot using ProCamera with Regular RAW (not ProRAW) and then edited in lightroom. The 5x shot on the church close up is using a tripod but the other shots are handheld.

I can really recommend using third party apps to get a more natural look from the photos of 16 Pro Max. Stock camera has a lot of editing going on. ProRAW is not really a real RAW format. But you can get real RAW files using another software.

I see much less noise on 16 PM compared to 15 PM so it is easier to edit them to preserve detail. Actually a much bigger upgrade than I expected.
 
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soundweave

macrumors member
Jul 6, 2010
40
54
The "Stock camera" label below the images is actually wrong. These are shot using ProCamera with Regular RAW (not ProRAW) and then edited in lightroom. The 5x shot on the church close up is using a tripod but the other shots are handheld.

I can really recommend using third party apps to get a more natural look from the photos of 16 Pro Max. Stock camera has a lot of editing going on. ProRAW is not really a real RAW format. But you can get real RAW files using another software.

I see much less noise on 16 PM compared to 15 PM so it is easier to edit them to preserve detail. Actually a much bigger upgrade than I expected.
Good to know, thank you. Explains why it looks so natural, I was surprised when it said stock camera app. Looks like the sensor is doing really well in low light and your edits are really nice.

It's a shame we have to do this workaround though and can't get this sort of look with a convenient capture in the default app if desired.
 

ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,900
5,886
Central Tx
Moon 5x
Lightroom edit

IMG_8408.jpeg
 

ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,900
5,886
Central Tx
The "Stock camera" label below the images is actually wrong. These are shot using ProCamera with Regular RAW (not ProRAW) and then edited in lightroom. The 5x shot on the church close up is using a tripod but the other shots are handheld.

I can really recommend using third party apps to get a more natural look from the photos of 16 Pro Max. Stock camera has a lot of editing going on. ProRAW is not really a real RAW format. But you can get real RAW files using another software.

I see much less noise on 16 PM compared to 15 PM so it is easier to edit them to preserve detail. Actually a much bigger upgrade than I expected.
Halide has the option for zero process in their app. No ProRAW. Thanks for the info
 

datagov63

macrumors member
Dec 16, 2023
82
735
Beware confirmation bias. A new phone comes out and you see a few photos and think, hmm, let me construct the arguments to persuade myself I will be better, happier, etc.
 
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TL24

macrumors 65816
Oct 20, 2011
1,457
1,361
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ViperrepiV

macrumors regular
Jan 25, 2008
198
26
For those of you using the default camera app....which photographic style are you going with as your default? Standard? An adjusted version of standard?

On my 15p I was using "rich contrast" and dialing the "tone" down a little bit. But now I need to find my new default since those pervious classifications no longer exist.
 

al404

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2011
541
35
Novara, Italy
I wonder why Apple doesn't allow us to shoot at 24mp as well on the UW? That would make more sense than to limit it to 12mp smh
I think they get 12mpx by pixel binning 4 pixel. I don’t understand how they can get 24mpx in raw from 48mpx. Maybe downscaling
 
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datagov63

macrumors member
Dec 16, 2023
82
735
I wonder why Apple doesn't allow us to shoot at 24mp as well on the UW? That would make more sense than to limit it to 12mp smh
All the sensors on the iPhone are 12MP. The 48MP and 24MP results are from pixel shifting, which is very easy to do on a small sensor. 48MP is a 4 frame shift. 24 is 2 frames.
I think they get 12mpx by pixel binning 4 pixel. I don’t understand how they can get 24mpx in raw from 48mpx. Maybe downscaling
It's actually 2x upscaling from 12MP sensor. Just math.
 

datagov63

macrumors member
Dec 16, 2023
82
735
Anything captured on the iPhone past 12MP is computational photography. Apple calls it a Photonics Engine. This method has been around for years. What matters is the speed of the CPU. Faster CPUs make faster computational photography, which the user perceives when doing fast action shots. Each year CPUs in iPhones get about 15% faster. Probably upgrading every three years is optimal.

