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rockitdog

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 25, 2013
2,684
1,199
I've been so underwhelmed with the camera on the iPhone XS in less than ideal lighting conditions. Apple made such a big deal about their updated cameras and I've yet to really be pleased with this phone's camera. I'm so envious of people who use the Pixel and the shots their camera gets. Anyone else feel like the XS/ XS Max cameras disappoint?
 

digitalexplr

macrumors 65816
Dec 13, 2016
1,335
876
Central Missouri
I've been so underwhelmed with the camera on the iPhone XS in less than ideal lighting conditions. Apple made such a big deal about their updated cameras and I've yet to really be pleased with this phone's camera. I'm so envious of people who use the Pixel and the shots their camera gets. Anyone else feel like the XS/ XS Max cameras disappoint?
Could post an example of what you are referring to as, "underwhelming"?
 

The Game 161

macrumors Penryn
Dec 15, 2010
28,756
17,976
UK
Makes think there is a fault with your device. Mine had no issues til I cracked my lens which still need to get fixed.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,643
42,517

I frequent that thread once in a while, and really some amazing photos from other members across the world and it’s fairly incredible to see how much detail is included just from an iPhone camera today. For me personally, the only camera I use, is the one I have on me.
 

Clix Pix

macrumors demi-goddess
I have been more than happy with most of the images I've shot on my XS and in fact I find myself using this device's camera more and more, which is a big change from past years in which occasional use of the iPhone camera was pretty much an afterthought and when I always reached for a "real" camera instead. Now I am finding surprising satisfaction with the images I'm getting with the iPhone XS camera, even when I might normally be using a "real" camera to get the shot. For one thing, I'm experiencing that this is a dandy little macro camera and I have been quite happy with the macro shots I've gotten with it. Mind you, I'm not planning to open a gallery show with huge wall-hung prints of any of the images I shoot with the XS..... It is producing surprisingly satisfactory results, though, and for a device which is also a phone and a computer, that's pretty darned useful!
 

perezr10

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,910
1,362
Monroe, Louisiana
I’ve been pretty happy with my XS camera. I was disappointed with the X camera because it couldn’t pick up many colors. For instance, the X couldn’t reproduce the Nike Volt yellow on the Nike Apple Watch faces. This was fixed in the XS. The XS has a much wider range that it can reproduce.
 

watchthisspace

macrumors 6502a
Apr 11, 2010
622
35
I've been so underwhelmed with the camera on the iPhone XS in less than ideal lighting conditions. Apple made such a big deal about their updated cameras and I've yet to really be pleased with this phone's camera. I'm so envious of people who use the Pixel and the shots their camera gets. Anyone else feel like the XS/ XS Max cameras disappoint?

I'm an XR owner and I feel the camera was not much of an improvement over my old 7. Granted in low light it IS better, but it's still got too much post processing/noise reduction going on, for my liking.

In conditions where there's plenty of light, I think my camera is still opting for a low ISO, low shutter speed, which consequently makes the photo a little blurry.

Buut I am glad Apple keeps the colours more "true to life" as opposed to adding saturation and vibrancy, which I'd rather do to make my photos look unreal.
 
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loybond

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2010
829
606
The True North, Strong and Free
As a person who's into photography and uses full frame cameras with nice lenses, I'm pretty impressed with the iPhone Xs/Max.

The best thing about it to me is the smart HDR. The end result almost never has blown highlights, and great shadow detail. It looks natural too, for example, if you shoot into the sun it doesn't boost the shadows to an unrealistic degree. The blacks are still crisp in every shot... Really impressed with the algorithm. It is close to how I edit photos from raw myself, without the workflow.

In previous generations, iPhones would underexpose dramatically in low light, and now this generation doesn't. There's tons of noise, sure, but you can at least see stuff.

Looking at the xs and pixel 3, I find it fascinating how they're finding software methods of overcoming hardware limitations. The pixel stacks photos for a bright nighttime exposure, which can actually have less noise than larger sensor devices.

All that is technical... Photography is really about composition and understanding light. No amount of tech can overcome that.
 

Nipommu

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2011
221
112
I don't know about you but in my life, the subtle improvements in camera is not that important. It doesn't make my life any better/easier to have a Pixel or a Samsung. My life is not about photography or making money off photos. I just like to capture moments throughout my days and X is good enough. I'm not even coming from an XS.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,643
42,517
I don't know about you but in my life, the subtle improvements in camera is not that important. It doesn't make my life any better/easier to have a Pixel or a Samsung. My life is not about photography or making money off photos. I just like to capture moments throughout my days and X is good enough. I'm not even coming from an XS.

I’d say the majority of consumers probably think like you do, where they just want a smart phone camera that is accessible to them when they need it most in that moment where they want to capture that special photo. On the flipside of that point, there are plenty of others who do you take advantage of more specifics of what the camera can offer with features like portrait mode/Live Photos or even 4K video. One of the most popular features that Apple markets, is the camera.

Side Note:

Definitely curious to see what the ‘triple lens camera’ will offer in the fall, Apple upgrades their camera features I would say every three years with major technology leap, and this would be about that time where the next leap is here.
 

jagolden

macrumors 65816
Feb 11, 2002
1,384
1,166
D3F9FA23-58CC-4E1A-9005-C9B4CE12AC92.jpeg
I’m very pleased with the camera in the Xs Max. I’m not a professional photographer by any means, but I like to put some time into good shots, and I definitely get that with the Max.
I now let my wife use the dedicated camera while I stick with my phone unless I need the mega zoom of the dedicated camera.

Wether used alone or with additional lenses, the Max can produce some great photos. I’m curious as to how case/lense manufacturers handle the new triple lense layout of the upcoming iPhones.

Not to turn this thread into PotD, but I’m very pleased with this photo, taken with an added 15x macro lense on my Max, hand-held, in a pretty stiff breeze. This sample is reduced to 144 ppi.
 
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