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Other iPhone 12 Pro Max Doesn't REALLY have 5x Optical Zoom

R

reidmangel

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 21, 2015
104
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I've noticed on Apple's comparison page, they are now mentioning that iPhone 11 Pro Max has 4x optical zoom (which it does not). They are also mentioning that iPhone 12 Pro Max has 5x optical zoom.

However, if you look at the fine details, it's mentioned that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 5x optical zoom RANGE, meaning that it can zoom out 2x, and zoom in 2.5x. I'm guessing that they are able to round 4.5x up to 5x optical zoom.

From iPhone 12 Pro Max's tech specs:
2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 5x optical zoom range

Source:

www.apple.com

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.
www.apple.com
 
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I posted the below in a different thread:

They don't have 4x and 5x, this is marketing misdirection at its finest.

The way they get this number is by taking the ultra wide lens as being 1x (13mm) and the telephoto being 52mm is 4x 13mm, so they say it has a 4x "optical zoom range." However, the 52mm telephoto is the same focal length going back all the way to the iPhone 7 plus and is not any longer. It's the same 2x lens you know and loathe for its inability to be used indoors/in low light.

The Max though, has a 2.5x zoom, slightly longer at 65mm equivalent vs 52mm, albeit with a 2.2 aperture vs 2.0 on the standard Pro.
 
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Given that we have a few years of Apple calling the cameras 1x, 2x and 0.5x (and probably still does in the camera app) this is marketing shenanigans simply designed to make the average camera-illiterate person think that there is now a 4x or 5x zoom in place of the 2x lens.

Also, camera zoom range isn't anything really. On cameras, you'd describe it as x-y mm; only point and shoots/consumer cameras and camcorders use the 10x zoom type moniker.

If you want to get real technical, this is not even a zoom system, it's 3 prime lenses.

darngooddesign said:
Camera zoom range is always the difference between widest and longest. The fact that you don't start at the widest focal length is irrelevant.
Click to expand...
 
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loybond said:
Also, camera zoom range isn't anything really. On cameras, you'd describe it as x-y mm; only point and shoots/consumer cameras and camcorders use the 10x zoom type moniker.

If you want to get real technical, this is not even a zoom system, it's 3 prime lenses.
Click to expand...
Point and shoots might say 5X or whatever on their bodies, they also have the actually mm-mm range printed on their lenses, but any zoom lens can be described as having #X range based on its minimum and maximum focal lengths.
 
Absolutely, but this is not a zoom system. As I mentioned, it's 3 prime lenses. Regardless... Do you think they'll suddenly change the way they refer to the lenses in the app? I.e. 0.5x will become 1x, 1x will become 2x etc? This is a marketing stunt, and a big departure from the clarity Apple has traditionally had. This is Samsung like.

I just saw a YouTuber look at the specs and conclude that the 2x lens has now been upgraded to a 5x lens. That's what some marketing is meant to do.

darngooddesign said:
Point and shoots might say 5X or whatever on their bodies, they also have the actually mm-mm range printed on their lenses, but any zoom lens can be described as having #X range based on its minimum and maximum focal lengths.
Click to expand...
 
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loybond said:
Absolutely, but this is not a zoom system. As I mentioned, it's 3 prime lenses. Regardless... Do you think they'll suddenly change the way they refer to the lenses in the app? I.e. 0.5x will become 1x, 1x will become 2x etc? This is a marketing stunt, and a big departure from the clarity Apple has traditionally had. This is Samsung like.
Click to expand...

From what I saw in some UI shots from the camera app, it looked the same as before, except the 2.0 was replaced with 2.5. So still as usual: 0.5, 1, 2.5 (replacing 2.0).
 
Having 200mm lens on a crop camera, i could care less about zooming in iphone.
DSC02591.jpg
 
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loybond said:
Absolutely, but this is not a zoom system. As I mentioned, it's 3 prime lenses. Regardless... Do you think they'll suddenly change the way they refer to the lenses in the app? I.e. 0.5x will become 1x, 1x will become 2x etc? This is a marketing stunt, and a big departure from the clarity Apple has traditionally had. This is Samsung like.
Click to expand...
No I don't think Apple will change the buttons to .4x and 2.3x. Those numbers get the point across.
 
darngooddesign said:
Just because you don’t understand zoom ranges, doesn’t mean it’s a marketing Trick.
Click to expand...
When you call a specific camera 2x zoom last year and then rename the same camera 4x please tell me how that’s not the case?😂 It’s LITERALLY the same camera from last year so how come it suddenly has a new name if it’s the same? The ultra wide is not the default camera either.
 
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Andropov said:
How would you describe it then? Zoom ranges are always measured from widest to longest.
Click to expand...
You be honest and tell the customers it is the same magnification as last year's 2x telephoto lens - you DO NOT use zoom in this context. It is no different than last year's three lens trinity - didn't call it zoom then. Why are they doing this - because Samsung has a true 5x optical zoom on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and other manufacturers are up to 10x optical zoom - a true zoom lens as the dictionary points out "a camera shot that changes smoothly from a long shot to a close-up or vice versa, "the zoom button"

This is a real disservice and the poor users are going to wonder "why can't I zoom closer to the subject - it's supposed to be 5x" when they have nothing more than they had on their iPhone 11 Pro...it's almost as bad as Samsung's "100x hybrid zoom" monikor on its S20 for basically digital zoom...
 
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This is a shameful marketing trick to add the word 'range' after zoom to give a false impression to the customers that the new iPhone has 5x optical zoom. All the YouTubers and tech blog who were mistaken didn't help either.
 
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loybond said:
Given that we have a few years of Apple calling the cameras 1x, 2x and 0.5x (and probably still does in the camera app) this is marketing shenanigans simply designed to make the average camera-illiterate person think that there is now a 4x or 5x zoom in place of the 2x lens.

Also, camera zoom range isn't anything really. On cameras, you'd describe it as x-y mm; only point and shoots/consumer cameras and camcorders use the 10x zoom type moniker.

If you want to get real technical, this is not even a zoom system, it's 3 prime lenses.
Click to expand...
I would love someone to stuff a larger sensor and/orproper zoom in a phone, but thickness or whatever.
 
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