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Sorry, but please go to any photography website to educate yourself. Every zoom is „variable optical“, otherwise it is not a zoom but a fixed focal length. That‘s why all iPhone (and Samsung etc.) smartphones so far do not really have „zoom“ lenses but tele lenses. They just use the term „zoom“ wrong.
Cool, these are smartphones and not real cameras. Having different lenses allows for optical zoom. You are just being pedantic with the naming.
 
New rumores regarding the periscope-tele for iPhone 15 pro max (from China): 1/1.9'' sensor / 85 mm / F2.8.

This would mean "only" 3,5x zoom, but with an extreme large sensor for a tele and probably 48MP for 7x digital zoom with 12 MP.

If true, it would mean Appe - again - is not going for the biggest spec (10x optical zoom) but for an extremly well balanced option which would do great for e. g. portrait even in low-light situations.
Fake news obviously. Sorry.
 
The regular iPhone 15 models will have 48MP with Pixel binning, like how the 14 Pro shoots without ProRaw turned on. It will be a similar setup to what the Pixel 7a has in comparison to the Pro models, albeit likely a larger difference.

The 15 Pro models should be improved at least a little, even if its just software an improvement is an improvement, and the 14 Pro when using ProRaw still takes arguably the best photos on any smartphone if you are prepared to edit the raw files. The sensor is after all, not that much smaller than a 1 inch type sensor and with added computational processing can match a dedicated camera like the Sony RX100 in a lot of instances.

Wait and see, I'm sure that Apple are going to throw a curve ball into the mix and surprise us all with at least one thing...
 
I'm so excited about the Periscope Lens System on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I can't wait to try it out! It will be a Game Changer in the photography world.
Are you aware that the competence has that exact type of
True but the problem is they are not running the World’s Most Advanced Operating System. iOS ✅
Yes, iOS is best mobile OS, but the periscope won't be any Game Changer in the photography world for sure
 
If they get rid of the 3x camera and get a 5x/6x periscope camera instead, we will get the 2x digital crop of the main sensor, and all the zoom to 6x will be digital, which is *****. Digital zoom will never be as good as optics…
 
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Gotta love ChatGPT for this kind of thing

Certainly! Here's a summarized table comparing the camera specifications of the iPhone 15 models:


ModelMain Camera (Specs & Features)Ultra Wide CameraTelephoto Camera (Specs & Features)
iPhone 15 & 15 Plus48 MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture, New Sony sensor*12 MP, ƒ/2.4None mentioned
iPhone 15 Pro48 MP, Sony IMX-803, ƒ/1.78 aperture13.4 MP, ƒ/2.212.7 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture
iPhone 15 Pro Max48 MP, Sony IMX-803, ƒ/1.78 aperture13.4 MP, ƒ/2.212.7 MP, ƒ/2.8, with new periscope lens

*Note: This sensor is different from the Sony IMX-803 found in iPhone 14 Pro. There's uncertainty about whether the base iPhone 15 will have a stacked sensor system.

Key Highlights:
- iPhone 15 and 15 Plus feature an all-new 48-megapixel Sony sensor, a substantial upgrade from iPhone 14's 12-megapixel main camera.
- iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max's Main camera utilizes the Sony IMX-803 sensor.
- Significant upgrades have been made to the Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
- The iPhone 15 Pro Max introduces a new periscope lens system for its Telephoto camera, expected to offer between 5x and 10x zoom.
- Periscope lens is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max due to space constraints. This lens uses folded optics systems with angled mirrors for enhanced optical zoom capabilities.
- The iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will likely feature the periscope lens in both Pro and Pro Max models.

Remember, this information is pre-production, and might not reflect the final mass production units.
 
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This has to be proved. Many enthusiasts actually view it as a critical point to let go of the 3,5x optical option, especially for portrait and others.

Furthermore, Apple has a history of not going "standart" regarding teh pure spec pushing.

They may use the really large sensor (for a tele lens), which ist actually the size of the iPhone 12 pro main sensor, to allow for comperativly high quality crooping up to 14x digital zoom. Or the 85 mm is just the lower end of the option and it really has 85mm and another fixed at around 300 mm. However, taht is currently rumored for the 16 "Ultra".

