Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Low light images will not be the "S" series strong point. More pixels on the same size sensor will result in noise in low light and the phone will apply an extra helping of noise reduction which will result in loss of detail.

In medium to good light my 6S+ produces the best images I have ever got from a phone by far!

See this, is unacceptable to me:

View attachment 587672

Update - Thumbnail only, click for actual pic.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: deadsoul
the 6S to me appears closer to a RAW image to leave room for adding back contrast in afterwards. I think your 5S just baked in the contrast. If you add it back, you can probably see the color better.
 
After reading some more of your responses, OP, it seems you just want to convince people the 5s is the superior camera. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm pretty ok with that. If you like it better that's certain your right.

I agree the pics you're taking look worse. Here is a low light pic of Boston Harbor (wife took this with a 6s). I don't have a 5s to compare it to, but it definitely looks better to me than some of your samples.
image.jpeg
 
See this, is unacceptable to me:

View attachment 587672

Looks like there is little to no light. Even the flash could not help here. What were you expecting?

Even with the flash on you at best could have got a little light on the girl but no way you can expect the back ground in the dark to be anything except dark!

Show me the same image under same conditions taken with your old phone!
 
After reading some more of your responses, OP, it seems you just want to convince people the 5s is the superior camera. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm pretty ok with that. If you like it better that's certain your right.

I agree the pics you're taking look worse. Here is a low light pic of Boston Harbor (wife took this with a 6s). I don't have a 5s to compare it to, but it definitely looks better to me than some of your samples. View attachment 587688

Yep this is exposed well and shows detail even in the shadows.

Low light photography is not going to be the "S" series strong point!
 
Since it's low light the software stabilization vs OIS probably makes a difference. Low light combined w/ software stabilization isn't going to help. Of course it'll look great on your screen because you're seeing it from a moving video perspective, and that tiny movement isn't noticeable, but once that shutter kicks in you have that tiny moment which will grab it into the single still image.

I, honestly, haven't looked into both much... but just a thought.
 
Like some people said, this has been a problem ever since Apple changed their noise reduction algorithm. It's been like this with the 6 and 6 Plus as well. Luckily, I'd like to recommend two apps that are absolutely excellent for taking better pictures than the standard camera app:

Cortex and Hydra. Cortex has an older interface compared to Hydra, but they both give excellent results in low light. Hydra also has some extra features like taking 32MP photos.

Trust me people, these two apps and night and day difference compared to the standard camera app.
 
image.jpeg
Yep this is exposed well and shows detail even in the shadows.

Low light photography is not going to be the "S" series strong point!
I don't know much about photography. I know the basics. I know not to take a picture with the sun shining directly into the lense. I know to remain relatively still when the ******* falls. I know I can manually focus in an object through the viewfinder. And that's about it.

The op states his career, to some degree, involves editing photos (if have to go back a re read but I'm typing this now and I don't feel that is terribly important). I'm inclined to believe he knows more about photography than me.

I can only say what looks nice and works for me. We have plenty of pictures of my son taken on a 5s, one of which I just got printed at target and we framed next to a baby picture of me (we look like identical twins). To me, that picture looks damn good too.

In many, maybe most, cases the picture is only as good as the photographer. I feel like my pictures haven't really gotten much better after the 5s, but also not much worse. The 5s was a great camera. I can't say the 6s blows it out of the water. But, in my experience, it's also not strictly worse, as is what seems to be the basic claim of this thread.

Here's another non low light picture that I took (6s plus) that I'm very happy with. I don't suspect I'll be taking much better pictures regardless of how awesome my camera is without some more advanced training/schooling/practice, none of which really interests me.
 
View attachment 587700
I don't know much about photography. I know the basics. I know not to take a picture with the sun shining directly into the lense. I know to remain relatively still when the ******* falls. I know I can manually focus in an object through the viewfinder. And that's about it.

The op states he is employed, to some degree, with editing photos (if have to go back a re read but I'm typing this now and I don't feel that is terribly important). I'm inclined to believe he knows more about photography than me.

