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iPhone 13 Pro Is it worth upgrading my 12 to a 13 pro?

H

HughRR

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2021
60
201
I’ve got a standard iPhone 12 and am considering upgrading it to a 13 pro for the marginally better camera. I do a lot of outdoor, action, nature and some macro photography with it. Nothing other than for personal consumption as such and occasional blog postings of trips.

I can’t find any direct comparisons between the two only from standard to standard and pro to pro.

Can anyone comment on this at all?

Typical 12 output attached. Am I going to get any better than this for the extra cash or should I just wait for the 14 pro which should appear when my applecare runs out at end of 2022?

FAFBEF8B-11F7-4CEE-81D6-C557EEB4433F.jpeg
 
HughRR said:
I’ve got a standard iPhone 12 and am considering upgrading it to a 13 pro for the marginally better camera. I do a lot of outdoor, action, nature and some macro photography with it. Nothing other than for personal consumption as such and occasional blog postings of trips.

I can’t find any direct comparisons between the two only from standard to standard and pro to pro.

Can anyone comment on this at all?

Typical 12 output attached. Am I going to get any better than this for the extra cash or should I just wait for the 14 pro which should appear when my applecare runs out at end of 2022?

View attachment 1902620
Click to expand...
While I'm on the 12 Pro, I would say do it just for macro alone. The camera is improved and you only live once so treat yourself if you can afford too.
 
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I was tempted to upgrade but I kept my 12 Pro Max. Although the battery life is terrible I’m holding out until next year. Also since I’m working from home permanently I won’t be utilizing it camera wise so for me it would be a waste of money. This is this the first year I passed up on an upgrade to a new iPhone but I honestly don’t feel bad about it. I went from the 11 Pro Max to the 12 Pro Max and honestly I wish I hadn’t.
 
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I traded in my 12 for the 13 pro after careful consideration. The $530 credit towards it for my 12 was also a huge factor. So far I’m loving it vs my 12. I especially wanted it for the telephoto lens and macro mode since I love taking a lot of pics
 
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Thanks all for the replies. Your time and input is appreciated.

I’m going to lurk in the local apple store on Saturday and play with one first.
 
I upgraded from the 12 Pro even though I had reservations and I was completely blown away. I think you'd be really happy with it.
 
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To me it's not a matter of "the better camera," but the choice of cameras. Both have wide and ultra-wide, but the 13 Pro has the long lens and macro focus capabilities. Yes, there's better image stabilization as well, and somewhat lower noise. If you've been going around with the current phone wishing you had a longer lens or that you could do a closer focus, or have regular issues with camera shake/low-light images, the decision is easy. But if the current cameras suit your needs, then why bother?

Some photographers load themselves down with lenses for every purpose, but there's also something to be said for the creativity driven by using a smaller selection of lenses, or even one lens. A decent photographer learns to shoot within the capabilities of their lens(es) - you mentally frame shots based on what's practical with the lens you have. No point taking a shot of a circling eagle in a plain blue sky if you don't have a long lens, no point taking extreme close-ups if you can't macro focus. The shot you posted is indicative of this - nicely framed and composed based on what a wide-angle lens can accomplish. If you had only a 65mm-equivalent telephoto you'd have an entirely different image.

I've seen a dramatic shift in photographic styles due to smartphone photography. From the days when folks bought P&S cameras with 3x or 4x zooms that nearly never went wider than 35mm-equivalent (although they almost always seemed to zoom to maximum tele), we've gotten to the point where 28mm-equivalent is "normal" rather than the widest wide-angle the typical SLR hobbyist owned. Casual photographers are composing very differently than they did 15 years ago.

Personally, since I'll be moving from an iPhone X to a 13 Pro, it's a no-brainer. I use the "tele" in the X a lot, but find it inadequate. I'm looking forward to what I might do with an ultra-wide. I skipped the 12 Pro altogether because the "tele" wasn't as long as the one in the 12 Pro Max (and I wanted the extra length), but I dislike the "Max" form factor. This year I can get the lenses I want in the form factor I prefer, with macro as an added bonus (I bought my first macro in about '69 or '70).
 
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Wife and I stayed with our 12PM’s. Did not make sense to upgrade for a few marginal items. Our 12PM’s take great shots. So we stayed with them. My wife works at AT&T and is easily tempted to upgrade. This year was the was the first time she was not excited about the new phone.
 
I had a 12 non-pro. I take a lot of pictures for my own consumption and to share with friends, but I'd like to think the ones I share are decent pictures. The 12 was an awesome phone and the cameras were good, but boy did I miss having a telephoto lens. I just couldn't get some of the shots I wanted. I upgraded to the 13 Pro, and I'm glad I did. I'm having a lot of fun with macro, and I'm really happy to have telephoto back. It's not that the cameras are a lot better... just that I have more of a choice. If I'd had a 12 Pro, I probably would not have upgraded. That being said, the post-processing in the 13 Pro isn't always the best. It's better since the last iOS update, though, and I think Apple is working on getting it fixed. Most of the pictures I take look great.
 
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I did upgrade from 12 Pro to 13 Pro Max. After one week my conclusion is: 120 hz is amazing, the screen of the 13’s are a little bit cooler, amazing battery. But overall it still feels the same. I don’t see any difference at making photo’s, expect the macro but that’s something I don’t use that much. So I’m returning the 13 PM and will wait for 14 line-up!
 
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rsnhakan said:
I did upgrade from 12 Pro to 13 Pro Max. After one week my conclusion is: 120 hz is amazing, the screen of the 13’s are a little bit cooler, amazing battery. But overall it still feels the same. I don’t see any difference at making photo’s, expect the macro but that’s something I don’t use that much. So I’m returning the 13 PM and will wait for 14 line-up!
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I considered jumping up to the 13 Pro but really couldn’t justify the cost versus features gained. I may jump on the 14 but I’m thinking I’ll replace the battery next year and jump on the 15 so I can get wowed on 3 years worth of updates. I’ll save money in the long run.
 
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I’ve got a 12 and still satisfied with how good the camera is. It would be silly for me to upgrade after just a year when my current phone still feels new and fresh. I’ll get the 14 at the end of my contract for a more significant difference.
 
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