Dual camera for better results? Where does the difference come from?
Large smartphones. Their price is higher, and the advantages are sometimes very controversial. And today I have just such a gadget: big and for big money.
Of course, I'm talking about the iPhone 7 plus, the price tag for which is truly inhumane. Sometimes one gets the impression that each copy should be accompanied by personal security, so that such a significant monetary acquisition is not blocked. Therefore, for safety, big, strong, bearded Dima (our subscriber) will be with me.
I won’t talk about the fact that there is a large display, protection from water and dust according to the IP 67 standard (with it you can dive shallowly into the pool for a minute or wash it with dishes).
I won’t say that it does complete chaos in terms of performance, because of which I downloaded half of the AppStore and disappeared for a week without leaving home.
Why does a smartphone need two cameras?
In fact, there are even three of them, there is also a 7 MP front one, which now shoots honest FullHD. Happiness for bloggers, but only 30 fps. Do you want 25 or 24? - use a third party application (I installed Filmic Pro).
Let's move on to the main cameras.
One camera received a wide-angle lens with an aperture ratio of 1.8. It is high time! In fact, this gives us a cleaner picture in low light. Otherwise, the iPhone always gave us good quality photos with natural colors without artificially enhancing saturation and contrast as in many other smartphones.
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The focal length is still approximately 28 mm. And even better stabilization. You can safely shoot a smooth video, but keep in mind that stabilization, of course, will not save you with very crooked legs :). In addition to great photos, the camera allows you to shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps.
Well, now the main thing is what kind of neighbor does the main camera have?
And this is a telephoto with a focal length of 56 mm and an aperture ratio of 2.8, without stabilization. Indeed, why is there stabilization here, because we all know: the smaller the angle, the less noticeable the shaking.
What do we actually get? At the moment, the camera has a “Portrait” mode, where Apple has installed a beta version of software for creating bokeh, which tries to blur your background, but does it so clumsily that it’s easier to just take a photo and then blur the background in the application.
Due to the small aperture, this mode only requires good light, really good light. Even in the soft lighting of the cafe, it was difficult to “blur” the lamps in the background.
Of course, all this will be completed in the future and, perhaps, the mode will be very nimble, but at the moment it only causes tears. Especially if you remember the price of this gadget.
Another funny thing: in normal lighting and “Photo” mode, there is a button to switch to 2x (double zoom), by clicking on it, the camera switches to telephoto automatically. This, of course, is correct, but in poor lighting there is simply electronic zoom, and sometimes during the day. And you won’t understand whether a switch has occurred unless you stupidly cover one of the lenses with your finger. The smartphone will not inform you about this in any way!
Conclusions.
If you are a fan of the brand and know about things like “cashback”, “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”, which allow you to save on purchases, then this smartphone is probably worth purchasing for you, if only because of the cool applications, many of which are only available for iOS. I'm talking about video and photography apps now. The smartphone is fast and convenient, but our poor brother in difficult times of crisis needs to think twice before taking it, and the built-in telephoto lens shouldn’t even be in the top ten arguments for a purchase, it’s just a bonus.
I went and checked it myself. The results are below - with sliders, crops, original photos.
Looking ahead: the improvements were not where expected.
Where does the difference come from?
2. White saturation and green realism
The mini-flower bed of daisies looks brighter and more positive both on the iPhone 7 screen and in this comparison. Due to the wind and the need to hold two smartphones in your hands at once, the viewing angles of the photos are slightly different, but the difference is noticeable even without perfect comparison.
Pay attention to the color of the grass and leaves on the iPhone 7. And, of course, the high brightness of the petals, they practically glow. If you lower the brightness while shooting, you can easily get rid of this effect, but personally I like it better this way.
Once again, the seven makes the photograph more like the real state of affairs. The grass was green, the petals were really bright - the day was cloudy, but very bright.
3. Sometimes the difference between cameras is almost invisible
Every year, Apple promises us breakthrough photo quality. And we are consistently disappointed. These photos are staged.
The reason is simple: the difference between the two cameras is leveled down to imperceptible, if desired. Photo taken on iPhone 7 the first time. But with the iPhone 6s, I stood for about five minutes, constantly looking at the photo from the seven.
