Is the new iPhone as good as a camera?
I been reading how the iPhone 14 pro max has the best camera in any phone and its 48mp output is on par with a real camera. So when I took delivery of my own iPhone 14 pro max, I was interested to try it out and compare its 48mp raw photos to the couple of Leica cameras that I own. The main selling points for the new iPhone are 48 mega pixel images in RAW format and an improved zoom. So lets start with that comparison.
48 mega pixels
First I took a photo on the iPhone without zooming and then shot a similar one with my 48mp Leica Q2. When you look closely at the photo, you can clearly see that the clever, computerised trickery to upscale a 12mp sensor to 48 megapixel photo that Apple uses is ok, but its not as good as the real full frame sensor of the Q2.
Zoom
I then went outside and I zoomed the iPhone up to its maximum in 48mp Raw mode and shot a picture of a seagull. I then used my Leica V-Lux 5 to do the same. Even though the V-Lux is only 20mp it has a 400mm optical zoom and compared to the computerised zoom of the iPhone the difference was massive.
Image quality
OK, so the 48mp from a small sensor is not as good as the real thing and the digital zoom is not all that, but what about normal photos? Well the answer is its good, but…
As I’ve said before on my blog, a quality sharp lens costs a lot of money to make (hence why Leicas are so expensive) so to compensate for this companies enhance their output by using artificial sharpening techniques and face colour enhancers.
On the left you can see the iPhone image is overly sharp and the colours are very bright and vibrant - nice but not realistic. Also its using ‘Portrait mode’ which I can’t stand as it artificially blurs the background and the line where it blurs the image is usually wrong and you end up with an ear missing or something - just look at the stalk on the leaf in (top left)… see what I mean?
Compare it to the Leica’s photo on the right. This is more ‘real’ looking. The phone image looks like a photo, where on the on the right, its looks like you are looking at the real thing.
Summery
Is it as good as a dedicated camera… No - but its still very good.
Upscaling a small sensor, is never going to be as good as a cameras larger sensor, and digital zoom is rubbish compared to a real lens, and portrait mode…. dont go there.
But for something that we all carry around with us every day, it’s brilliant. perfectly acceptable for taking snapshots and recording memories.
But if you want to take a real photos, spend a few hundred bucks on a manual camera, learn to use it and watch your creative juices start to flow.
Would I recommend it?
Being realistic I am comparing a mobile phone to a Leica camera and for its price (and for those who want to post on Facebook or instagram), the iPhone is very good indeed and is more than capable (video stabilisation is superb) then most peoples needs. Its the best phone camera on the market, and its does come close to a real dedicated camera. I would highly recommend it.
It may not be as good as a real camera, but its still very, very good.
You can even make phone calls on it.....
