iPhone 17 Pro Main Camera Sensor 'Smaller' Than iPhone 16 Pro Sensor

[r_123]

i believe it will still be 1/1.28... most likely the source has just used a rounded number?!

and even if it's "just" 1/1.3: the difference compared to 1/1.28 is ridiculously small.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

That’s a downgrade, also how would it record spacial video with the camera that way

Likely a positive for spatial capture, record holding the phone in portrait. With lenses used more towards average eye width- unlike the triangular layout- the spatial capture should be naturally improved.

If so, apparently holding the phone in portrait this way will capture a landscape-oriented spatial video… not the “tall & skinny” portrait video holding it this way does now.

Any doubters about the superiority of this layout vs the triangle for spatial should lay their glasses or sunglasses on the triangle to easily see the misalignment and then imagine this is already available and lay the glasses across the back. Obviously spreading the spatial camera left & right will make them wider… just like our eyes are wider than the triangle layout.

Bonus: goodbye table wobble.

 

[ksec]

When Apple has a marginally bigger sensor, it is the BIGGEST upgrade ever.

When Apple has a marginally smaller sensor, it is still the BIGGEST upgrade ever.

 

[Roll0]

I can live with the slightly smaller sensor size if the (ugly, annoying big) camera bump will be reduced.
The actual camera bump "design" (LOL) is a really bad one anyway. I prefer the rumoured one.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Downgrade.

Are larger sensors always better, or could a smaller sensor be higher quality and more than make up for size difference?

 

[MajorFubar]

90% of these cameras are only used for ducklipped pouting females and male gym-rats to take selfies in bathroom mirrors, so it's not much of an issue I don't think.

Sarcasm aside, anyone truly into photography has a digital SLR or mirrorless to compliment their phone for the times when quality matters. These devices have much bigger sensors, which in turn means the lenses can be made bigger, and as a result the abberations are much less obvious than those made by tiny lenses on a phone. You can often tell from a mile away which photos were taken on a phone, especially when the photos contain strong vertical lines, like buildings. Any buildings not in the center of the image look like they should be structurally condemned.

 

[r_123]

Are larger sensors always better, or could a smaller sensor be higher quality and more than make up for size difference?

in general: bigger = better, especially in terms of light gathering ability.

there's a lot of reservations to this statement though. anyway: a difference of around 3% (sensor size) won't make a meaningful difference. if they tweak the camera system right, they can more than make up for the slight reduction in sensor size (which i still think: won't be true. i still think, it's gonna be 1/1.28).

 

[EugW]

90% of these cameras are only used for ducklipped pouting females to take selfies in bathroom mirrors so it's not much of an issue I don't think. Anyone truly into photography (including the higher-class of females) has a DSLR or mirrorless with much bigger sensors, which in turn means the lenses can be made bigger, and as a result the fisheye-distortion and pincushioining is much better than on a phone. You can always tell photos taken on a phone from a mile way, especially with structures with vertical sides, like buildings. Buildings at the frame edges look like they should be structurally condemned, especially with the wide-angle lens.

I have several dSLRs and some film cameras as well, and a backpack full of matching lenses.

I use my iPhone 99% of the time because that’s the camera I have with me.

 

[maszaikasza]

The use of that screwy terminology with improper fractions for sensor sizes is such a pain!

1/1.3"? 1/1.28"?

The irony is that you can't use a calculator to figure out the real size of the sensor. When a sensor is measured in inches, the number describes the width of an imaginary cathode ray tube that would have a sensitive area the same as the actual chip.

Oh, funny units again.

 

[Algr]

So it is from 12.5mm actual diagonal to 12.3mm. That is a tiny difference.

Are larger sensors always better, or could a smaller sensor be higher quality and more than make up for size difference?

Given how small the change in size is, other improvements could easily be more important.

 

[neuropsychguy]

in general: bigger = better, especially in terms of light gathering ability.

there's a lot of reservations to this statement though. anyway: a difference of around 3% (sensor size) won't make a meaningful difference. if they tweak the camera system right, they can more than make up for the slight reduction in sensor size (which i still think: won't be true. i still think, it's gonna be 1/1.28).