In the end, I managed to get the same white balance and, with the help of a slightly increased exposure, take almost the same photo. Can you see the difference in quality between them? Will it be real, not a placebo? Try it, unsubscribe.
The increased exposure, as expected, had a bad effect on the clarity of the photo from the iPhone 6s Plus.
4. Bokeh effect, whites, yellows and white balance difference
A photo from an iPhone 7 Plus serves as an excellent illustration of the harm caused by automatic shooting modes. No matter how much I twisted and turned the camera, the result was the same: the seventh sees cold whites in the frame.
iPhone 6s Plus brought green colors closer to reality. I just couldn’t focus properly on the flower:
If I had spent another 10 minutes, I would have gotten the iPhone 7 Plus to engage the white point correctly. But this is not a DSLR, you must agree. When you shoot with an iPhone, the last thing you want is to stand and take one frame 20 times.
The automation failed, but the focus did not. And I personally like the bokeh on the iPhone 7 a little more. Less noise.
5. Victory in aperture, focus and bokeh
I've never noticed so much bokeh noise on an iPhone 6s Plus. It's kind of unpleasant.
The source of the noise is unclear, there was more than enough light. Perhaps this is a feature of the design of the lenses (or crooked hands, this is an option).
What you definitely can’t take away from the iPhone 7 is the excellent rendering of the white color of the petals and bright yellow stamens. This can be done in Photoshop to make the photos look similar. But the seventh iPhone worked on its own.
It is not easy to photograph flowers in windy weather. Time after time I was convinced that the iPhone 7 does it better. Even if the object jerks, it retains more detail.
One attempt on the iPhone 7 and twelve attempts on the iPhone 6s - the first one still had better focus. I freaked out and moved on.
6. Dark shades are visible that are not present on 6s
Rotate your iPhone and move the slider.
The iPhone 7's desire to make the picture bright played a cruel joke, which will not be noticeable on all monitors. The photo from the seven, firstly, is a little blurry, but the main disadvantage is that the machine illuminates the flower petals in the background, which was not the case in reality.
On the other hand, the photo of the iPhone 6s turned out to be incredibly boring and inexpressive. The rich dark transitions in the center of the petals are lost. The background and flowers blend into each other.
Focus in this case saves 6s, but this is a purely incidental gain. If the wind had been more favorable to the iPhone 7, it would have won unconditionally.
7. Let's move on to the night. Complete victory for iPhone 7 here and beyond
Rotate your iPhone and move the slider.
Every year, Apple really improves the quality of iPhone photos in low light conditions. Think. the difference above is obvious. Both emotionally and objectively, the iPhone 7 shoots noticeably better at night. The new product is especially good at clouds and light pollution.
And here is the full crop:
The naked eye can see the work of the noise reduction algorithm, which deprives the photo of small details. The iPhone 7 conveys much more light on the Kremlin wall, but does not outperform last year's model in terms of detail. Not all at once; we will have to sell the iPhone 8.
8. Print the best photos on a good printer
Okay, taking photos on a smartphone is one thing. What if you try to print them? Since we already had experience working with Epson, I decided to go to their Moscow showroom, where all the printing equipment is presented, and test the print quality from the iPhone.
To print photos in the best possible way, you need a photo printer, at least a 6-color one. That’s why I asked the Epson representative right off the bat: “Where do you have the unit that is best for printing photos from the iPhone 7 Plus?” This is how I met the Epson L805 and Epson L1800.
Epson L805 and L1800 are 6-color photo printers with factory CISS. What kind of animals these are and why the CISS system is so convenient, I will not repeat myself.
In short: for printing, these printers do not use cartridges, but special containers into which ink is directly poured. And a lot at once - 70 ml (a supply for several years at once). These containers come with the printers. From one refill of six containers you can print around 1500 – 1800 photos in 10x15 format.
The L1800 has a maximum print format of A3+, the L805 has A4, but the second one can be connected directly from a smartphone via Wi-Fi.
It was not by chance that the units were recommended to us: they are capable of producing prints with a resolution of up to 5760x1440 dpi, with complex transitions and color shades. What you need to complete a test drive of a new iPhone.
