iPhone 7 Plus Low-Light Photo Capabilities Shown Off at U.S. Open

[Soccertess]

looks really good! The only really update i'm impressed with

 

[falainber]

There are no absolute definitions.

I photograph people on the street (both candid and posed portraiture) and like environmental context. The ideal focal length for me is 35mm, giving enough environmental context without exaggerating features from shooting people too close.

I couldn't make the photos I usually make with a 56mm lens, and thus for my photography, would consider it a telephoto.

A lot of photographers consider a 50mm lens a "normal lens." Labels are rarely useful in many situations. It's like the term "portrait lens." There's a wide range of focal lengths that could fit that term, depending on the kind of portraiture you shoot.

There are occasions where having a 56mm option would be handy when I'm out shooting with my phone, though. Having that option on my phone would be great, though I'd use the wide angle lens more often.

Obviously you may classify your lenses any way you want but there are commonly accepted terms that you can't change. Here is a definition of telephoto lens from Wikipedia:

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In photography and cinematography, a telephoto lens is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than thefocal length.[1] This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light path to create a long-focus lens in a much shorter overall design. The angle of view and other effects of long-focus lenses are the same for telephoto lenses of the same specified focal length. Long-focal-length lenses are often informally referred to as telephoto lenses although this is technically incorrect: a telephoto lens specifically incorporates the telephoto group.[2]

Telephoto lenses are sometimes broken into the further sub-types of medium telephoto: lenses covering between a 30° and 10° field of view (67mm to 206mm in 35mm film format), and super telephoto: lenses covering between 8° through less than 1° field of view (over 300mm in 35mm film format).[3]

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iPhone 7 lens does not fit this definition. Having a 2x optical zoom is a very good thing but let's not get carried away and buy the Apple PR without critical thinking.

 

[littyboy]

If you have a DLSR and take many photos with it, it's really hard to accept the quality that a phone's camera produces, even if the quality gets "better and better." Because if you happen to take a great shot with a phone's camera, you realized you could've taken a better shot with a DSLR.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Thank you, thank you, thank you MacRumors! I am a professional photographer and I greatly appreciate your reports on these newly released photos! It means a lot to me and just inspired me to pull the trigger on a new iPhone 7 Plus. (I'm coming from an iPhone 6s Plus.)

Folks have to realize that at least in the next decade, iPhone cameras are not going to surpass any DSLR (and they probably never will), but that is not the point. As an artist, I enjoy creating images that tell a story and my iPhone is nearly with me every minute of every day whereas my 3 DSLRs and 14 lenses are not. The iPhone allows me to express myself more often and has actually been a great addition to my life.

Cheers,
Bryan

 

[mdriftmeyer]

I'm all for Tim getting excited and spotlighting these photos (along with the NFL pics).

But Apple needs to quit comparing cell phone cameras to DSLR's. There is no comparison.

But here is the rub, most people realize they waste $2k+ on DSLRs they barely use and when they see these photos they are more than satisfied to buy the new phone with that quality and save money.

 

[recoil80]

How is 56 mm telephoto? When I think of telephoto I think of at least 70-90 mm.

I think 56mm is a good compromise.
Having a wide angle together with a 90mm wouldn't work, you'd have too much zoom.
56 is really good for portraits, with my DSLR I use 50mm a lot

 

[gkarris]

Well, I guess the iPad is supposed to replace the computer, so I guess the iPhone will replace the dSLR...



(btw, an iPad Pro cost a lot more than my cheap $250 laptop, and an iPhone 7+ a lot more than my refurbished Nikon D3300 with my used 18-200 VR lens...)

 

[swester]

Because if you happen to take a great shot with a phone's camera, you realized you could've taken a better shot with a DSLR.

Yeah, and you could take an even better shot with a $50k Hasselblad, instead of having a plain old DSLR. But how often do you really want to lug around a DSLR, not to mention all the lenses, batteries, etc?

That's the brilliance of the smartphone technology - you don't have to worry about missing an opportunity, which is far more important IMO than the pixel-peeping quality of the image.

 

[iPhaithful]

Honestly, if you give two ***** about any of the nitpicking people are going on and on and on about here, and the difference between this and a Galaxy, you shouldn't be using your phone to take pictures anyway. We've come to a point where the iPhone is "good enough" to be a great point and shoot. If you need more than that, you need DSLR, and that won't change next year, the year after that, or any other year. IF a smartphone ever gets as good as a Canon D5 (which I don't believe they ever will, because physics), the equivalent DSLR will have equally evolved to something even better. Just be happy that you got a great point and shoot with your phone, and be happy with it. This is getting ridiculous.