Don‘t get me wrong, I‘m not even against this! I would like a high(er) quality portrait focal length. I just think this is not something that marketing could sell to the average iPhone user as a significant step forward.

Cool, these are smartphones and not real cameras. Having different lenses allows for optical zoom. You are just being pedantic with the naming.

Words have meanings, you know. Calling what smartphones have „zoom“ is just marketing BS.
 
Gotta love ChatGPT for this kind of thing

Certainly! Here's a summarized table comparing the camera specifications of the iPhone 15 models:


ModelMain Camera (Specs & Features)Ultra Wide CameraTelephoto Camera (Specs & Features)
iPhone 15 & 15 Plus48 MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture, New Sony sensor*12 MP, ƒ/2.4None mentioned
iPhone 15 Pro48 MP, Sony IMX-803, ƒ/1.78 aperture13.4 MP, ƒ/2.212.7 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture
iPhone 15 Pro Max48 MP, Sony IMX-803, ƒ/1.78 aperture13.4 MP, ƒ/2.212.7 MP, ƒ/2.8, with new periscope lens

*Note: This sensor is different from the Sony IMX-803 found in iPhone 14 Pro. There's uncertainty about whether the base iPhone 15 will have a stacked sensor system.

Key Highlights:
- iPhone 15 and 15 Plus feature an all-new 48-megapixel Sony sensor, a substantial upgrade from iPhone 14's 12-megapixel main camera.
- iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max's Main camera utilizes the Sony IMX-803 sensor.
- Significant upgrades have been made to the Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
- The iPhone 15 Pro Max introduces a new periscope lens system for its Telephoto camera, expected to offer between 5x and 10x zoom.
- Periscope lens is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max due to space constraints. This lens uses folded optics systems with angled mirrors for enhanced optical zoom capabilities.
- The iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will likely feature the periscope lens in both Pro and Pro Max models.

Remember, this information is pre-production, and might not reflect the final mass production units.
You're aware that ChatGPT is EXACTLY summarazing the information from the very article we are currently commenting???
 
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You should probably go and try the S23 first yourself. It is using optical zoom at 3x and 10x.
If you zoom in and go to somewhere between 3x and 10x, the 3x lens will be used and cropped, as digital zoom.

It’s the same with iPhone models, and will probably be with the new one.
The technology is not there yet to have actually moving optics or sensors, except for some concept phones.
saying same as me, and yes 1 Sony model offers true optical zoom and 15ProMax is rumored to - that's the differentiation
 
But no one is 'zooming' between distances in a still photo. User's don't want the option to 'switch to another telephoto lens', they just want to zoom into their shot. 3x telephoto is 3x zoom. 10x telephoto is 10x zoom. Anything in between is the same as shooting at 3x and then cropping the photo after it's taken, so from a user experience it's exactly the same result.

What Samsung says is correct. You can have 3x optical 'zoom' compared to the main lens or 10x optical 'zoom' compared to the main lens. In reality it's using a different camera, but from a user perspective, you're 'zooming' into the picture, and it is doing it optically which preserves the image quality over a 10x digital crop on the main camera. It's not a digital zoom on Samsung to go to 3x or 10x. It's optical because it's a different camera and a different lens.
3x and 10x are different lenses, static focal length, in photography zooming is between 3x and 10x and you admit that it's digital. true optical zoom is rumored for 15PM ...
My 100-400mm lens on my DSLR offers optical zoom between those focal lengths ... my 13PM has 1x and 3x, and digital inbetween
 
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While the term „game changer“ may seem a bit over used it’s perfectly valid if applied to the development of cell phone camera technologies over the last 10, 15 years. There have been huge leaps imo.
Absolutely, but while for an iPhone to go from 3X to 5X(or even 10X) is a wonderful and very welcomed upgrade — game changer though? A lot of other phone makers have had far superior zoom for quite a few years now. Don't get me wrong — I'm on 'our' side, I upgraded to a 13 Pro because it went from 2X to 3X, but I didn't read it as a 'game changer' or a 'breakthrough' :)
 
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The regular iPhone 15 models will have 48MP with Pixel binning, like how the 14 Pro shoots without ProRaw turned on. It will be a similar setup to what the Pixel 7a has in comparison to the Pro models, albeit likely a larger difference.

