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iPhone 16/Plus iPhone 16 Users: what is the camera control like to use?
- Thread starter cptcaveman
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24 hours in and can safely say ill probably never use it, might even disable it due to accidental presses. Way overhyped and unnecessary
I can imagine it could be useful for taking selfies in landscape mode. But that's it really.....
I like the fast access to the camera. And… that’s it. It’s not intuitive as Apple used to be - half press, full press, then slide, lots of menus… technically works perfectly, but feels… not Apple. 😞
I like the fast access to the camera for quick pics or videos that I might otherwise miss. But most of the time I find it sort of annoying. I'm usually taking pictures while I'm out walking my dog. I have the leash in my right hand, and I use my 16P in my left hand. I'm able to manipulate the phone one-handed, and I use my thumb to tap the shutter button. The camera control is in exactly the wrong place and I keep hitting it with my pinky finger. For me, it would have been so much more useful if they'd put it at the top.
It's terrible. Wrong location, hard to press, makes the phone move when you press it, swipe control is clunky and slow, I could go on. The only two useful features are: 1) You can quickly launch the camera (but you use on screen controls for everything after that) and 2) launching Visual Intelligence in iOS 18.2
My original theory prior to the 16 launch is correct I think: The impetus for adding the button was to add a dedicated control for "Siri Vision" and they decided adding another button which does just that one thing wasn't enough. All the camera control specific functions that launched with iPhone 16 were all *additions to* the core functionality which is Visual Intelligence. In other words, the Visual Intelligence UX comes first which means the button has to be accessible in portrait mode.
My original theory prior to the 16 launch is correct I think: The impetus for adding the button was to add a dedicated control for "Siri Vision" and they decided adding another button which does just that one thing wasn't enough. All the camera control specific functions that launched with iPhone 16 were all *additions to* the core functionality which is Visual Intelligence. In other words, the Visual Intelligence UX comes first which means the button has to be accessible in portrait mode.
I like the concept a lot. I use a case, which makes the button easy to find by feel and very difficult to press by accident. But.....
1. I SERIOUSLY dislike the inconsistent way the button works to open the camera. If the screen is off, it takes two presses (the first press wakes up the screen but not the camera). If the screen is on it takes one press. So not possible to use reliably while you are pulling the phone out of your pocket. A single press of the camera button should ALWAYS bring up the camera regardless of the state of the screen. Duh! Fortunately this is addressable in software.
2. The button is mechanically far too stiff for the "full press". Since the photo snaps when you release the button (and starts a video if you hold it too long) it is very difficult to gently fire a photo without starting a video. I end up moving / rotating the phone slightly every time I snap a photo and/or accidentally start videos if I hold it too long while shooting. If "real" cameras had shutter buttons that were this stiff, they would be returned in droves. Unfortunately, this is a hardware issue and not fixable in software so I'm stuck with it.
3. I like the concept of the swipe actions but find that the button is a bit too short for accurate use when zooming. For example, if I start at one end of the cutout in my case and swipe, by the time I get to the other end, it has not QUITE changed the camera or zoom level. The only way it works is to swipe fast and release. The button needs to be maybe 50% longer. Again, a hardware issue.
4. The soft press functions (zoom and change cameras) can be a bit inconsistent. I find I am frequently changing cameras while trying to zoom because the phone thought it sensed a double soft press while I was trying to zoom.
1. I SERIOUSLY dislike the inconsistent way the button works to open the camera. If the screen is off, it takes two presses (the first press wakes up the screen but not the camera). If the screen is on it takes one press. So not possible to use reliably while you are pulling the phone out of your pocket. A single press of the camera button should ALWAYS bring up the camera regardless of the state of the screen. Duh! Fortunately this is addressable in software.
2. The button is mechanically far too stiff for the "full press". Since the photo snaps when you release the button (and starts a video if you hold it too long) it is very difficult to gently fire a photo without starting a video. I end up moving / rotating the phone slightly every time I snap a photo and/or accidentally start videos if I hold it too long while shooting. If "real" cameras had shutter buttons that were this stiff, they would be returned in droves. Unfortunately, this is a hardware issue and not fixable in software so I'm stuck with it.
3. I like the concept of the swipe actions but find that the button is a bit too short for accurate use when zooming. For example, if I start at one end of the cutout in my case and swipe, by the time I get to the other end, it has not QUITE changed the camera or zoom level. The only way it works is to swipe fast and release. The button needs to be maybe 50% longer. Again, a hardware issue.
