These days smartphones are effectively cameras with some connectivity features. 😕
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Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More
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These days smartphones are effectively cameras with some connectivity features. 😕
Real optical zoom would be huge news. I‘ll believe it when I see it, though.
And no, it is definitely not „easy“. If it was easy, Sony wouldn‘t be the only ones doing it.
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Yes, I would like an 8x zoom, please. I look forward to Apple adding 3,472 camera control buttons.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today.
The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by Slovenian company Division Film. Apple is listed as one of Division Film's clients on its website, but MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared by the tipster, so skepticism is obviously warranted for now.
The tipster revealed three alleged iPhone 17 Pro features that have not been rumored previously:
For the pro camera app, the tipster warned there is a chance Apple is planning a major update to its existing Final Cut Camera app instead of an all-new app.
- An upgraded Telephoto lens with up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens can apparently move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths.
An all-new pro camera app from Apple for both photos and videos. This app would compete with the likes of Halide, Kino, and Filmic Pro. It is unclear if the app would be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro models.- An additional Camera Control button on the top edge of the devices, for quickly accessing the camera and related settings. This would complement the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge of all iPhone 16 models.
The tipster also said that rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro having a new copper-like color option and a centered Apple logo are apparently true.
iPhone 17 Pro models are widely expected to feature a redesigned rear camera system, so it would be a fitting year for Apple to have some big camera-related upgrades planned. The devices are expected to have three 48-megapixel rear cameras.
In February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was planning to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities.
Here is what he said about that:In addition, Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser said the Camera app on the iPhone 17 Pro models will let users record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
As we mentioned above, these rumors should be treated with skepticism for now, since they were shared by an anonymous tipster with no proven track record. If other sources confirm or deny these rumors, we will be sure to update this article accordingly.
Article Link: Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More
Rightfully so if they can't keep their mouth shut.
If it’s truly using a variable focal length zoom lens that might explain the oddly sized camera bump. Variable zooms will always be thicker than equivalent aperture fixed/prime lenses (assuming this is a periscope lens like the previous two generations). Other than a one-off Sony model I don’t believe anyone’s been able to pull it off in a smartphone, hence why they resort to multiple lenses and sensor crop tricks. The added width of the bump might be necessary to allow for the thickness of the variable zoom assembly if it occupies that space.
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The camera upgrades feel as odd to me as if Apple designed the iPhone around extreme audiophiles.
Every year a new headphone jack that’s 7.3% better.
It depends on what it's used for. I use the current camera button all the time. And it works great.
As a photographer who uses my iPhone a lot for making photos, I'm looking forward to seeing what the 2nd camera button will do.
I'm also interested in the 8X optical zoom.
you say that now...but imagine apple making a gaming console and your new iphone would be a gampad
So far AFAIK there have been no believable rumours it would be a variable focal length zoom. The more reasonable rumours have been that it would be a fixed focal length telephoto, but with a 48 MP sensor that can be cropped without digital interpolation to 12 MP, providing effectively twice the focal length. The Majin Bu rumour says 3.5X 48 MP, which can be cropped to 7X 12 MP.
Of note is the fact that Sony already makes 3.5X / 7X cameraphone sensors, but in previous years, they were 12 MP. Given that Sony has lately been offering 48 MP versions of their various sensors, it's not a big stretch to believe they will do the same with the 3.5X telephoto offering.
Why 3.5X? Because that provides the equivalent of an 85 mm telephoto, which is very popular for portrait photography.
In one model, but for three generations already, so not a „one-off“.
The camera app is very probably the most used app/function on iPhones, so your analogy doesn’t make much sense.
Huh? Sony has a special (zoom) lens in their flagship model; you certainly don‘t need a special sensor for real optical zoom.
Something they should really do, especially since they’re making their own wireless chips now, is create a wireless flash triggering system. That would immediately make it a much more pro photography system. I’ve used the (not super reliable) profoto camera app which uses Bluetooth to communicate with profoto flashes (most traditional wireless flash systems use a more reliable 2.4ghz triggering systems I believe), and it makes an dramatic difference to the quality of images you can produce. Not only from the flexibility of types of images you can create with flash, but also when you have a lot of light, the disadvantages of a small sensor disappear.
I’ve turned in iPhone/profoto nightlife photos to clients mixed in with photos from my £8000 professional camera set up and it would be impossible to tell the difference. The only issue is, it’s limited to the profoto camera app, is slow (due to limitations with Bluetooth and the camera api for metering, taking up to 2 seconds for an auto flash power photo), and is unreliable with support for OS updates and new phones.
The built in flash being millimetres from the lens is look that to me isn’t very pleasing. Off camera flash just makes such a huge difference to image quality, even if it’s held just above the camera. So for personal use it would be a dramatic change, but then it could scale to full studio set ups, meaning you could replace an inflexible traditional camera with a connected and simple and mobile phone.
If Apple was to make its own flash protocol/api, that had fast metering and compatibility with 3rd party apps, this would give them a huge edge over android and even some of the traditional camera market. I would upgrade for that feature alone.
I’ve turned in iPhone/profoto nightlife photos to clients mixed in with photos from my £8000 professional camera set up and it would be impossible to tell the difference. The only issue is, it’s limited to the profoto camera app, is slow (due to limitations with Bluetooth and the camera api for metering, taking up to 2 seconds for an auto flash power photo), and is unreliable with support for OS updates and new phones.
