Why the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s camera is so exciting for professional photographers

As a professional photographer, I am blown away by how the iPhone 11 Pro was able to replace my DSLR in photo shoots. But Apple has since adopted the iPhone 12 line-up that the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the camera technology is even better this time. The The camera of the iPhone 12 Pro Max Especially updates, both in terms of hardware and software, have made me buzz about shooting with this thing. This is why I am so excited.

More zoom with the 2.5x telephoto lens

I love the telephoto zoom on the iPhone 11 Pro, but at just 2x, it doesn’t always provide the zoom level you want. I often find myself zooming in further digitally to get the exact composition I want. The iPhone 12 Pro Max goes even further, to 2.5x, which may not seem like a massive upgrade, but I think this will stand out on many shots.

Would I like to have 5x or 10x? Of course I love the bigger zoom on phones like the Galaxy S20 Ultra (and the new Galaxy S21 Ultra even has a massive 100x zoom lens), but because they are so big, I don’t use them as often as the 2x on the iPhone. Maybe 3x would have been a good compromise, but I still think the upgrade from the 12 Pro Max will make a big difference to many of my photos.

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Larger image sensor

Apple already manages to squeeze incredible image quality out of tiny camera sensors, and the great software takes care of the great night mode recordings we’ve already seen. But a 47% larger sensor captures more light, allowing for brighter shots with less noise and better dynamic range. That’s why my professional camera (a Canon 5D Mark IV) uses a much larger full-frame sensor.

I really want to see what a difference this larger sensor could make, not only for my nighttime shots, but also for capturing fine detail in landscapes or up close when taking macro shots of flowers. A larger sensor in combination with Apple’s image processing software is probably a powerful combination.

Improved, faster lens for better night mode

It’s not just the sensor that can capture more light – the lens itself can let in more light than before thanks to its wider f / 1.6 aperture. That number basically means that the hole through which light passes is larger than it was before, allowing more light to pass through in the same amount of time. Along with the larger sensor, Apple estimates that the 12 Pro Max has seen an 87% improvement in low-light images from the iPhone 11, which itself was one of the best in low-light photos.

The redesigned lens isn’t just about letting in more light, though. Apple also explained in its launch presentation that it has improved the optical clarity of the lens, reducing the amount of image distortion, especially at the edges of the image on the widest lens. All of this means nicer, more professional images. Delicious stuff.

Apple ProRaw

Many of my best photos taken with iPhone were taken in RAW with third-party apps. Raw images don’t store data such as color information or sharpening, giving you more control when editing in mobile apps such as Adobe Lightroom Mobile. However, the downside to RAW recording in third-party apps is that you don’t take advantage of the image processing that Apple uses in its own camera app. For example, the Deep Fusion processing for stunning HDR is only something you get when you shoot with the iPhone’s native camera.

To appeal more to professionals, Apple has introduced Apple ProRaw in its camera app, which takes advantage of many of its image processing capabilities but doesn’t permanently capture data like white balance, so you can still make those changes in post production. Apple says this is the best of both worlds, and on paper I’m tempted to agree, but I’ll have to reserve my final judgment until I can create not only images in this new format, but the images as well can edit.

It’s worth noting that Google has already done pretty much the same with its The “computational raw” feature of Pixel phones, which CNET editor Stephen Shankland calls “great.”

HDR video and improved stabilization

It’s not just stills that have seen an improvement. The phone now also offers HDR with Dolby Vision up to 60fps, which is the first time this has been offered on any device, according to Apple. In theory, this would help control bright highlights and eliminate dark shadows in the same way that HDR does when taking photos.

Optical image stabilization has also been improved by moving the image sensor to counteract movement and vibration, instead of moving the heavier lens, as was previously the case. How much of a difference this makes remains to be seen when I can get the phones out of the case for a good test, but with better image quality and better stabilization, I’m really excited about the kind of videos I can take with this phone.