iPhone 18 Pro's Major Camera Upgrade to Be Variable Aperture

[Unami]

You cant beat the physics.

no, but eventually computational photography will deliver better and more flexible results.

Or they can try to place single large 1-inch sensor in the center and use manually rotating lenses (like a fidget spinner but with magnetic locking) for ultrawide, wide and telephoto. That way a single high quality sensor will be used for all focal length.

Won't happen. A bigger sensor would require larger lenses and make the camera hump even more pronounced. Also they seem like they are trying to reduce mechanical components, not to add them.

 

[BNBMS]

It's pointless to have a variable aperture due to the diffraction based on the sensor size and megapixels.

 

[BNBMS]

no, but eventually computational photography will deliver better and more flexible results.

Doesn't change the fact that it cant beat the physics and that's why they are using the computational photography as an alternative. Yet, it has limitations.

It would be way better to improve the lens and sensor such as a curved sensor.

 

[starlabjump]

Some smartphones are now adopting 1-inch camera sensors. In the future, the iPhone will likely adopt 1-inch camera sensors as well.

Apple's processing is superior? I think so. Then, if it is combined with 1-inch sensors, it will be greater.

 

[SoldOnApple]

I want to start seeing some amazing pro photography and video advances for the front facing pinhole camera.

 

[scrm]

i think there’s more to it. Apple seems pretty happy with algorithmic boke. So a variable aperture just to allow for optical boke seems like a waste. But the other thing that a variable aperture helps with is preventing blow out in sunny conditions. That’s really not a problem with current sensors as they’re just not sensitive enough for that to bean issue. But if Apple were improving the sensors to make them much more sensitive (for improved low light performance) they’d need variable aperture to keep them from blowing out on sunny days.

So my pet theory is that this is really about low light performance.

Interesting. Perhaps sharpness also has something to do with their choice of variable aperture, since stopping down gives you a sharper image overall.

 

[2low_tech]

Is true, I wonder if the Air 2 will get the same camera?

 

[gazwas]

Who the hell is asking for variable aperture?

If Apple wants to continue to add pro video features to its Pro smart phone's, electronic variable ND is the only realistic option that could significantly improve the iPhone camera's for video.

 

[gazwas]

Interesting. Perhaps sharpness also has something to do with their choice of variable aperture, since stopping down gives you a sharper image overall.

While the more you stop down a lens on these tiny sensors will give a marginal increase in depth of field, this will be counter acted by an overall reduction in sharpness (camera lens/sensor physics).

Not done the maths but I imagine the diffraction limit of the iPhone camera is probably very close to their current maximum aperture.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Awesome, so now I could see the spaghetti you had for dinner last night that you posted on Facebook even more clearly than before, if I had Facebook, which I don't.

 

[TheMacPotato]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

Yes, I use the wide angle a lot. The perspective of the wide-angle can give you some stunnng photos. Why bother pinching to zoom? That's just a digital zoom.

 

[chineseguy38]

Again, camera upgrade. Surprise surprise 😴😂 😂

 

[widestload]

and then it'll be added to the ultra wide for the 19 and tele from the 20 as Apple continues its annoying approach of drip feeding these changes so each new phone has something to differentiate it from the last?

 

[Ctrlos]

Not sure how a variable aperture is going to help with, anything? Interested to see how they spin it!

On the single lens Air at least it would allow for better depth of field and therefore smoother portraits. Rather than trying to theorise where the background is located it could take two images at different f-stops and merge them together.

On the Pro models a wider aperture can also allow more light in and consequently better night shots without software amplification. It can also narrow it down allowing for the use of slower shutter speeds for purposeful motion blur.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yawn, gimme 18 Mini.

Just give us 18 Mini.

And by "Mini", we now mean basically anything not bloody huge.

Can we just get something even kind of normal ... maybe a little smallish?

Something that even pretends to care that human hand size has not changed?

 

[BNBMS]

On the single lens Air at least it would allow for better depth of field and therefore smoother portraits. Rather than trying to theorise where the background is located it could take two images at different f-stops and merge them together.

On the Pro models a wider aperture can also allow more light in and consequently better night shots without software amplification. It can also narrow it down allowing for the use of slower shutter speeds for purposeful motion blur.

The aperture only allows controlling the depth of field but it's totally useless for smartphones as they are using small sensors which cause deep DOF. Since the lens always stay at wide open, why do you even need it?

 

[mattopotamus]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

On the flip side, I pretty much only use the wide angle lens outside of point and shoot.

 

[Saturn1217]

i think there’s more to it. Apple seems pretty happy with algorithmic boke. So a variable aperture just to allow for optical boke seems like a waste. But the other thing that a variable aperture helps with is preventing blow out in sunny conditions. That’s really not a problem with current sensors as they’re just not sensitive enough for that to bean issue. But if Apple were improving the sensors to make them much more sensitive (for improved low light performance) they’d need variable aperture to keep them from blowing out on sunny days.

So my pet theory is that this is really about low light performance.

I would actually argue this IS an issue right now. Not with sunny days but with indoor lighting. I notice pics from my iPhone are over exposed consistently in these scenarios. (Maybe this has been improved since though - not sure). But I'm wondering the same. If variable aperture could prevent some of these over-exposure situations without compromising on low light photography? That would be pretty awesome.

 

[MacFan782040]

We need a bigger sensor that’s it, we need a 1inc sensor

Exactly. I never said "I wish I could shoot at f10 instead to get a deeper depth of field". I rather have a larger sensor than a variable aperture.

 

[nepalisherpa]

With the sensor being so small, variable aperture is not really going to benefit much.

 

[Twixi]

With the sensor being so small, variable aperture is not really going to benefit much.

Clearly you know more than the engineers at apple!

 

[turbineseaplane]

Clearly you know more than the engineers at apple!

The physics of light and realities of photography are not getting bent in Cupertino.

 

[nepalisherpa]

Clearly you know more than the engineers at apple!

Haha, please go read up on sensors and apertures!

 

[BNBMS]

Clearly you know more than the engineers at apple!

If you think Apple engineers are always right, you must be joking by ignoring the physics.

 

[PowerButton]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

I generally prefer wider focal lengths over telephoto lenses. The main occasion when I employ tele is when I am unable to approach my subject.