Other Does the new iPhone 12 Pro camera reach DSLR quality?

[Girder_Shade]

Especially on the Max?
Seems the huge advancements in HDR and low light performance are near or on par with at least entry level cameras.

 

[silvetti]

No

 

[Nextup12]

No phone's camera does and probably never will /thread

Unless you're talking about some of the cheaper point and shoots, maybe. But DSLR's? Nope

 

[GDF]

Hard to say. On my 11 Pro, I have showed pics to friends and they all think it was shot with a DLSR. The high end phones are definitely getting really good.

 

[akash.nu]

No phone's camera does and probably never will /thread

Unless you're talking about some of the cheaper point and shoots, maybe. But DSLR's? Nope

This!

Hard to say. On my 11 Pro, I have showed pics to friends and they all think it was shot with a DLSR. The high end phones are definitely getting really good.

So this is simply not possible. Sorry to say your friends may not have been the right people to ask that question to.

Yes, computational photography has come a long way and yes the phones these days do produce usable pictures for social media etc, but when it comes to the actual quality of these shots a smaller sensor just doesn’t compete with a bigger sensor. This is basic physics.

Anyone who knows what they are doing with a picture will get way more out from a picture shot with even a cheaper DSLR compared to a phone camera.

Would an average social media user care much about it? That’s debatable based on the end result post processing of the said picture.

If you go to the photography forums here you’ll see some amazingly talented people taking some crazy shots with DSLR which is just not possible to achieve on a phone camera.

Having said all of that, personally I’ve sold my DSLR a few years ago and have switched to phone photography to make it a challenge for myself.

 

[Ray2]

I’ve shown friends images taken with my old 4S and they all think it was shot with a DLSR. Maybe it depends on who's looking at the image.

 

[marty1980]

Non professionals may think iPhone photos are as good, but technically they are nowhere near the quality. They cannot fit a sensor into the iPhone that can capture the quality of a DLSR without making the entire back of the phone a camera and even then there problems with space due to the thinness of the phone. Even mirrorless DLSRs need more space.

Apple has done a really good job of post processing. The sensors are really good for what they are, but it’s not DLSR quality. This debate comes up often with new phones.

 

[silvetti]

I’ve shown friends images taken with my old 4S and they all think it was shot with a DLSR. Maybe it depends on who's looking at the image.

Let me know on what screen were you showing it?
On the minuscule screen (to todays standards) of the 4S or did on a 22 inch monitor for example?
If on monitor, your friends are blind or have never seen actual photos from a DSLR.

 

[Girder_Shade]

No phone's camera does and probably never will /thread

Unless you're talking about some of the cheaper point and shoots, maybe. But DSLR's? Nope

So you think AI computation won't overtake lens or sensor size ever?
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This!



So this is simply not possible. Sorry to say your friends may not have been the right people to ask that question to.

Yes, computational photography has come a long way and yes the phones these days do produce usable pictures for social media etc, but when it comes to the actual quality of these shots a smaller sensor just doesn’t compete with a bigger sensor. This is basic physics.

Anyone who knows what they are doing with a picture will get way more out from a picture shot with even a cheaper DSLR compared to a phone camera.

Would an average social media user care much about it? That’s debatable based on the end result post processing of the said picture.

If you go to the photography forums here you’ll see some amazingly talented people taking some crazy shots with DSLR which is just not possible to achieve on a phone camera.

Having said all of that, personally I’ve sold my DSLR a few years ago and have switched to phone photography to make it a challenge for myself.

Couldn't computational photography eventually upscale lower quality photos on phones with smaller sensors?

 

[oVerboost]

That depends. Ultimately, no it doesn’t.

However to most people who don’t zoom into pictures and pixel peep then the results can be very close especially when viewed on anything that isn’t blown up for print or a very large display.

It’s certainly getting ever closer though, but ultimately the sensor size is what restricts the camera, and then in turn the glass in front.

 

[The Game 161]

It's getting closer and closer each year

 

[akash.nu]

So you think AI computation won't overtake lens or sensor size ever?
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Couldn't computational photography eventually upscale lower quality photos on phones with smaller sensors?

Not possible when you don’t capture enough data to begin with. It’s the certainty of physics. Bigger lenses will capture more data to be processed.

Now if the DSLR manufacturers got hold of the image processing algorithm Apple and Google use then it’d have been a different game altogether but then again, people who use DSLR as their main device to capture shots most likely won’t like some auto processing. They like to craft the pictures the way they want.

Apple’s approach of ProRAW is really good in that aspect but still the size of the lens and sensors is always going to be a bottleneck.

For what it’s worth image processing is as valuable as capturing the data when it comes to the whole photography aspect. If you’re interested to learn then I suggest you frequent the photography forums here.

Also, plugging in my own Instagram here for some phone photography motivations - https://Instagram.com/Akash_nu

 

[DukeSilver79]

I have been quite impressed with some of the pictures I’ve gotten this year with my iPhone 11 Pro. That being said, anytime I pull out my DSLR for soccer games for my kids or something like that, I’m always blown away looking at them later, even on my iPad. There still is no comparison, in my opinion.