The 15 Pro models should be improved at least a little, even if its just software an improvement is an improvement, and the 14 Pro when using ProRaw still takes arguably the best photos on any smartphone if you are prepared to edit the raw files. The sensor is after all, not that much smaller than a 1 inch type sensor and with added computational processing can match a dedicated camera like the Sony RX100 in a lot of instances.

Wait and see, I'm sure that Apple are going to throw a curve ball into the mix and surprise us all with at least one thing...
main camera won't be upgraded on the 15PM😕 huge let down.
 
There’s a wide variety of use cases between those two extremes. A cell phone camera may not be able to duplicate what a high end DSLR can do, but as the years have gone by, their quality has steadily improved.

iPhone photographs and videos are now good enough for many amateur and even some professional applications. And, for ad hoc shots, even an inferior camera at hand beats a better one that’s not with you.

I’m looking forward to see what the iPhone 15 brings to the table.
Not arguing with any of that. I myself, stopped talking my very expensive and heavy DSLR on trips, I just don't see the 'game changer' aspect here. Smartphone photography has been improving slowly but surely this entire time. A game changer was iPhone 4 — when I stopped carrying around a point and shoot camera. Very subjective, I know.
 
This is why I use the Apple Upgrade program. Christmas every September when I get the latest Pro Max phone.
I'm still wondering if its worth it or if I'm wasting money By using apple upgrade program, been using it since 2019
 
go learn what zoom really means in photography
You are being unnecessarily pedantic.

Zoom simply means to change smoothly from a close up to a long shot or vice versa. Nobody cares how you achieve it. There is no specificity on how, just the end result of changing focus from close to far.

You can zoom in various ways.

1a. Mechanical: Using multiple lens elements to alter the size of light rays hitting the sensor.
1b. Changing to different lens with a fixed focal length.
2a. Digitally: Cropping into an image
2b. Hybrid: Using multiple fixed focal lenses and using software to interpolate between those different focal lengths.

You are still zooming into the image.
 
You are being unnecessarily pedantic.

Zoom simply means to change smoothly from a close up to a long shot or vice versa. Nobody cares how you achieve it. There is no specificity on how, just the end result of changing focus from close to far.

You can zoom in various ways.

1a. Mechanical: Using multiple lens elements to alter the size of light rays hitting the sensor.
1b. Changing to different lens with a fixed focal length.
2a. Digitally: Cropping into an image
2b. Hybrid: Using multiple fixed focal lenses and using software to interpolate between those different focal lengths.

You are still zooming into the image.
so when you digitally (crop or hybrid per your above) zoom, you are losing image quality as your now zoomed image is artificially enlarged to the original size your sensor supports, with optical zoom that doesn't happen.
Can we agree on that?

For you and many others that might be ok and sufficient, for me it is not. True optical zoom with the rumored 15ProMax for me would be the only feature to upgrade, so call me pedantic, that's fine. I have my needs, you have yours.
 
True but the problem is they are not running the World’s Most Advanced Operating System. iOS ✅
The world's most advanced OS? Sorry but that just isn't remotely true anymore. I was a long-time Android user who switched to a 14PM for the last year. I also ran the iOS 17 beta (along with the watch os10 on my Apple watch). Sorry but Apple is behind Android in a lot of ways, and the gap for "bugs" is now pretty slim too. I've switched back to Android for several key reasons (terrible notification management and dated e-mail/calendar functionality to name a few). Unless you are all-in with several Apple devices, Android provides a cleaner and more user-friendly OS. And before anyone chimes in on privacy, I have some bad news for you all - Apple is just as guilty as Google for collecting/mismanaging your data. All big tech companies do it, just the price you pay for so many "free" services. Anyway, rant over. Use what you like, but calling iOS more advanced than Android just isn't even close to true.
 
You're aware that ChatGPT is EXACTLY summarazing the information from the very article we are currently commenting???

Yes, it does a much better job of distilling what's relevant without all the filler words. The table presentation is also very quick in highlighting the difference.

EDIT: I think I see what the confusion is. I literally told ChatGPT to summarize the text of the article and product a table. You can click on the link in my post to see it.
 
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