I was pleased with the printing result; I printed in different formats, and even in A3. So I recommend printers, as well as the iPhone 7 Plus.
And then things got interesting. An Epson representative, having learned that the photos were taken with the new iPhone 7 Plus, suggested doing a test: printing an image from a smartphone on a T-shirt. Like, the size of the drawing is larger, the surface is not ideal - let's see what happens?
No sooner said than done: they took a screenshot from the iPhone 7 Plus and fed it to a printer that prints on T-shirts. I even had to significantly reduce the image so that everything would fit on the printing platform.
As a result, the printer coped with the task quite well and after a few minutes gave us an excellent T-shirt with a bright screenshot. Printer model: Epson SureColor SC-F2000, if interested.
Finally, a short video of the operation of a printer costing over 1,000,000 rubles, printing an original photograph from a smartphone. Impressive work, impressive result!
I sorted out the printouts, rolled them up and took them to the office to surprise my colleagues.
Thanks to the Moscow representative office of Epson Europe for their support in the preparation of this material!
9 onwards: photo gallery of pictures on iPhone 7 Plus
I walked around and filmed it with my hands. Night and a little day in Moscow.
Conclusions from shooting on iPhone 7 Plus
Shooting with the Plus is inconvenient. It's too big to use the volume buttons to release the shutter. Especially if you use a case.
The quality of the photographs speaks for itself: color rendition is really better, and the difference is visible even on older devices and screens - but not as much as on the iPhone 7 itself. Shooting at night has also noticeably improved: now more details are visible, and the sky has a more saturated hue, close to real.
Autofocus began to work a little faster and capture moving objects faster. I didn’t use it in the test, but the flash now reaches 2 times further. We can say that the flashlight in the seven has become even cooler.
Advantages
Vibrant display with natural colors
Extremely fast processor
IP 67
Durable battery...
Flaws
... but long charging times
Poor value for money
Test results for Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
- Price-quality ratio
Average
- Price/quality ratio: 47
- Performance and Control (35%): 100
- Equipment (25%): 72.1
- Battery (15%): 87.3
- Display (15%): 91.8
- Camera (10%): 89.7
Editorial rating
User rating
You have already rated
New XXL phone from Apple
Apple offers the iPhone 7 Plus in three different storage sizes: 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB.
Thus, the manufacturer has finally said goodbye to the 16 GB version, which, due to the lack of a slot for MicroSD memory cards, no longer meets modern requirements.
The device we tested is the version with the smallest memory capacity (32 GB) and is priced at 68,000 rubles. In appearance, as in the case of the iPhone 7, there is practically nothing to complain about: the body is made of glass and metal, the transitions are very clean, the antenna lines on the rear surface have migrated to the edges. Like its predecessor, the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.
The new XXL-format iPhone is equipped with an Apple A10 processor, which is allocated as much as 3 GB of RAM. We've already admired the speed and responsiveness of the iPhone 7, and the XXL version can score a few extra points in the corresponding test category: the system is extremely fast and outperforms all previously tested devices in our rating.
The 5.5-inch display shows remarkable results in the testing laboratory. For example, with its 570 cd/m2, it turns out to be even slightly brighter than the screen of the iPhone 7. We noticed shortcomings in the black point settings: this color in the model with the word “Plus” in the name does not appear as dark as expected, which leads to reducing the image contrast level.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus visited the Chip testing laboratory
Big fan of saving
In terms of battery capacity, Apple has clearly set a course for savings. In particular, the iPhone 7 comes with a 1960 mAh battery. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a 3,000mAh battery. But these numbers alone are not enough even for a rough estimate of battery life. And indeed: the Galaxy S7 battery lasts only 8 hours 43 minutes, and the iPhone 7 can last a good 9 hours 1 minute.
Now about the iPhone 7 Plus: it is equipped with a 2900 mAh battery and works without recharging for 9 hours 33 minutes. However, there is a problem: to charge a battery with a slightly larger capacity, it will take a little more time - in this case, the smartphone needs to be connected to the outlet for as much as 3.5 hours. There is no Quick Charge technology on board Apple devices.
iPhone 7 Plus comes with the latest iOS 10.0.2 operating system. According to Apple, it is free of minor bugs and there are no noticeable innovations compared to iOS 10. The 32 GB version of the iPhone 7 Plus missed some rating points during testing.