I can only say what looks nice and works for me. We have plenty of pictures of my son taken on a 5s, one of which I just got printed at target and we framed next to a baby picture of me (we look like identical twins). To me, that picture looks damn good too.

In many, maybe most, cases the picture is only as good as the photographer. I feel like my pictures haven't really gotten much better after the 5s, but also not much worse. The 5s was a great camera. I can't say the 6s blows it out of the water. But, in my experience, it's also not strictly worse, as is what seems to be the basic claim of this thread.

Here's another non low light picture that I took (6s plus) that I'm very happy with. I don't suspect I'll be taking much better pictures regardless of how awesome my camera is without some more advanced raining/schooling/practice, none of which really interests me.

The above are quite nice, excellent color and my only suggestion would be in composition using the rule of thirds. The shoreline should have been either higher showing more water or the shoreline should have been in the second lower third showing more sky. The the image of the city at night had very nice composition with the seating leading in the foreground and was my favorite.

As far as the sun shining into the lens. With the iPhone you can try to use you hand to stop the sun from directly hitting the lens but even that is not possible. Sometime the light will bounce around in the lens elements and cause flair if the sun is just right. This flair can even happen at night if you have a bright light in the image you can get a secondary spot from reflections in the lens.
 
The above are quite nice and my only suggestion would be in composition using the rule of thirds. The shoreline should have been either higher showing more water or the shoreline should have been in the second lower third showing more sky. The the image of the city at night had very nice composition with the seating leading in the foreground and was my favorite.
In the picture of Manhattan I was working around construction and a fence lol. But I appreciate the tip :)
 
In the picture of Manhattan I was working around construction and a fence lol. But I appreciate the tip :)

That is one heck of a city. Have not been in that neck of the woods in a while. Sometimes this do get in the way. I have spend hours removing telephone poles and wires from images. I enjoy working over images in Photo Shop as much as taking the pictures.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lordofthereef
Yep, 5S uses different noise reduction and processing. Less sharp than 5S and 5. It's been talked about for a while. 6 and 6S give watercolor effect.

Apple has no choice except to crank up the NR (noise reduction) in lower light. Cramming more pickets on the same size sensor will yield more detail in good light but when the NR kicks in in low light you will get "mush".

I would love Apple to allow us to turn the NR off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thedatapusher
If I wanted a washed out picture with blur, i would rub vasaline on the lense. I work in Film. Grain is good, blur is bad.


I think both pictures look terrible at full size. Looking at the thumbnails only, I like the 6S better.

I'm no photo expert but I will remind you that it is a phone camera. If you work in film, I'd think you'd use a better camera for anything more important than a every day picture. That isn't a slam either.

Honestly, I don't ever remember an iPhone that took good pictures in low light. They have all been grainy in my experience.
 
Apple has no choice except to crank up the NR (noise reduction) in lower light. Cramming more pickets on the same size sensor will yield more detail in good light but when the NR kicks in in low light you will get "mush".

I would love Apple to allow us to turn the NR off.
It happens in normal lighting too. I did extensive side by side comparisons a when the 6 came out and the loss of detail is noticeable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deadsoul
Yep, 5S uses different noise reduction and processing. Less sharp than 5S and 5. It's been talked about for a while. 6 and 6S give watercolor effect.

If they don't change this on the next release I'm moving out... I only had an iPhone 6 for 2 days because of this crap...
 
That is one heck of a city. Have not been in that neck of the woods in a while. Sometimes this do get in the way. I have spend hours removing telephone poles and wires from images. I enjoy working over images in Photo Shop as much as taking the pictures.
Lol like I said my expertise begins and ends with point and shoot. I've seen some amazing photoshop work. Sometimes I'm envious. I just neither have the will nor patience to sit down and edit. Props to those who do. :)
 
It happens in normal lighting too. I did extensive side by side comparisons a when the 6 came out and the loss of detail is noticeable.
This as well. Going into apple store today to buy a new one and try to return this. This and the pitting ruins it for me.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.