iPhone 15 Pro Max Why so many media spread false information about the iPhone cameras?

[Unregistered 4U]

SallySue's FB page is unlikely to be printed 13x19 or critically viewed on large color-corrected displays.

Phone cameras are just following where the masses are and that’s low resolution social media videos and images. And the results are awesome for that. The results are even good for those that understand the physics of photography and put those principles to work. And everyone’s happy with what they’re getting out of their phones.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

“To compare these two fairly, we’ll take this one using 3x and this one using a different setting…”
“Why not 5x?”
“Well, but, ah… see, I’m going to show you how the camera is worse”
“Right, but I’ve got access to 5x on that phone. Under what circumstances would I NOT use 5x when taking a photo of something far away?”
“I suppose, um… when you’re trying to make the camera look bad compared to 3x?”
“Ok. Well I have actually captured a list of all the situations under which I would ever take photos ANNNNNNNNNNND… double-checking… nope, comparing against a phone I don’t have isn’t on the list. Strange.”
“But, if I don’t show you this VERY specific example, you won’t understand how bad your camera is!”
“How about I just… agree with you thaaaaat my phone’s camera sucks. And, just go on and take some pictures my friends and family will love? Call it even?”

 

[zakarhino]

And he illustrates another weird behaviour (for the non-German folks around here):

For the Pro Max, if you manually select 5x (where you’d expect the 120mm lens being used) but are too close to the object, instead of a warning/notification, it simply captures a 12MP crop of the main 24mm lens.
It must confuse at least some users why the image quality varies between different 5x shots (or why the focal length does not match the lens).

Edit: Don't get me wrong, it is impressive how Apple implemented this functionality to ensure capturing a sharp image. But it feels like you need a user/technical guide to actually make the most of the stock camera app.

iPhones have always done this and it can be very frustrating. Happens all the time with 3x. Pressing the 3x button will always instantaneously zoom in the viewfinder but it will NOT always switch to the 3x telephoto module, even if you and the phone both think the lighting conditions are right, there is sometimes a delay; in low light the switch doesn't even happen at all.

This kind of inconsistency is supposed to be part of the magic: "you just frame, we'll figure out how best to actually capture it" but that sort of unpredictability disappoints more often than it delivers.

 

[zakarhino]

“To compare these two fairly, we’ll take this one using 3x and this one using a different setting…”
“Why not 5x?”
“Well, but, ah… see, I’m going to show you how the camera is worse”
“Right, but I’ve got access to 5x on that phone. Under what circumstances would I NOT use 5x when taking a photo of something far away?”
“I suppose, um… when you’re trying to make the camera look bad compared to 3x?”
“Ok. Well I have actually captured a list of all the situations under which I would ever take photos ANNNNNNNNNNND… double-checking… nope, comparing against a phone I don’t have isn’t on the list. Strange.”
“But, if I don’t show you this VERY specific example, you won’t understand how bad your camera is!”
“How about I just… agree with you thaaaaat my phone’s camera sucks. And, just go on and take some pictures my friends and family will love? Call it even?”

"Under what circumstances would I NOT use 5x when taking a photo of something far away"

Uhhh, when I want to use 3x and not 5x? If the iPhone camera had a 20x zoom tomorrow instead of 5x would you think it unreasonable for people to want, say, 3x, 5x or 10x? What about if the only telephoto module was 100x? If wanting something in the 3x range on a phone which has a 5x telephoto module is so stupid then why does Apple advertise and include a 2x crop mode? The point of having a telephoto module is not simply to maximize the zoom range of the phone, it's to provide a different creative look.

I use 3x all the time, it's my favorite lens for taking compositions and portraits whereas the 1x is my favorite for everyday shots and capturing action. I like the 3x specifically because it's in the range of 75mm, a very common prime lens configuration for getting focused shots that don't feel like they're quite in the constricted feeling realm of a 120mm super telephoto. Realistically how many people want a 120mm prime or zoom beyond that except for very specific one off scenarios? (concerts, the occasional bird, etc.).

I think it would have made A LOT more sense for Apple to have upgraded the 3x module to the 48MP sensor and allow the equivalent of a 2x crop on that (so approx. 150mm, 6x mode). They already proved the 2x crop on the wide sensor is good enough. That way you can capture decent enough one off super zoomed in shots but you get even better quality from the considerably more versatile 75mm (3x) mode.

 

[jennyp]

Am I right in thinking that the point being argued here is that with the iPhone 15 Pro Max there's more range or scope for digital zoom (and thus for poorer quality) for shots in the relatively large range between the fixed 24mm and the fixed 120mm (larger than the range in the Pro, which would be between the fixed 24mm and the fixed 77mm) ?

 

[Macalicious2011]

Can someone speak to me like I’m 5 about all of this?