We have not yet tested an option comparable in other technical characteristics, but equipped with 128 GB of built-in memory. This has so far deprived the iPhone 7 Plus of the opportunity to take a higher place in our rating, since the size of the built-in memory is an extremely important criterion when assessing equipment, and with such a high level of smartphone manufacturing, the results are approximately equal. With more storage, the phone we tested would likely score slightly higher than the recently tested iPhone 7 (128GB).
On the back of the iPhone 7 Plus is Apple's dual camera Dual camera for better results?
Apple is putting its new dual camera exclusively in the iPhone 7 Plus. In this case, one lens serves as a wide-angle lens (28 mm), the second acts as a telephoto lens (57 mm). As a result, subjects can be zoomed in as if using optical zoom. The transition between “lenses” is very conveniently carried out in the application with just one swipe of a finger.
In addition, there is also a digital zoom, with which the image can be smoothly scaled up to tenfold magnification. However, it should be noted that only the frame size increases.
Overall, in practice, the iPhone 7 Plus takes noticeably more detailed photos than regular smartphones. Both lenses are equipped with optical image stabilization. The main camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels; first of all, those pictures taken in daylight look clear. In general, photos from the wide-angle camera resemble those from the iPhone 6S Plus, while the telephoto lens produces images of the same quality - but the frame is narrower.
Rare Apple
Although the iPhone 7 Plus is officially available, finding a new device from Apple in the market is not so easy. First of all, due to problems with delivery at the start of sales, the products are not available everywhere. For the 32 GB version, Apple requires 68,000 rubles euros, for the version with a storage capacity of 128 GB you will have to pay 77,000 rubles, and the version with 256 GB will cost 86,000 rubles. All three modifications are available in the following colors: black, gold, silver and rose gold. Onyx black color is also available, but only for models with 128 or 256 GB of memory.
Alternatives
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (128 GB)
Anyone who already owns does not have to upgrade to the iPhone 7 Plus. Although the new product works a little faster and smoother, it’s too early to write off the hardware of the 6S Plus. Currently, the previous model is available for 57,000 rubles (32 GB) or 66,000 rubles (128 GB).
Apple iPhone 7 (128 GB)
Although with its 4.7-inch screen it is slightly smaller than its older XXL brother, its standard version is cheaper. While for the iPhone 7 Plus with 32 GB you will have to pay 68,000 rubles, the 128 GB version of the iPhone 7 will cost you only 66,000 rubles.
| TEST RESULTS | |
Productivity and management (35%) |
|
Equipment (25%) |
|
Battery (15%) |
|
Display (15%) |
|
Camera (10%) |
|
| CONCLUSION iPhone 7 Plus offers a little more in every way than the iPhone 7: a brighter display, longer battery life and dual cameras. Additionally, you can highlight the extremely fast processor. In this case, you can find fault with the long charging time and the small amount of built-in memory (in the case of the 32 GB model). | 88.9% OVERALL RESULT |
Characteristics and test results of Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
| Price-quality ratio | 47 |
| OS during testing | iOS 10 |
| Current OS | iOS 10.0.2 |
| Is there an OS update planned? | no data |
| App Store | Apple App Store |
| Weight | 188 |
| Length x Width | 158 x 78 mm |
| Thickness | 9 mm |
| Expert design review | Great |
| Expert assessment of work speed | Very good |
| Download speed: PDF 800 KB via WLAN | 0.9 s |
| Download speed: main chip.de via WLAN | 0.1 s |
| Download speed: chip.de test chart via WLAN | 1.4 s |
| Sound quality (speakerphone) | Very good |
| CPU | Apple A10 |
| Processor architecture | 64 Bit |
| CPU frequency | - |
| Number of CPU cores | 4 |
| RAM capacity | 3.0 GB |
| Battery: capacity | 2,900 mAh |
| Battery: easy to remove | - |
| Battery: surfing time | 9:33 h:min |
| Battery: charging time | 3:34 h:min |
| Fast charging function | - |
| Charger and fast charging cable included | - |
| Battery: discharging time/charging time | 2,7 |
| Wireless charging function | - |
| WLAN | 802.11n, ac |
