iPhone 16 Pro I predict the Camera control button will be gone in less than 3 years

[black_knight]

Came here to say something similar. Most people are taking photos and videos vertically (portrait mode), so they won’t even consider using the button.

And those are the people that need to be sent to their room when they post a vid that was taken in portrait instead of landscape.

 

[black_knight]

When Apple does away with the button, everyone who complained about it will complain it is gone. People complain that there is no innovation but when Apple does add something, it is immediately panned. These type of posts are useless because once people get used to it, it will benefit many.

Such a great post. Not much else needs to be said.

 

[black_knight]

I've been trying to use the new shutter button and I'm extremely disappointed, as others mentioned it's actually more work to use than the default way.

The biggest deal-breaker is that it requires too much force to click. I find two issues here:

1. The extra pressure required causes the phone to shake slightly with each press, increasing the risk of getting a more blurry photo.
2. The force needed makes it annoying to use repeatedly, especially when taking multiple shots or angles.

I find that using the regular/default digital shutter is so much effortless and comfortable .

Then the swipe functionality and having to double-tap to switch modes is so frustrating and unnecessary. There is an entire 6.3" or 6.9" gorgeous touch-screen, why force users to double tap of on a gimmick button to switch modes when it could be done so much quicker with the screen?

The only advantage I see so far is using it to launch the camera app, that's it.

You can change the sensitivity settings.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Not sure if anyone said this before, but how about they give us the option to turn the Camera control button into a second action button? I think that would be nice to have if one has no use for the camera control button.

And still having a hard time getting used to calling it "Camera Control" instead of "Capture" button.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

And those are the people that need to be sent to their room when they post a vid that was taken in portrait instead of landscape.

I'm with you. Vertical 9:16 video is the literal devil's favorite video format.

 

[trifid]

You can change the sensitivity settings.

For the light-press yea, but not the hard-press.

 

[tgwaste]

When Apple does away with the button, everyone who complained about it will complain it is gone. People complain that there is no innovation but when Apple does add something, it is immediately panned. These type of posts are useless because once people get used to it, it will benefit many.

no they wont.

 

[black_knight]

For the light-press yea, but not the hard-press.

You said the “deal breaker” was the force required to exert on the button resulting in the possibility of blurry photos.

A hard press isn’t needed to control the shutter to take pictures. There are 3 sensitivity settings. Pick the lightest setting and there shouldn’t be any issue with shaking the phone will snapping off photos in succession.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

I found the action button to be fairly useless but this thing is on another level of pointlessness.

I use the action button every single day … I have it set up as a shortcut to open up my gym app to scan my membership.

 

[subjonas]

There is an entire 6.3" or 6.9" gorgeous touch-screen, why force users to double tap of on a gimmick button to switch modes when it could be done so much quicker with the screen?

Can it not be done on the screen too?

 

[azhava]

Can it not be done on the screen too?

Yes, it can. The camera still works exactly like it always has, the button is just an added feature. Nobody is being "forced" to do anything. You can even disable the Camera Control button in settings if you want to.

 

[boss.king]

the button is dumb. it is absolutely forced innovation. its not pleasant to use at all. it makes no sense AT ALL. and it ruins cases.

I feel like these phone haven't been out long enough to really make that call yet. But you're entitled to your opinion.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It’s quite fiddly and a bit time consuming if trying to use it in a rush. I think i’ll continue using the onscreen stuff mostly, but we should applaud the new features as at least it’s different to the same old we are used to.

 

[darthbane2k]

The position of the button is terrible. I just don’t know what the hell they were thinking. Did they not test it at all?

I have found a more comfortable workaround, turn the phone upside down with the camera control at the bottom. Use the camera control to adjust zoom and just use the volume up button to take the photo. Its by no means perfect, but it’s better.

 

[trifid]

You said the “deal breaker” was the force required to exert on the button resulting in the possibility of blurry photos.

A hard press isn’t needed to control the shutter to take pictures. There are 3 sensitivity settings. Pick the lightest setting and there shouldn’t be any issue with shaking the phone will snapping off photos in succession.

How? The sensitivity settings are to control light-press which is used to change modes. I can’t find anywhere on how to use light press for the shutter.

 

[mattopotamus]

There are plenty of people who are not like that. I don't really shoot video, but if I did, I would do it in landscape format, because TV screens. I shoot 90% of my photos in landscape as well because the screens I view them on - iPad, TV, MacBook, external monitor - are set up in such a way that the photos will be bigger on those screens when they are in landscape rather than portrait.