I have a basic understanding what optical vs digital zoom is. However I don’t grasp the controversy around the pros/cons relating to the 15Pro vs 15PM telephoto lenses.

 

[DaveXX]

Can someone speak to me like I’m 5 about all of this?

I have a basic understanding what optical vs digital zoom is. However I don’t grasp the controversy around the pros/cons relating to the 15Pro vs 15PM telephoto lenses.

It is very easy. Problem is that it always end in fanboy wars. But here is nothing about worse or better its just about different setups.
1) The cameras in IP15 lineup use the same sensors like last year (no difference, no improvements)
2) All iPhones have and had prime lenses. Means if you use zoom (anything except the 0.5x, 1x and 3x or 5x) you loose quality.
3) The IP15PM has this year a 120mm telephoto lens (5x) instead of the 77mm lens (3x) the Pro has. Means more zoom. But it means as well if you use anything between 3x and 5x you loose quality.... so no 3x. Everything around 3x and 5x has lower quality on the Pro Max than on the Pro but everything around 5x and above is better on the ProMax.

Thats it. So there is nothing about making an IPhone look bad or other ********. Its just about the pros and cons having a 3x vs 5x.
Using 5x (digital zoom) on a IP15Pro does not have that big quality drop than using the 3x (digital zoom) on the IP15PM (thats simply because factor from 24 to 77mm is higher).

Just imagine you make a photo and you cut 90% of the photo away. So it means the 10% left has much less content/information. If you stretch the 10% to the same size the photo was before it will not gain more information. This is digital zoom.

Btw the 120mm has another problem. If you go to close to a subject the IP15PM will use the 24mm lens even for 120mm. This is because the lens needs a specific distance.

 

[lancastor]

Look at the amazing pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S23, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. I hope the too bright , taken with an iPhone 15 Pro, can be patched with a future firmware update.

 

[OneBar]

Look at the amazing pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S23, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. I hope the too bright , taken with an iPhone 15 Pro, can be patched with a future firmware update.

Looks to me on 2 different screens that the Samsung is the one that is yellow/green and too bright.

 

[match14]

The first youtuber i found who really tested exactly this problem (unfortunately in german):

And now the real word example for the IPhone15Pro Max vs Iphone 15 Pro with 77mm which unfortunately does not have some magic.

Iphone 15 Pro with 77mm (3x)

View attachment 2269386

IPhone 15 Pro Max with 77mm

View attachment 2269385

I think you have to be blind not to see these differences.

I decided to watch this review with subtitles and while he points out the weaknesses of the camera pro max at 77mm compared to the pro, he had to pixel peep in quite a lot on his iPad to get the images you see above, and once you realise that then it’s not a total disaster. It also worth watching the review as he also compare the 15 pro zoomed to 120mm compared to the 15 pro max and the 15 pro looks like the 15 pro max at 77mm. He concludes his review by say that the 15 pro and pro max are both good and fun to use.

 

[kc9hzn]

Phone cameras are just following where the masses are and that’s low resolution social media videos and images. And the results are awesome for that. The results are even good for those that understand the physics of photography and put those principles to work. And everyone’s happy with what they’re getting out of their phones.

Right, and I feel like the people making a stink about this have proper cameras. They’ve got fancy DSLRs and the like. And if they don’t? Seems a little bit of concern trolling.

On some level, I’m casually interested in photography, and I could see myself playing around with a film camera. If I were doing professional photography, I’d probably have a DSLR. But for the types of photography I do on a regular basis? Really, a smartphone’s camera makes a lot of sense, where the convenience of having the means to capture an image always on your person outweighs the lesser quality of image. If you want the best image quality, though, then you’d carry a DSLR, at least in situations where you’d expect to take pictures. If I were to use a film camera, it would be more for special occasions (and the joy and tactility of physical media*) than for spontaneous photography, I reckon.

* I play around with MiniDiscs from time to time for a similar reason, and I’d love to get into reel to reel if I could afford and justify it. But I also use Apple Music for the convenience. There’s room in my life for both.

 

[DaveXX]

I decided to watch this review with subtitles and while he points out the weaknesses of the camera pro max at 77mm compared to the pro, he had to pixel peep in quite a lot on his iPad to get the images you see above, and once you realise that then it’s not a total disaster. It also worth watching the review as he also compare the 15 pro zoomed to 120mm compared to the 15 pro max and the 15 pro looks like the 15 pro max at 77mm. He concludes his review by say that the 15 pro and pro max are both good and fun to use.

wow…. isn’t that crazy that you can have fun using an iphone? and a phone with a 120mm lens is better at 120mm than a phone with a 77mm lens … crazy isn’t it?

 

[kc9hzn]

Am I right in thinking that the point being argued here is that with the iPhone 15 Pro Max there's more range or scope for digital zoom (and thus for poorer quality) for shots in the relatively large range between the fixed 24mm and the fixed 120mm (larger than the range in the Pro, which would be between the fixed 24mm and the fixed 77mm) ?