| Voice over LTE | Yes |
| LTE: frequencies | 800, 1.800, 2.600 MHz |
| LTE: Cat. 4 | up to 150 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 6 | up to 300 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 9 | up to 450 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 12 | - |
| Screen: type | LCD |
| Screen: diagonal | 5.5 inches |
| Screen: size in mm | 69 x 122 mm |
| Screen: resolution | 1.080 x 1.920 pixels |
| Screen: Dot Density | 400 ppi |
| Screen: max. brightness in a dark room | 559.8 cd/m² |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a bright room | 53:1 |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a dark room | 135:1 |
| Camera: resolution | 12.2 megapixels |
| Camera: measured resolution | 1,499 line pairs |
| Camera: expert assessment of image quality | Fine |
| Camera: VN1 noise | 1.7 VN1 |
| Camera: minimum focal length | 4.0 mm |
| Camera: minimum shooting distance | 8 cm |
| Camera: Shutter Time with Autofocus | 0.79 s |
| Camera: optical stabilizer | Yes |
| Camera: autofocus | Yes |
| Camera: flash | Double LED |
| Video resolution | 3.840 x 2.160 pixels |
| Front camera: resolution | 7.2 megapixels |
| LED indicator | yes (monochrome) |
| Radio | - |
| SIM card type | Nano-SIM |
| Dual SIM | - |
| Protection against dust and moisture (IP certificate) | IP67 |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Yes |
| User accessible memory | 27.1 GB |
| Memory card slot | - |
| USB connector | Lightning |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 |
| NFC | - |
| Headphone output | - |
| HD Voice | Yes |
| SAR | 1.24 W/kg |
| Firmware version during testing | 10.0.2 (14A456) |
| Test date | 2016-10-06 |
During the testing process, a number of comparative tests were carried out in various conditions and modes.
In contact with
What's the difference between the Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 Plus cameras?
iPhone 7 Plus has a dual main camera with a wide-angle (ƒ/1.8 aperture) and a telephoto lens (ƒ/2.8 aperture). This solution allows you to receive and also use 10x digital zoom. Both cameras have a 12-megapixel sensor. A 7-megapixel sensor (ƒ/2.2 aperture) is responsible for taking selfies (front camera).
The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 12-megapixel main camera (ƒ/1.7 aperture) and an 8 MP front camera (ƒ/1.7 aperture).
The main camera housing of the Samsung Galaxy S8 does not protrude beyond the rear panel of the smartphone, like the iPhone.
Taking photos with Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 Plus cameras
Color rendition
When it comes to taking photos, both flagships show excellent quality of mobile photography, and the final result largely depends on the scene and the software settings of the camera.
In most cases, the image of the Galaxy S8 is more contrasty, bright and saturated, while the 7 Plus is softened, true to reality and natural.
The HDR mode is definitely better on the Galaxy S8. For those unaware, a smartphone with HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology takes multiple photos at different exposures and then combines the best features of the two photos to create a single image.
In most cases, in the test, the iPhone's picture turned out to be too dark, while the Samsung flagship's photos turned out to be lighter and more contrasty.
Zoom and portrait photography
But in portrait photography, the iPhone 7 Plus is the leader. Thanks to the second camera with a telephoto lens, there is a 2x optical zoom, which will allow you to zoom in on the image without loss of quality, while the Galaxy S8 only has digital zoom. Also, thanks to the dual camera, the iPhone has the ability to capture images with the “Bokeh” effect (a clear figure remains in focus, and the background becomes blurred, just like in DSLR cameras). However, here you need to get the hang of it: the exposure does not always allow you to achieve the desired effect, the edges are not always clear, and the light and distance must be maintained. Also, do not forget that the “Portrait” mode is a software feature of iOS.
Taking photos in motion
When the subject moves intensely, both cameras capture excellent images. Of course, flaws may appear in both representatives, and here a lot depends on the time you press the “shutter”.
Photos in low light conditions
In low-light conditions, the iPhone 7 Plus lags behind the South Korean flagship “thanks” to more noise.