The built in flash being millimetres from the lens is look that to me isn’t very pleasing. Off camera flash just makes such a huge difference to image quality, even if it’s held just above the camera. So for personal use it would be a dramatic change, but then it could scale to full studio set ups, meaning you could replace an inflexible traditional camera with a connected and simple and mobile phone.
If Apple was to make its own flash protocol/api, that had fast metering and compatibility with 3rd party apps, this would give them a huge edge over android and even some of the traditional camera market. I would upgrade for that feature alone.
I guess a better way to put it is "Sony already has 3.5X telephoto sensors". No you don't need a special sensor for optical zoom, but you don't need a special sensor for cropped zoom either, although it really helps to have a much higher pixel count.
All we need is for Sony to provide Apple with a 48 MP version of their 3.5X telephoto (like they've done with their other non-tele sensors), and we're off to the races... with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Furthermore, on a smartphone, 3.5X / 7X is much more practical for mainstream use than 5X / 10X.
P.S. I wouldn't be completely shocked if Apple's fixed focal length implementation of 3.5X / 7X with the new 48 MP sensor is better for 7X in many cases than Sony's variable zoom implementation for 3.5X / 7X using the 12 MP sensor. The reviews for Sony's 7X are middling at best.
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- An additional Camera Control button on the top edge of the devices, for quickly accessing the camera and related settings. This would complement the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge of all iPhone 16 models.
Speculation: tipster is from Central Europe and Androids are more common there, and they may not have been familiar with recent iPhone minutiae. This "additional camera control" on top edge is the same control as the iPhone 16 Pro's new camera control held landscape. It's possible that the button has extra features and so the "new" part was mistranslated/misinterpreted.
Or tomorrow's headline: "Slovenian film company released from all current and any future work with Apple"...
I would like them to split the lines and really dial the Pro line into this type of super camera focused stuff ...
And make normal iPhone lines much more streamlined and focused on communicator devices, along with smaller physical size options for those that use the devices with that focus.
I wonder if that means what is being suggested here?
Being able to "move" could mean:
- Varying aperture opening size (F stops);
- Additional image stabilization;
- Better focusing mechanism.
Usually the last thing it means is that it is a variable Zoom lens and not an fixed 8x "prime".
Time will tell.
So, a "crop zoom" does not give you twice the focal length, it gives you the field of view of a twice focal lens but the actual focal length remains the same, it's somewhat of an optical illusion.
And while 85mm in traditional photography is a popular portrait lens, it is not a tele lens.
But, we are discussing rumors here, nothing else.
I have exactly as much credibility as the tipster in this article, so here’s my anonymous tip: The 17 Pro Max will have a 100x optical zoom and 100-hour battery life.
😉
😉
I don’t think thats a bad idea, but this wireless triggering would only require the wireless trigger to be designed for it (it already is technically capable of it, already using that spectrum for other things, so maybe it wouldn't even need hardware changes) and for the software/api to be designed for it. So there would/should be no physical changes or even really a cost difference.
I wasn't suggesting a hotshoe, just for the existing wireless chip to have an additional mode. Everyone could benifit from that even if you don’t want all the extra stuff. Personally I’ve not found the camera control interface very useful 🤷♂️
Folks, the iPhone 17 Pro series is OLD NEWS. This device was locked-in many months ago. This will go on sale this fall and will sell well, so nobody really cares about it. Everyone who is anyone is getting pumped for the ALL NEW iPhone Fold. For the first time ever, the iPhone will feature a best-in-class multi-screen design. Customers will be able to quickly interact with the smaller screen and open the device for a widescreen experience, making the ALL NEW iPhone Fold a game-changer for busy pros and amateurs alike. And, to take things to a whole new level, Apple is THRILLED to introduce the ALL NEW iPhone 18 Pro, feature an edge-to-edge screen. This is truly a breathtaking experience and Apple thinks you're gonna love it. Apple can't wait to see the incredible things customers are able to do with the best-in-class iPhone Fold and the ALL NEW iPhone 18 pro, the phone for ultra pros!
If you are going to nitpick, I guess we could also say focal length doesn't give you the perspective differences either. If you were to take an 85 mm portrait lens and take a portrait at 12 feet, you get a pleasing portrait perspective.
However, if you were to take a 24 mm wide angle lens and take a portrait at 12 feet, you would get exactly the same pleasing portrait perspective. However, in this case as you say, you also have a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff around it in the frame too, so you'd have to crop it to the same framing to make it look good.
IOW, focal length isn't really the key here, it's the shooting distance. As you say, what the focal length does here is determine the framing at a particular shooting distance.
And yes, 85 mm is most definitely considered tele. In common photography parlance, it is called a "short tele".
Yes, my personal prediction:
Fixed focal length lens
48 MP 3.5X sensor, equivalent to 85 mm, with centre cropping to 12 MP at effectively 7X 170 mm
Sensor size slightly bigger than in the 16 Pro Max
Optical sensor shift image stabilization
Not only that, but the difference in picture quality YOY isn't impressive at all imo. I think that macro shots was the last big camera feature that really made an impact on pictures I take.