Yes, that seems to be the point. Of course, it probably doesn’t matter to a lot of users, the example in thread of the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 3x is still better than, say, digital zoom on my iPhone XR (which is pretty garbage). I’ve got an iPhone 15 Pro on the way, in part because I wanted to save a bit of money and because the 3x mode is likely going to be more useful these next three or four years (about my upgrade cycle) than 5x. Next upgrade? Who knows, maybe 5x will be the way to go. Maybe the iPhone 19 Pro Max Deluxe mk2 will have three extra fixed length lenses at 3x, 10x, and 40x (but nothing between 10x and 40x!).

 

[DaveXX]

Maybe the iPhone 19 Pro Max Deluxe mk2 will have three extra fixed length lenses at 3x, 10x, and 40x (but nothing between 10x and 40x!).

or maybe the IP15 could have done something someone else did already. It’s called “the optical zoom”

But hey at least we had a rumor that the ne IP15 Ultra should had it….. so maybe we don’t have to wait for IP19 and the solution is already much closer ;-). Let’s wait for the IP16 Ultra.

 

[match14]

Think the point the reviewer is making and that I was agreeing with is that people should buy the the iPhone Pro either (max or non max) and not worry about the small details when it comes to image quality.

 

[DaveXX]

Think the point the reviewer is making and that I was agreeing with is that people should buy the the iPhone Pro either (max or non max) and not worry about the small details when it comes to image quality.

This thread had never the slightest intention to suggest not buying the iPhone.
I would just suggest that if the only reason is the camera coming from 14 or 13.
The problem is just the marketing BS and to understand the differences (pros and cons).
There was nearly no one who pointed out that 5x prime lens comes with cons as well.

 

[hifimacianer]

I decided to watch this review with subtitles and while he points out the weaknesses of the camera pro max at 77mm compared to the pro, he had to pixel peep in quite a lot on his iPad to get the images you see above, and once you realise that then it’s not a total disaster. It also worth watching the review as he also compare the 15 pro zoomed to 120mm compared to the 15 pro max and the 15 pro looks like the 15 pro max at 77mm.

Native German speaker here, and I have to agree. He didn't even noticed a visible difference when viewing the 2 images in full screen on his iPad. He had to zoom in to notice the difference in detail.

 

[hifimacianer]

Here is another review (in english) - he is explaining the camera improvements pretty good, and also the shortcomings with the "digital zoom" between 3x and 5x.

 

[TeeWrecks]

After using my iPhone 14 pro as my main camera during vacation this year I was convinced I actually hate the look of iPhone photos. Lol they’re great for a quick shot or a selfie but that experience led me to buying my first camera and after having my Fuji cam for a few months I can honestly say what the new cameras do are none of my business bc there’s no way I can go back lol. Stressing over the specs will drive you mad just wait until launch n try it out

 

[ab2c4]

After reading the technical info in this thread I still have no idea what anybody is talking about, and I’m fine with that.

I just want to know will the pictures I take on my new iPhone 15PM be better, the same, or worse overall than my regular iPhone 13?

Basically with my 13 if I do 5x zoom it’s pretty blurry, I assume it will be better with the 15PM?

 

[DaveXX]

After reading the technical info in this thread I still have no idea what anybody is talking about, and I’m fine with that.

I just want to know will the pictures I take on my new iPhone 15PM be better, the same, or worse overall than my regular iPhone 13?

Basically with my 13 if I do 5x zoom it’s pretty blurry, I assume it will be better with the 15PM?

As long you use 0.5x 1x and 5x its the same or better (especially compared to 5x on you 13PM).
If you use sth else between 3x and 5x it’s worse.

 

[ab2c4]

As long you use 0.5x 1x and 5x its the same or better (especially compared to 5x on you 13PM).
If you use sth else between 3x and 5x it’s worse.

That’s what I needed to know, thank you. 2x is ok also correct?

 

[DaveXX]

That’s what I needed to know, thank you. 2x is ok also correct?

2x should be even better compared to 13 because of the improved sensor

 

[TroyBoy30]

NOT updated in any way

with the exception of the tele on the pro max and a slightly bigger sensor on the pro.

You can't say 'not updated with the exception'. if there is an exception they it was updated or at least changed

 

[vinegarshots]

Look at the amazing pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S23, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. I hope the too bright , taken with an iPhone 15 Pro, can be patched with a future firmware update.

A couple things I learned from that video:

A) The Iphone 15 Pro is overall the better performing camera.
B) The 3X digital zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max somehow is almost equivalent in quality to the optical 3X zoom on the S23 (timestamp 9:12 on the review video). Viewing the comparison full screen, the difference is so minimal that I'm not sure it's even worth worrying about.