 

[snipr125]

No pinhole sensor will ever get even close to the quality of a DSLR, as others have said its all about physics and light. My fairly cheap Canon 1200D (£300) and its entry level 50 mm fixed lens (£95) are superior to any iphone pro image in terms of sharpness, depth of field etc. However, iphones/smartphones are superior at handling dynamic range and exposure E.g. clear image of foreground and background like clouds and blue skies.

 

[mollyc]

A phone camera wouldn’t even match my first 8mp dSLR that I bought in 2007. Light, sensor size, and glass make up excellent photos.

 

[javisan]

However, iphones/smartphones are superior at handling dynamic range and exposure E.g. clear image of foreground and background like clouds and blue skies.

This is very true! dynamic range is the only advantage I think iPhones currently have when compared to lower cost DSLRs. But for everything else, DSLRs or mirrorless cameras like the low cost Canon M50 will produce sharper images with great depth of filed (not faked via software like smartphones can only do).

 

[||\||]

Not possible when you don’t capture enough data to begin with. It’s the certainty of physics. Bigger lenses will capture more data to be processed.

Sensor size also affects field of view. Narrow depth of field (background blurring) is simulated in photos by selecting edges and blurring. This is physically impossible to do naturally with such a small sensor. Large sensors will always have an advantage here. You can't beat the physics of light.

 

[v386]

Especially on the Max?
Seems the huge advancements in HDR and low light performance are near or on par with at least entry level cameras.

This depends highly on what you mean by quality. The sensor on a conventional DSLR or mirrorless camera with a full frame sensor captures much more and better raw data from the scene and therefore if you are looking for an accurate representation of reality, there is simply more and better data to work with. On the other hand if accuracy or fidelity to reality is not what's important but rather producing a beautiful image, the computational photography techniques employed in phones has come a long way and can produce stunning images that mask the shortcomings of the underlying lens and sensor in ways that may not be true the actual scene but that may not matter to you.

 

[Capeto]

As others have mentioned, you can't beat physics - a larger sensor will always capture more detail, in addition to being able to provide true bokeh effects.

However, there are certain advantages to the iPhone cameras, with the biggest one for me being handling multiple exposures and post-processing especially for outdoor portraits; I personally find it a pain in the ass to try to get the sky from overexposing and having to dodge shadows in people's faces when post-processing outdoor portaits.

Also, as others have said, it depends on where you're viewing the photos. It's going to be difficult to see many differences between a DSLR pic and a phone pic on a phone screen, but show those pics on a larger display like a monitor (or even print them out) and the difference becomes very obvious.

Personally, ever since the iPhone 8, phone photography has replaced 90% of my photography. I still use my mirrorless camera for planned portraits, special events, and outdoors vacations, but not having to carry my mirrorless camera most of the time is a great feeling when aiming for "good enough" everyday pictures.

 

[andyw715]

It's certainly way more convenient. The best photos come from the camera you are currently holding.

Just like a seasoned photographer can take beautiful photos with a phone, a casual user can take crappy pics with a $6.5k Canon.

 

[deeddawg]

Especially on the Max?
Seems the huge advancements in HDR and low light performance are near or on par with at least entry level cameras.

Short answer is "no" - for the simple reason that "DSLR quality" is a moving target, and no phone will match the capabilities of a DSLR/mirrorless camera of similar generation - this is due to sensor & optics physics.

Now that doesn't mean a skilled photographer cannot create stunning images with a phone camera when conditions are suitable for doing so.

 

[trims]

Answer no. 2 is succinct and correct. And others have explained why.

But my iPhone 7 goes places my big heavy DSLR doesn't. Especially when I'm travelling. Have taken photos when skiing and at the apres ski which I otherwise couldn't have done - because my DSLR is back at the hotel. Yes, you can tell the difference in quality on the iMac, but they're better than no photo at all.

I'm excited for the IP12 Pro upgrade. Better lenses, image stabilisation and HDR with improved low light capability. Still won't beat the Nikon though, except perhaps for low light photography.

 

[Jro29]

Shouldn't the question actually be: For most people, will the pictures they take with an iPhone and a dSLR be very similar, to the point of being indistinguishable to most folks?

I think the answer is yes in bright sunlight. Hell, maybe with the new software in low light too.

I think with a person who has photographic experience, the answer is no. But the average person that shoots in Auto? Who doesn't do much post processing?

I don't think you could say that with the iPhone 5 compared to, say, the Nikon D70. But now?

And that's before taking into account that for 90 percent of photographs the ones on the phone are vastly superior to the ones on the SLR because the SLR ones don't get taken when the camera is on the shelf at home.

 

[realeric]

'2020 iPhone 12 Pro is not even closer to '2010 DSLRs. It won't be possible ever because of law of physics. Pinhole sensor and tiny lens can't compete with huge sensor and giant lens.

Phone cameras, however, are getting better and better. DSLR market share will be decreased even if phone cameras can't replace DSLRs.

 

[Ray2]

Let me know on what screen were you showing it?
On the minuscule screen (to todays standards) of the 4S or did on a 22 inch monitor for example?
If on monitor, your friends are blind or have never seen actual photos from a DSLR.

You really think so?