One more time for the folks in the back!

Seriously, if you have to nitpick this much over a camera on a phone just buy a damn DSLR and get a phone to use for the other things you do.

 

[citysnaps]

Obviously you may classify your lenses any way you want but there are commonly accepted terms that you can't change. Here is a definition of telephoto lens from Wikipedia:

---------------------------------------

In photography and cinematography, a telephoto lens is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than thefocal length.[1] This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light path to create a long-focus lens in a much shorter overall design. The angle of view and other effects of long-focus lenses are the same for telephoto lenses of the same specified focal length. Long-focal-length lenses are often informally referred to as telephoto lenses although this is technically incorrect: a telephoto lens specifically incorporates the telephoto group.[2]

Telephoto lenses are sometimes broken into the further sub-types of medium telephoto: lenses covering between a 30° and 10° field of view (67mm to 206mm in 35mm film format), and super telephoto: lenses covering between 8° through less than 1° field of view (over 300mm in 35mm film format).[3]

---------------------------------------

iPhone 7 lens does not fit this definition. Having a 2x optical zoom is a very good thing but let's not get carried away and buy the Apple PR without critical thinking.

Sure I can. There are no rule-makers. I understand why some need rules and definitions though to get through life. Usually photographers, when they get to a level of competency, don't.

As I said previously, rigid definitions are rarely useful. The term "portrait lens" is another one.

Relative to a "normal" cellphone camera lens, 56mm is a telephoto. Whether you like it or not.

I'd much rather look at and talk about peoples' photographs than debate definitions.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Thank you, thank you, thank you MacRumors! I am a professional photographer and I greatly appreciate your reports on these newly released photos! It means a lot to me and just inspired me to pull the trigger on a new iPhone 7 Plus. (I'm coming from an iPhone 6s Plus.)

Folks have to realize that at least in the next decade, iPhone cameras are not going to surpass any DSLR (and they probably never will), but that is not the point. As an artist, I enjoy creating images that tell a story and my iPhone is nearly with me every minute of every day whereas my 3 DSLRs and 14 lenses are not. The iPhone allows me to express myself more often and has actually been a great addition to my life.

Cheers,
Bryan

Much the same for me. The convenience of an iphone camera on assignment makes it so much easier. I also find when shooting candid design shots the subject are not as tense with an iphone being the camera then a full rig, they tend to drop into poor modeling poses when you have the full set up.

I often do all my tests shots with the phone, get sign off and then leave them as they are or come back with the full rig and shoot the same concept.

 

[Black Magic]

I'm all for Tim getting excited and spotlighting these photos (along with the NFL pics).

But Apple needs to quit comparing cell phone cameras to DSLR's. There is no comparison.

Apple never did compare to DSLR. In the keynote they even brought that up stating "all we are saying is that this is the best camera in a smartphone."

 

[falainber]

I understand the differences between DSLR and smartphone so no need to go into that. However, what is important to most people is what is the best camera that you can afford to buy and have with you when you need it.

For many people they just can't justify the cost of a DSLR even with a kit lens, never mind one with a few different lenses. For those who can justify this cost, even they might not have it with them when a photo-opportunity presents itself. I have my iPhone 6 (about to be 7+) and a Panasonic 18x super zoom because although I would love a better camera I just can't justify £1000-£2000 for a DSLR or more likely for me a mirrorless equivalent. With high resolution digital viewfinders there is really no reason for a mirror any more so I believe that aspect of DSLRs will largely disappear in the next 3-5 years. At that point I don't think it can really be called a DSLR any more.

You can't dispute that the majority of photos taken today are taken by amateurs with smartphones so the iterative improvements that Apple are bringing (along with other vendors) will help preserve the quality of our photographs for the future. When I look at some of my early photos of my kids I really wish we had this technology 20 years ago!

When DSLRs came out, SLR users scoffed at them and yet SLR has been replaced by DSLR in almost every situation. The same will (in my view) happen to DSLRs but it will be mirrorless cameras which will replace them not smartphones, again in "almost" every situation. Smartphones have already replaced the point and shoot and will erode the market of the low to mid range mirrorless camera but the mid to high end mirrorless market will be safe for some time to come at least.

I think your notion that P&S cameras are dead is premature. There are very good P&S cameras in the iPhone price range that produce way better pictures than smartphone cameras. Sony RS 100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 are just two examples. People who want better pictures would be much better off with these cameras than with iPhone (or any smartphone) camera.