That’s why I said “most people” not everyone

 

[MacBookPro88]

I played with it at the Apple Store. No, I didn’t buy it. But it was annoying. I would just pretend it’s not there.

 

[msackey]

Went to the Apple Store just yesterday to look at the new products. I haven't really been fully following along all the ins and outs of the software and hardware updates although I know the overall big picture.

I took a peek at the iPhone 16 Pro, recalled something about Camera Control and started trying to see where it was. An Apple staff walked up and asked if I needed any assistance to just ask them. I did! Immediately asked, tell me about the Camera Control. He showed me and my husband.

Wow! I am super impressed with the function. I LOVE it. First of all, without being told where it is, I wouldn't have found the control because it seems so well hidden. Of course, now that I know what it looks like it's easily identifiable. If you don't know what it looks like it just blends in and you think it's just some random design that has no practical function.

Anyhow, I was super impressed and I truly can see how useful this function is especially when I'm going around taking holiday pictures. I LOVE IT! I almost want to upgrade. It gives really easy access to a ton of camera functions without having to change your hand/arm position. It works pretty well either in landscape or portrait mode, although it is better in the landscape mode.

Well, I'm going to wait a bit, at least. Currently am using the iPhone 12 Pro so about 4 generations behind which is fine. If I'm able to wait just a bit longer, the iPhone 17 Pro might turn out even more of what I want! ;-)

 

[msackey]

I actually like the camera button. So far it seems nice, the swipe gesture is actually easier than I anticipated from the reviewers. I’m looking forward to a two stage shutter option when that is released. Ive been using the action button as a camera button on my 15 pro max, and having a dedicated camera button means I now can have the action button do something else!

Same here! I love the camera button. My phone is my only camera and I do use it to take pictures here and there. Certainly I'm just a hobbyist, or even below that, but I do make good use of the camera.

Also, what is a two-stage shutter option? And, is that slated to be released in a future iOS 18 dot update?

 

[msackey]

Hard disagree.
It’s a feature I love and have been waiting for.
It feels way more natural and like a real camera than just pressing an icon on glass.
And just so you know, Sony Xperia phones have had that feature for a while since they’re focused on cameras.

It's a feature I never thought about, didn't know that I cared, and when I tried, I absolutely LOVE IT!

I had no intentions of upgrade my iPhone 12 Pro, but I did want to check out the new hardware and software updates so I went to the Apple Store yesterday. That's when I became so excited about Camera Control when I tried it out, it made me think for a few seconds that maybe I will upgrade....

 

[azhava]

Same here! I love the camera button. My phone is my only camera and I do use it to take pictures here and there. Certainly I'm just a hobbyist, or even below that, but I do make good use of the camera.

Also, what is a two-stage shutter option? And, is that slated to be released in a future iOS 18 dot update?

Two-stage shutter will allow half press to lock focus (like on most actual cameras), then full press takes the photo. It's a very useful function when you want the point of focus to be somewhere other than where autofocus decides it should be, allows you to focus and then re-frame, and it's a lot less fiddly to half press the button than it is to have to tap on the screen to select it. It is supposed to be part of a future iOS 18 update.

 

[msackey]

Two-stage shutter will allow half press to lock focus (like on most actual cameras), then full press takes the photo. It's a very useful function when you want the point of focus to be somewhere other than where autofocus decides it should be, allows you to focus and then re-frame, and it's a lot less fiddly to half press the button than it is to have to tap on the screen to select it. It is supposed to be part of a future iOS 18 update.

Oh I see. I didn't know what that was called. I know what that function is. My first camera was a Canon-AE1 (this was way back in the 80s and even then, the AE-1 was a 1970s device I inherited ) and it had that function. Many manual or compact cameras from the 80s onwards had that function.

Glad to know it's something coming to iOS!

 

[blairh]

The more I try it on my 16 PM, the more I can't believe this made it to final production. The placement is truly awful on the 16 PM in both orientations.

 

[hovscorpion12]

After 24 hours of using my 16 Pro Max, the camera control button is not going anywhere.

In settings it can so also be linked to

- code scanner
- instagram
- magnifying
- none

As far as the actual camera controls it’s all about learning how it works. Very similar to an actual DSLR camera.

 

[dannyyankou]

I don’t know how much I’ll use the button, but now that apple put a metal camera control button on their clear case, I wish they would make the rest of the buttons metal.