Like a lot of "upgrades" from apple, one has to look deeper to see the difference between hype and reality.
 
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al404

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2011
541
35
Novara, Italy
Anything captured on the iPhone past 12MP is computational photography. Apple calls it a Photonics Engine. This method has been around for years. What matters is the speed of the CPU. Faster CPUs make faster computational photography, which the user perceives when doing fast action shots. Each year CPUs in iPhones get about 15% faster. Probably upgrading every three years is optimal.

Like a lot of "upgrades" from apple, one has to look deeper to see the difference between hype and reality.
Where did you get this information?
Is not what apple says "quad-pixel sensor", they say that the new sensor have 4 smaller pixel where we had one before 12 x 4 = 48
 

al404

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2011
541
35
Novara, Italy
Is not what you are saying, it is the opposite

"The iPhone 14 Pro Camera Sensor relies on something called “pixel binning,” which is the process of combining pixels and averaging the values. This can allow high-megapixel sensors to output a lower resolution to reduce noise and improve the frame rate. This concept is used in the iPhone's main 24mm camera and is called Quad-Pixel Arrangement, which is the Apple branded version.

This enables users to shoot RAW images and combine four pixels into one uber-pixel with 2.44 microns of real estate to capture 12MP images with great low-light capabilities. Or, each pixel can be used independently for a larger, more detailed 48MP image. And that gives content creators not only high-quality images but also options.
"

"ProRaw can also be used in the 12MP lossless configuration by selecting that option in the ProRaw Resolution setting and turning on Quad-Pixel Arrangement. This feature groups the pixels into dedicated red, green, and blue clusters, and then the camera uses computational photography and machine learning to build up the image to its best possible presentation."

If you use it as 12mpx it will "groups the pixels into dedicated red, green, and blue clusters"

"the camera uses computational photography and machine learning to build up the image to its best possible presentation" is because ProRaw is not a real RAW file but I merges multiples shoots into one

Source

This video does explain pixel binning

Ad far as I now you can just make a pixel binning of al LEAST 4 pixel, that is why I was wondering how did they get a 24mpx

And that is why I asked is main camera sensor is now bigger

On my Xiaomi 14 ultra main camera is 1"
 

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jajo.j

macrumors 6502
Oct 11, 2023
321
986

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.01s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 11.85MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 0.01s, f/1.7, ISO 50, 12.19MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 5x, 120mm, 0.2s, f/2.97, ISO 32, 12.19MP)


Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Stock camera, 1x, 24mm, 1s, f/1.7, ISO 64, 11.8MP)
 

cocky jeremy

macrumors 604
Jul 12, 2008
6,500
7,169
The ultra wide camera image at 48mp ProRAW looks better using the ProCam app vs the native camera. Over 100% crops
Most of the time I prefer third-party apps.


Native camera
View attachment 2427236

ProCam app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/procam-capture-proraw-photos/id1562150140

View attachment 2427242
I tried this app and I'm wondering if there is a bug or something. On the selfie camera the preview is exposed perfectly, but when you take the photo it's darker and grainier.
 
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Dick Whitman

macrumors 6502
Oct 16, 2012
483
159
Yep, mostly. Planning on playing with styles today, which looks promising (I’m okay with HEIF), and Halide Process Zero and Zerocam.

I bought a Fuji X-T5 last year and I love it. Not expecting anything like that quality of image from the 16 PM, but styles and tone reminds me somewhat of the Fuji film sims.

In general, I know it’ll be a big upgrade from my 11.
I wish there was a way to shoot both RAW and HEIF, similar to how my X100V can shoot both RAW and JPEG. My biggest concern with HEIF is that it will result in poorer IQ when uploaded to platforms like Instagram but perhaps that concern is somewhat unfouded. I'm excited to finally take a day trip in the near future and properly test all the new camera features.
 
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