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iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works
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Doesn’t really matter, small sensors still take not great pictures. I’ll keep my R1 for serious photography.
I find it comical how some people still live in a bubble: the higher the number, the better.
Of course, better to have the optical zoom spread out more sensibly somehow.
The ideal would be to have (the equivalent of a full frame):
20mm (ultra wide)
35mm (wide)
70mm (telephoto)
+ enough megapixels for a digital zoom (crop) to cover the other focal lengths.
0.5x, 1x and then up to 5x doesn't make sense. 0.5x, 1x and 3x made more sense.
And maybe add another camera over time. But I think most people would be fine with 3x optical and 5x digital (assuming a 48mpx telephoto and a big enough sensor).
Of course, better to have the optical zoom spread out more sensibly somehow.
The ideal would be to have (the equivalent of a full frame):
20mm (ultra wide)
35mm (wide)
70mm (telephoto)
+ enough megapixels for a digital zoom (crop) to cover the other focal lengths.
0.5x, 1x and then up to 5x doesn't make sense. 0.5x, 1x and 3x made more sense.
And maybe add another camera over time. But I think most people would be fine with 3x optical and 5x digital (assuming a 48mpx telephoto and a big enough sensor).
3.5X at 48MP.
Does this mean they will also offer a 7X option at 12MP, just by cropping the rest of the pixels, like they already do for the 2X ? Seems like the move to make, because most competitors are at 10X optical zoom now.
I've gotta say I used the 3X lens more when I had one.
I now have a 5X lens on my 16 Pro, and it's hard to find a situation where it makes sense to use it.
You have to have a space open enough to be able to go really far from the subject. This almost entirely eliminates interior photos.
I took an absolutely stunning shot 2 weeks ago with the 5X lens nonetheless. I couldn't have done this with my old 14 Pro.
Does this mean they will also offer a 7X option at 12MP, just by cropping the rest of the pixels, like they already do for the 2X ? Seems like the move to make, because most competitors are at 10X optical zoom now.
I've gotta say I used the 3X lens more when I had one.
I now have a 5X lens on my 16 Pro, and it's hard to find a situation where it makes sense to use it.
You have to have a space open enough to be able to go really far from the subject. This almost entirely eliminates interior photos.
I took an absolutely stunning shot 2 weeks ago with the 5X lens nonetheless. I couldn't have done this with my old 14 Pro.
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by.
According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. This rumor isn't new – in fact it's been repeatedly claimed by several other sources. However, Bu goes further by claiming that the new lens will offer 3.5x optical zoom (85mm equivalent) instead of the 5x zoom (120mm equivalent) currently available.
This focal length is generally better suited for portraits and everyday photography, since it allows users to frame shots without having to move as far away from the subject. However, the big shift allegedly comes from the new 48MP sensor, in that the extra resolution allows for digital cropping to simulate longer focal lengths, offering less quality loss than normal digital zoom.
This is similar to what Apple already does with the main Fusion camera on the iPhone 16, where the 48MP sensor enables a 2x digital crop – marketed as "Telephoto" – that still produces a 12MP image with minimal quality loss.
Bu points out that one of the practical benefits of a 3.5x telephoto lens would be greater versatility, especially for portrait photography. A 3.5x lens would make it easier to compose portraits at more comfortable distances, particularly in indoors or other tight environments.
The alleged change would see Apple relying more on high-resolution sensors and computational processing to replace some of the limitations of traditional optics. If the report is accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro could deliver more flexible zoom options while making portrait photography more user-friendly, without sacrificing image quality.
Given that the iPhone 16 Pro models already have 48MP Fusion and Ultra Wide cameras, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max could be the first iPhone models to boast a rear triple-camera array made up entirely of 48-megapixel lenses. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 lineup in September.
Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Work
We're going to end up with 4 rear cameras, aren't we?
The idea is x5 is useless for anything in between x1- x5. There is a video explaining all of these on Youtube. You should watch it.
I also prefer the 3x over the 5x. And I'm glad I got a 15 Pro instead of 16 Pro. You get a much better range that way (instead of having to use the main sensor all the way to 4.9x) and 5x isn't useful as often as 3 or 3.5x. With a "fusion" style crop, you get the perfect compromise, 85mm optical for most situations and 2x "optical" crop whenever you want more. This is an obvious solution since they started adding the "2x" lens on the main.
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Forget this s***. I would've still had the 13 Pro if it didn't go defected on me and upgraded to the 14 Pro. Then wifey was having issues with the iPhone 8 Plus. I was going to get her a 16 Plus, but it was too big for her hand. She played around with my 14 Pro and fell in love with the quality and the camera of the 14 Pro. So I let her have that one and got the 16 Pro Max. Skipped the 15 lineup. For now, I'm gonna stick to my 16 Pro Max. I'm more focused on the whole software deal than the hardware. Next....
They're not too bad now, if you have good light and switch to ProRAW it starts to look pretty clean. The biggest problem to me is the sharpening they apply on default non-RAW, that gives it that ugly "smartphone" look.
What does 'A 5x photo with a 3.5x lens' mean? The iphone has 3 prime lens. The 5x version is a prime lens so what do you mean by that? Do you mean that the 5x (which is a software gimmick from apple) is basically shorter lens?
The only reason why i need a zoom lens is Travel & Nature Videography. Many times i can’t get closer to wild animals or historic sites. So a 5x zoom is definitely better than a 3x zoom. I dont understand the appeal for portrait photography. If you dont like the closeness of 5x zoom just walk further away. That usually is possible, versus getting closer to subjects most of the time is not. So im definitely rooting to stick to the 5x!
The only way i would upgrade to a new iphone is if they add 8K video recording to it. It would be super useful for zooming in post. Samsung and Pixel figured it out 2 generations ago, i really dont know why apple is holding out for that feature.
It's as though they extended the glass area to slip this in down the line... I would actually welcome a fourth, extra zoom lens myself if they're going to lessen the reach of the zoom lens (was hoping it was going to be 5x + 48mp)
And with big zoom cameras you can make sometimes very dangerous pics and videos
Considering how Apple is and how long it took us to get phone call recording due to similar excuses, I'm thinking that this was actually a pretty big factor.
Not always. And it is a niche use case. This very website used to post telephoto comparisons a few years ago when Apple first started adding zoom at all.
The problem with 5x zoom is when 5x is too much and you want something like 3x or 4x or even 4.5x. Then you use the 1x camera in an extreme digital zoom situation. 4.5x on a 48 MP camera equals just 2.4 MP which is not enough for a good photo. So 3.5x zoom is a good compromise since you never get less than about 4MP.
I hope this means Apple will be copying Chinese Phones with their 3.5x cameras and MASSIVE sensors (see: Vivo X200 Pro. It has a 200mp 3.7x telephoto with a f/2.7 aperture. makes beautiful portrait shots).
An iPhone with a 3.5x 48mp telephoto with an even better aperture would be chef's kiss.
An iPhone with a 3.5x 48mp telephoto with an even better aperture would be chef's kiss.
I always thought 50 mm was the perfect portrait lens - this was why the old telephoto lens was 2x / ~50 mm and when the iPhone 14 Pro took portrait pictures it did so using the 2x crop on the 1x lens rather than the 3x lens.
I am quite happy with 2x/50 mm for portraits and would much rather have a long zoom telephoto for when I want to take pictures of things in the distance.
I am quite happy with 2x/50 mm for portraits and would much rather have a long zoom telephoto for when I want to take pictures of things in the distance.
