I dropped my old X, that I use for a backup phone when kayaking for this reason, in the river and am now using my old 6 (or 6S I can’t remember) as my river phone. However, I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be worth replacing the X with another used X as I take lots of pictures of the fish I catch and portrait mode alone makes a huge difference. I found them on eBay for $350 in “good” condition. Think it would be worth it if pictures are important? Is there a better upgrade in image quality for not much more like a XS or 11? Thanks!
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iPhone 12 Pro How much better is the camera on the X than the 6/6S?
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a good option for a good picture quality would be the iPhone 12 mini, which is The latest iPhone. It has a display as big as the iPhone 8 Plus on a device smaller than a 6. Now, camera-wise, it is a HUGE difference. With the improved ultra wide camera, and the also improved telephoto camera. The pricing is $700 but it is very worth it. $800 if you want a bigger display in the normal 12, $1000 if you want the pro. Hope this helps!
The X's advantage is OIS, telephoto, and portrait mode. These things are not available on the 6/6s.
If you want to upgrade, the 11 is the better upgrade than a Xs. The 11 will give you night mode.
If you want to upgrade, the 11 is the better upgrade than a Xs. The 11 will give you night mode.
Lol did you not see where I was looking for a replacement river phone in the neighborhood of $350-400?
On swappa, you can get a good condition 64mb 11 for around 450.
Mint condition 64mb Xr's are 350-380 on swappa.
Mint condition 64mb Xr's are 350-380 on swappa.
It is better, but I'm not sure by how much. Below is a link from the apple website comparing the xr,11 and x. The xr is the model after the x so it probably has some incremental quality upgrades. I did notice that the x has a telephoto and the xr does not. That would be a show stopper for me. I use the telephoto constantly on my 8plus and will have to upgrade to a pro model just to keep it.
Hopefully someone who's owned an X and an Xr will chime in.
Good luck!
iPhone - Compare Models
Compare features and technical specifications for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone SE, and many more.
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If you only will use it for taking pictures when out on the river, I would definitely go for the SE 2020, it takes great pictures and the size is very practical when being in the nature. I have a iPhone 8 which I use when doing stuff where it is nice the phone isn’t noticeable in the pocket (being in nature etc), and I use my IPhone 12 Pro Max in all other instances.
If you think you will be using for other than just being at the river, I would suggest the 11. Personally I like a bigger screen and battery for daily use.
If you think you will be using for other than just being at the river, I would suggest the 11. Personally I like a bigger screen and battery for daily use.
What a stupid post, the OP clearly states that it’s intended to be a backup phone when kayaking so recommending the latest and greatest is either facetious or totally missing the point
It is the iPhone SE 2nd generation, it does take better pictures than the X, but the X has a optical zoom, if you use that a lot.
Don’t know where you are based but in US the SE is $399 from apple, but you might get one on a deal or used
I probably wouldn't use a 6/6s as a "river phone" as they don't have any water resistance. Other than that, the 6s still runs iOS 14 fine and runs almost all current apps. Even new, its battery life is worse than modern phones though and the camera is fine, but the X/11/12/SE2 series phones are noticeably better, especially in low light.
The SE has no *telephoto - it has a single wide-angle lens for the back camera. (There are no iPhones with an optical zoom, which is classically defined as a single lens with variable focal length.) However, the second-generation SE does support Portrait Mode. The basic specifications of the wide-angle in iPhone X and the iPhone SE (2nd-generation) are the same (12 mp sensor, f/1.8 aperture), but image processing and other advances (A11 Bionic processor in X, A13 Bionic in the SE) deliver a superior experience in the SE.
While your general goal is to have a "disposable" phone on the river (something I appreciate as a longtime whitewater boater and photographer), something to consider is that iPhone 6 and 6s had no water-resistance, which was introduced with iPhone 7. However, that water-resistance does degrade over time, so I wouldn't count on it being all that effective in a several year-old used phone. Basically, the older the phone you carry, the greater the chance that it will succumb to moisture exposure.
I carry my "regular" iPhone on the river, in a water-resistant vinyl pouch. Shooting through that plastic degrades image quality somewhat, but I consider it a reasonable compromise. I can still remove it from the pouch if conditions allow.
Back to the overall choice of "cameras." It's a reasonable assumption that every new model of iPhone has a better camera/camera features than the previous model. Sometimes that improvement is substantial, sometimes less-so. Starting with iPhone 7 Plus the "premium" iPhone models have multiple rear cameras (again, not a zoom, but multiple physical cameras with independent image sensors).
The Apple web site has a technical specifications section where you can look up the specifics of each model. https://support.apple.com/specs/iphone . There's also a neat little app called Mactracker available in iOS and Mac App Stores that catalogs the specs of nearly every Apple product ever made. My only complaint is that it (like the Apple web site) does not provide all the camera specifics a photographer may desire - especially, no focal lengths for the various lenses, just "wide-angle," "telephoto," etc.
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* The term "telephoto" is worth quibbling over. Classically (prior to smartphones), "telephoto" was a lens of greater focal length than a "normal" lens - normal being defined as a focal length that more or less mimics the perspective of human vision. In 35mm photography "normal" was in the range of 45mm - 55mm, the lens that came as standard equipment on most cameras. A focal length of 35mm or less was considered wide-angle and generally 85mm or more was sold as telephoto. For a variety of good reasons, smartphone makers decided that a wide-angle lens would be standard equipment (the new "normal") and what a 35mm photographer would consider "normal" is now called telephoto. The "longest" telephoto available in an iPhone is in the current iPhone 12 Pro Max - it's equivalent to a 65mm lens on a 35mm camera - barely longer than the old "normal." In comparison to the 26mm-equivalent wide-angle and 13mm-equivalent ultra-wide-angle it's certainly a "zoom-in," but as someone who owns a 100mm-300mm-equivalent zoom for my "good" camera (2x-6x zoom relative to a 50mm "normal" lens) and occasionally rents 600mm-equivalent lenses... 65mm isn't telephoto, although still very helpful compared to shooting only with a wide-angle.
Cool, thx for all of the info. So SE is better image but no zoom?? Seems like a deal breaker to me, I use zoom a fair amount. How much better is the image? At this point I’m between the X and the SE. I’d like to keep it under. $350.
You’re not going to find better image quality with zoom beyond the XS in your price range. The 11 gives night mode which I find to be a much better advantage but if 2x telephoto is a deal breaker for you than an XS is the best bet.
Before you ask how much better the XS is compared to the X, or a dozen other questions, go to YouTube and watch any of the hundreds of comparison videos or let Google be your friend.
Before you ask how much better the XS is compared to the X, or a dozen other questions, go to YouTube and watch any of the hundreds of comparison videos or let Google be your friend.
Since you use the "zoom" so much, then yes, the SE is probably the wrong choice for you. Overall, if you use zoom a lot, it means with the SE (or any other iPhone with just a single wide-angle lens) you'll likely end up using digital zoom or cropping/blowing up afterwards, both of which reduce image quality - whatever you may gain in quality for wide-angle images you may lose each time you need a telephoto (and don't have it).
I don't have the SE, I have the X. However, my aunt (for whom I function as tech guru) has an SE - she's taken some remarkably good shots with it, as well as plenty of poor shots - to her it's just a point-and-shoot camera so things are pretty hit-and-miss.