Photo on the front camera
The front camera of the Galaxy S8 is slightly blurry and overly softens the image when taking a selfie. But the main advantage of the “galaxy” is a wider viewing angle of the lens, which allows you to capture more space with a minimum distance from the smartphone.
But in low light conditions, selfies from the Galaxy S8 turned out to be brighter and more detailed. But don’t forget that in the iPhone 7 Plus the display can act as a flash, so this nuance is partially compensated.
Shooting video with the main camera of Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 Plus
Color rendition
In practice, when shooting video, the picture in the Galaxy S8 turned out to have more contrast, although less clear (slightly blurred), but this moment very much depends on the available exposure and lighting. The Galaxy lens has a slightly larger viewing angle for the main camera.
In turn, the seven with the Plus prefix suffers from gray tones and dark areas. Despite this, color rendition when recording video on the 7 Plus is more pleasant, although not always realistic.
Optical stabilization
The image stabilization of the Galaxy S8 works in a slightly better way than in the top-end “seven”. In low light conditions, detail is better on the flagship of the South Korean giant. In good lighting, you won't notice much of a difference.
Autofocus speed
In terms of autofocus during dynamic zoom and zoom, the iPhone definitely wins. The S8's autofocusing process is slower. But when an object suddenly appears in the frame (for example, on the right or left side of the smartphone), the opposite is true - the Samsung Galaxy S8 copes with this task faster.
Shooting video in low light conditions
In low light conditions, the image is more detailed in the S8. There is also slightly less noise in the Samsung, and a larger number of minimally illuminated objects are included in the image. But in dynamic scenes, autofocus works better on the iPhone 7 Plus.
Underwater photography
Underwater shooting in poor conditions with muddy water without various accessories showed that the Samsung camera copes with this task better. Images are clearer and sharper.
In good lighting conditions and clear water, the image is equally good for both flagships.
Slow Motion Mode
Slow Motion mode is also good on both smartphones.
Macro photography
When shooting macro, the 7 Plus can focus closer to the subject.
Front camera video
If when comparing the main camera of two flagships, not everything is so clear and the result largely depends on the scene, then with the front camera everything is much more obvious. iPhone 7 Plus records richer, brighter images. The downside is a large number of dark areas. The iPhone focuses at a shorter distance, but the autofocus speed itself is higher in the Galaxy S8.
Bottom line
The cameras in both smartphones are really good. Every year, manufacturers take small steps to bring the resulting quality of mobile images to a new level. In terms of video shooting, it’s difficult to single out any of the flagships and you obviously won’t notice any obvious differences.
But when it comes to photos, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is clearly the leader. The images are of higher quality. The camera in the Galaxy works faster. There is access to RAW out of the box, while the iPhone only has access to . The front camera has higher resolution and slightly better stabilization and the ability to shoot in low light.
So, if we discard the features with portrait photography with the dual camera of the iPhone 7 Plus, then we give preference in taking photos to the Galaxy S8. Let's hope that in September Apple will rehabilitate itself and demonstrate a new technology milestone, but that will be a completely different story.
In the last part, we compared how the cameras of flagship iPhones cope under normal conditions. For example, we took the latest iPhone XS Max and the two-year-old iPhone 7 Plus.
The cameras of the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 7 Plus were compared. Not everything is so clear
Ilya Kichaev
September 18, 2018Today, or rather last night, we left our studio onto the streets of rainy Moscow. We set ourselves the task of comparing pictures taken in low light conditions - on an autumn evening.
Night photography, just like evening photography, is very difficult: there is little light, and the small matrices of smartphone cameras cannot receive enough information about colors and lights, which is why noise appears in the pictures. To cope with them, a noise suppressor is connected. But personally, I don’t really like the way it works on iPhones - it’s too aggressive, in my opinion. Also, the developers of the Halide iPhone camera application said that noise reduction in Smart HDR mode on the iPhone XS series behaves completely indecently:
Opinion: iPhone XS camera is a compromise
Ilya Kichaev
October 3, 2018In general, we armed ourselves with two smartphones, 7 Plus and XS Max, and went to take photos in HDR modes. In addition, there is full automatic operation, so both smartphones are in the same conditions.