Thanks. I'm asking because with telescopes, for example, bigger isn't always better. I just don't know cameras well enough to know if bigger is always better.

A larger mirror in a reflector is not inherently better than a smaller one. It has more light-gathering, but if the optics are all higher quality (e.g., a smaller mirror have a more accurate concave shape) and lined up better in the smaller telescope, it will produce better images.

As you said, if this report is accurate, it's only a 3% difference. That's like a 12" reflector versus an 11.64" reflector.

I'm simply wondering (should this rumor be accurate) if Apple could more than make up the difference with improvements in the sensor quality and/or the overall camera system.

 

[MajorFubar]

I have several dSLRs and some film cameras as well, and a backpack full of matching lenses.

I use my iPhone 99% of the time because that’s the camera I have with me.

Yeah my flippance aside I don't think it really matters. Anyone seriously into photography will whip-out their film or digital cameras when they want the best. These are adequate 99% of the time, and are always on your person.

 

[geta]

Is that an upgrade or a downgrade?

It's just a sad joke

 

[rymc02]

📸 This could still be an upgrade to Sony's stacked sensor technology that can let in up to 50% more light. The DJI Air3 used a Sony stacked 1/1.3" sensor. That drone came out in the summer of 2023, which would make this "new" sensor in an iPhone feel a bit old. I was hoping they would jump to the IMX903 which was stacked and 12% bigger at 1/1.14". 😔

 

[iMac The Knife]

Good ol' camera sensor envy. It boggles the mind that so many people care so much about cameras, when they only take selfish-ies, photos of their kids, and photos of what they are having for dinner to post online. It reminds me of back in the day before smartphones, when there would always be one crazy lady at any family reunion, running around taking photos of everything and everyone. Crazy camera lady was always mocked by onlookers, as she should've been.

 

[J___o___h___n]

We will get landscape video if held in portrait for sure.

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

you know this design is starting to grow on me

Everybody is resistant to change especially when the over-the-years iterations have looked similar.

It is a concept called reinforcement training


Even Chat GPT is making errors based exactly on the above.

Ex: ask chat GPT to create a drawing of a left handed person who is writing

( you’ll get a right handed one - check if you don’t trust me )

Also similarly ask CHAT GPT to show you a group of watches showing say 18:41

( you’ll get a 10:10 group no matter what - check if you don’t believe me)

 

[Algr]

We will get landscape video if held in portrait for sure.

Some stabilizers physically move the sensor around. I wonder if they could actually rotate the sensor 90° when you shoot in portrait mode, thus giving you full sensor both ways.

It would still be better to hold the iPhone in landscape orientation, as you would get a much larger viewfinder.

 

[Algr]

Good ol' camera sensor envy. It boggles the mind that so many people care so much about cameras, when they only take selfish-ies, photos of their kids, and photos of what they are having for dinner to post online.

Don't forget about video though. With camcorders being dead, and the poor ergonomics of DSLRs, phones are the only game in town for budget video projects.

 

[azentropy]

My eye caught "smaller" and got excited for a second. Now that the Pros have gone to 6.3 and 6.8 inch screens a smaller say Pro with a 5.8/5.9 inch screen (what the X, Xs, 11 Pro was) would fit nicely in the lineup IMO.

 

[Algr]

 

[Saturn1217]

Since the base iPhone 16 uses a 1/1.56” sensor and which is considered acceptable by most I’m assuming the difference between 1/1.3 and 1/1.28 is pretty negligible.

I’m much more concerned with their photo processing.

 

[JoshuaBru]

That’s a downgrade, also how would it record spacial video with the camera that way

I was wondering the same thing. Is apple quietly abandoning Vision Pro?

 

[macrumors3131]

Any downgrade in the optical elements is sure an offload to the cpu in the name of computational photography. I might save up and get a fujifilm x100vi or something.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Sad! Way to un-Pro the Pro, Apple!