4. The soft press functions (zoom and change cameras) can be a bit inconsistent. I find I am frequently changing cameras while trying to zoom because the phone thought it sensed a double soft press while I was trying to zoom.
It's a glorified shortcut button for the camera with other features shoehorned in; that's it.
I've disabled all the swipe to zoom and adjust color stuff, and just turned it into a shutter button. It's not intuitive and just easier to adjust settings on the screen.
I've disabled all the swipe to zoom and adjust color stuff, and just turned it into a shutter button. It's not intuitive and just easier to adjust settings on the screen.
Horrible.
I'm puzzled if this was even tested.
The idea of having two layers of controls in one button (settings and the click to shoot) is really odd.
I watched the Apple event, and how you are supposed to use it, but there is a big issue:
The button is too stiff. The people who designed it, never used a real camera.
The shutter button is the most delicate and soft to press button in any camera to avoid blurred pictures.
What's my experience with Camera Control?
When I launch the camera and I'm ready to shoot, a slight movement of the finger over the button is enough to launch the settings. This happens even when I in the process of depress the button to click it.
Then, any other finger movement will change your settings (whatever is open, camera, zoo, exposure) perfectly ruining your shoot.
Disabling the settings part of it, and it's still too stiff to avoid phone movement while using it.
And I'm even more puzzled by the incoming software update that will add half-press to focus...that will be a third layer of controls in one button.
The only thing that can make it usable is to add a second button next to it. A real soft-shutter button.
And use the Camera Control just for settings.
I'm puzzled if this was even tested.
The idea of having two layers of controls in one button (settings and the click to shoot) is really odd.
I watched the Apple event, and how you are supposed to use it, but there is a big issue:
The button is too stiff. The people who designed it, never used a real camera.
The shutter button is the most delicate and soft to press button in any camera to avoid blurred pictures.
What's my experience with Camera Control?
When I launch the camera and I'm ready to shoot, a slight movement of the finger over the button is enough to launch the settings. This happens even when I in the process of depress the button to click it.
Then, any other finger movement will change your settings (whatever is open, camera, zoo, exposure) perfectly ruining your shoot.
Disabling the settings part of it, and it's still too stiff to avoid phone movement while using it.
And I'm even more puzzled by the incoming software update that will add half-press to focus...that will be a third layer of controls in one button.
The only thing that can make it usable is to add a second button next to it. A real soft-shutter button.
And use the Camera Control just for settings.
Update to my own post. Yes I bought an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Besides when you actually want to launch the camera (as opposed to the multiple times a day I now inadvertently open the camera just generally handling the phone), it's a difficult-to-use gimmick that adds nothing.
I would prefer a phone without the camera control and with the mute switch back while we are there. Volume up? No, that's the mute button!
It is the first Apple phone that I have owned where the usability has noticeably gone backwards.
I predict that the camera control will disappear the way of the touchbar. iPhone 18 announcement: we have removed the camera control! <to wide applause>
Besides when you actually want to launch the camera (as opposed to the multiple times a day I now inadvertently open the camera just generally handling the phone), it's a difficult-to-use gimmick that adds nothing.
I would prefer a phone without the camera control and with the mute switch back while we are there. Volume up? No, that's the mute button!
It is the first Apple phone that I have owned where the usability has noticeably gone backwards.
I predict that the camera control will disappear the way of the touchbar. iPhone 18 announcement: we have removed the camera control! <to wide applause>
Completely useless for me. It's bad even as a simple shutter button, as it's too hard to press without causing the phone to wobble and ruin your shot.
Exactly. They need to make it softer and more "wobbly" like a real camera where the half press and full press are very easy. The problem with Apple is that if that button feels loose in anyway, it won't be up to their standards.
I agree with you on all fronts, I just hope they improve the swiping gestures so I'm not unknowingly changing lenses
Same here. Tried it when I got my phone setup on launch day and have not had a reason to use it since then.
I sincerely hope future updates will bring more controls to customize the button. I’d like to completely remove the stupid video function when long pressing the button. Instead, I’d like the possibility to slow press the button for a smooth shutter, just like on real cameras.
It's worthless, surprised apple went thru with it. The biggest issue is that it's placed in an awkward location that makes it super counter intuitive to use. It's way too high. When you try to use it to take pictures horizontally which is 99% of the time for me, your hand ends up covering half the screen so you can't even see what you're shooting. So it's way easier to use the camera the normal way with the screen, so I never touch that button, have it disabled. Also the weird gestures with the half press double click to swipe between controls is so clunky and takes twice as long as just using the display.