Like last time, all the files are tethered, so you can see for yourself everything I’m talking about.
iPhone 7 Plus
The difference in this photo is not at all obvious: it is clear that the white balance worked differently on both smartphones, but everything was within normal limits. If you post this photo on the Mosgortrans blog, then no one will even notice the substitution. But, as you know, the devil is in the details:
iPhone 7 Plus
Despite the fact that the developers of the third-party camera Halide accused the iPhone XS smartphones of aggressive noise reduction, here it still behaved more like a gentleman, eating fewer parts than the iPhone 7 Plus. This is especially noticeable on the small green “OK” icons - they have a white border, which is practically not visible in the photo taken with the “seven”.
It is impossible to take exactly the same pictures with these two smartphones: the main lens of the XS has a wider angle of view, so more can fit into a photo at the same resolution:
iPhone 7 Plus
In this case, each of the pictures has its pros and cons. Their color rendition is a matter of taste. I like the dynamic range of the photo taken with the 7 better: the dark areas are still dark, but they are not as unnaturally aligned with the highlights as in the photo taken with the XS Max.
But a photo taken with a Maksim also has its advantages: the Smart HDR mode does its job perfectly, which is why the glare from the flashlights is not as large as that of the S7.
But with crops, not everything is so obvious:
iPhone 7 Plus
On them, evening out the shadows on the XS Max looks like a winning strategy, and there are no such harsh highlights. Moreover, you can see the detail located above the capital of the semi-column: the “seven” has a very strong light there.
But the details are largely “eaten up” by both cameras: we won’t be able to see what street is in the photo, but at least thanks to the iPhone XS Max we’ll understand that this is house number 6. It seems.
Let's move on to the following photos:
iPhone 7 Plus
In these photos, everything is much more obvious: the XS Max did an excellent job. There are no flashlights, and we can even see the ceiling of the second floor of the Tower. And a nice little thing: the disgusting and distracting frame of the “pedestrian crossing” sign for all drivers is not highlighted in toxic green, but is muted in yellow. Although, this detail, rather, refers to the shortcomings of the photograph - the white balance did not work very well with it.
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone XS Max. Damn, I think that guy burned us!
The iPhone XS Max also did a much better job in cropped areas: the bricks between the window and the corner of the “Tower” do not look flat, unlike them photographed with the “seven”, and this bright spot of the flashlight is not so bright, despite the fact that the picture itself is a little lighter . We can also see the boundaries of the letters of the name of the university and the ceiling of the second floor, which is inappropriate for this building.
iPhone 7 Plus
And this picture is completely unexpected for us: the “seven” did a much better job. There is greater dynamics of light, the sky is more naturally colored, and even if “26” at a traffic light looks like a flash, at least you can read this number!
XS Max did a better job of only brightening the blue building, which is why it stopped visually disappearing.
iPhone 7 Plus
Despite the fact that the HDR mode of the “Seven” copes with flashlights much worse than that of the XS, the photo taken with it is much better. Firstly, there is a wider dynamic range. Secondly, more details of the facade of the first floor of the yellow building are preserved in the background. Thirdly, the parking sign under the traffic light is much more readable at the “seven”. And the pedestrian crossing sign looks much clearer.
XS Max stood out only with the NIKOLSKAYA sign in the background.
Why are we comparing with iPhone 7 Plus?
We decided to show a comparison of two current smartphones, but to maximize the difference between them. And as it turned out, in two years, iPhone cameras cannot be said to have grown much. Yes, you saw it very well yourself.
If you suddenly choose an iPhone based on its camera and can’t decide, then first you need to understand what exactly you need. The XS, in the tests we ran, has a much poorer dynamic range, and the white balance tends to be unnaturally coloured. I guess it has to do with artificial intelligence. Sometimes he misses. For example, you are filming on the street, which the iPhone understands. He realizes: the sky is above, which means it needs to be painted. The first test showed that the “seven” copes better in this regard: the gray gloomy sky remains gray, and does not begin to turn unnaturally blue, like the XS Max. But details in most photos are better preserved on the latest iPhone.
And that’s why we don’t see any point in comparing with last year’s models - not many people will upgrade from them, and even upgrade from the “dozens”... Why?