iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works

[fatTribble]

Yeah that mixup is the same idea and equally frustrating haha.

If I were writing the article, rather than "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."

I might write something like: "However, Bu goes further by claiming that the new lens will be an 85mm equivalent, instead of the 120mm equivalent in the current lineup."

I do get that focal lengths can be meaningless to non photographers, so the 3.5x and 7x naming scheme can be helpful, just irks me when I see them described as optical zoom lenses. Would be a dream if they were though

On a trip last year I really goofed. I took a lot of videos. I’d start them as soon as I opened the camera app then switch to the 5x. I thought that would change to the other lens. Instead it seems to have done a digital crop. There was no zooming. I learned to select the lens before starting the video.

 

[skier8689]

On a trip last year I really goofed. I took a lot of videos. I’d start them as soon as I opened the camera app then switch to the 5x. I thought that would change to the other lens. Instead it seems to have done a digital crop. There was no zooming. I learned to select the lens before starting the video.

It should switch lenses. There are a couple modes where it won't, like Action Mode and slow mo. Recording standard video at 60fps or lower will switch lenses

 

[fatTribble]

It should switch lenses. There are a couple modes where it won't, like Action Mode and slow mo. Recording standard video at 60fps or lower will switch lenses

Okay that’s good to know! I saw in the metadata that it used the primary lens but that was likely because that’s the lens used when starting the video. It just caught me off guard when all of my videos showed the main lens rather than the 5x lens. Catastrophe averted. I’ll sleep better.

 

[The Game 161]

3.5x with bigger sensor and more MP makes far more sense than just one 5x. has better options for focal lengths

 

[The Game 161]

No.

This is terrible. The entire reason I was holding out for the 17 PM was the better sensor on a 5x or greater optical zoom in order to make better concert bootlegs.

Being forced into a digital crop in a low-light environment is the worst possible scenario.

5x is pointless when it's one lens. 3.5 adds far better options and will still be strong at 5x if it does have a bigger sensor and MP. basically will be 12MP at 5x.

 

[Turbonow]

I compared iPhone 16 Pro 5x with Huawei Pura 70 Ultra 3.5x digitally zoomed to 5x, both at 12mp. Huawei images were better in any case, because it has 50 mpx and larger sensor paired with faster periscope lens. The ability of insane close-focusing for macros was another forte vs iPhone's lame 1.2 meter minimum distance. Huawei images were crisp and detailed, while iPhone's telephoto was quite mushy and noisy even at bright light.

So 3.5x-4x seems as the sweet spot for periscope lenses to allow flexible design and accommodate a larger dimension 48 mpx quad-bayer sensor.

Add iPhone's ability of exposing in ProRaw format, you may get a usable 7x image at the end of day when compared to limited-quality 5x available now.

 

[r_123]

5x is pointless when it's one lens. 3.5 adds far better options and will still be strong at 5x if it does have a bigger sensor and MP. basically will be 12MP at 5x.

would be 12MP at 7x, not 5x.

 

[ab2c4]

I just got my first Pro phone (16 Pro) and I am enjoying the 5x. For me it seems like I would use 5x a lot more than 3x so I'm glad to have it.