 

[BorderingOn]

Sky pictures on iPhones have traditionally had a bluish/purplish color. Either Apple changed the color algorithm or this wasn't taken on an iPhone.

No such problem with my 5S and 6S.

 

[BakeLaotou]

These are not low light.
Nothing special.

 

[falainber]

Sure I can. There are no rule-makers. I understand why some need rules and definitions though to get through life. Usually photographers, when they get to a level of competency, don't.

As I said previously, rigid definitions are rarely useful. The term "portrait lens" is another one.

Relative to a "normal" cellphone camera lens, 56mm is a telephoto. Whether you like it or not.

I'd much rather look at and talk about peoples' photographs than debate definitions.

If everyone is going to use their own terms then it would be impossible to have a meaningful conversation. So, whether you like it or not, iPhone 7 lens is not a telephoto lens. Here are the types of the photo lens (based on focal distance):

• wide-angle lenses
• standard lenses
• telephoto lenses
• super telephoto lenses

"Standard" lenses are called this way because they give roughly the same magnification as the human eye. And that's what iPhone 7 lens is. Nothing wrong with it, that's the type of lens that works best for Instagram type photos anyways.

 

[Nozuka]

If you have a DLSR and take many photos with it, it's really hard to accept the quality that a phone's camera produces, even if the quality gets "better and better." Because if you happen to take a great shot with a phone's camera, you realized you could've taken a better shot with a DSLR.

Have fun taking your DSLR camera everywhere you go.

 

[citysnaps]

If everyone is going to use their own terms then it would be impossible to have a meaningful conversation. So, whether you like it or not, iPhone 7 lens is not a telephoto lens. Here are the types of the photo lens (based on focal distance):

• wide-angle lenses
• standard lenses
• telephoto lenses
• super telephoto lenses

"Standard" lenses are called this way because they give roughly the same magnification as the human eye. And that's what iPhone 7 lens is. Nothing wrong with it, that's the type of lens that works best for Instagram type photos anyways.

Alright... It seems you're one who's into rigid definitions. That's OK.

Being a photographer, I'd rather talk about photographs.

 

[mi7chy]

No such problem with my 5S and 6S.

Samsung Galaxy (truer to life)

Apple iPhone (unnatural)

 

[639051]

The rest of the forum just accepts blind faith?

It's a comment from a random person on the internet. If you seriously expect people to start popping out proof on everything they post then you're clearly delusional.

Seriously though, if you care that much why not just replicate it yourself? Low light handling will only be so good on these small sensors and as they pointed out, it's really not low light. Once they start popping off shots from a dimly lit wedding or concert venue, at that point you could really consider it to be improving low light performance. I suppose the issue comes from the lack of definition to the term "low light", it can really be anything.

What I am much more interested in are the RAWs I can finally capture in iOS 10. The only OOC JPEGs I like are from my Fuji X series cameras. Beyond that let me handle the processing.

 

[GREEN4U]

Why is everyone talking about DSLR?? Ever heard of a little company called Sony? It's all about mirrorless! I carry that around all day and get better photos than a iPhone 7+ AND DSLR (unless it's a canon 5D but who lugs that around if you're not on a shoot).

 

[Mactendo]

Why is everyone talking about DSLR?? Ever heard of a little company called Sony? It's all about mirrorless! I carry that around all day and get better photos than a iPhone 7+ AND DSLR (unless it's a canon 5D but who lugs that around if you're not on a shoot).

What model exactly do you carry around?

 

[tennisproha]

the first one in this thread looks amazing. albeit it's not completely dark yet, the contrast and capture of 2 different light sources is impressive. note that it is taken by a professional photographer. this does make a difference in quality.

 

[masciam]

I think 56mm is a good compromise.
Having a wide angle together with a 90mm wouldn't work, you'd have too much zoom.
56 is really good for portraits, with my DSLR I use 50mm a lot

I also agree 56mm is a very versatile focal length and much more useful than 85mm (at least for me).

Regarding your comment about 50mm being good for portraits, I think maybe you're using a DSLR with a crop sensor? In a FF sensor 50mm is okay for environmental portraits, but for headshots there's too much distortion.

 

[iWatchFanboi]

All cellphone cameras are CRAP compared to any pro DSLR. It's just plain silly to try to sell the new iPhone7 as anything more than for your Facebook selfies. Please stop.. no professional photographers use any brand cellphone for their work.

It's physics! A pro DSLR lens is a complicated piece of glass costing thousands of dollars.