Photographer Lisa Bettany, creator of the Camera+ and MagiCam iPhone apps, put together a fascinating and thorough comparison of images coming from every generation of the iPhone ever created. With insight into low-light performance, macro capabilities, overall sharpness, and how Apple's own image processing algorithms seem to have changed over the course of time, the results are certainly interesting.
Looking through the tests, one wonders about a few things. What was changing in the algorithms or sensors during the 3GS though iPhone 4S generations to cause such unrealistic color renditions? How did the 5S camera get so much brighter than that of the 5? We can also see in the tests how it's easy to confuse brighter and more saturated images for sharper images. In the strips, the iPhone 6 often looks slightly muddier than its predecessor (and it is perhaps fuzzier with an almost unnecessarily strong noise reduction), but in full-sized image tests, it becomes apparent how much better it really is overall in color reproduction and in the shadow-highlight transitions.
In all, it's easy to look at the history of the hardware to answer most of these questions, even if some answers escape us. Sensor size increased after the iPhone 3G, leading to sharper low-light images. But colors and exposure took a hit likely due to processing algorithms or actual sensor issues. Meanwhile, the 5S got an f/2.2 aperture compared to the 5's f/2.4 lens with a sapphire cover. This, in combination with a slight sensor size bump from 1/3.2" to 1/3" (leading to larger 1.5-micron pixels compared to the previous 1.4-micron pixels), led to the huge increase in performance post-iPhone 4S. While these seem like small changes at first, each of these changes results in roughly a 10% bump in performance. When taking into account other factors in actual sensor technology and manufacturing that we can't possibly know about even if we could understand (Apple isn't the least secretive company around), we have the rather amazing improvements below.
Low-Light
Looking back, it's funny to think how some of these results passed for images at all in their time. Likewise, it's easy to see the improvements in the latest 5, 5S, and 6 models.
Backlit Subject Performance
Meanwhile, algorithms that lead to proper exposure compensation, face-detection, etc., lead to better images on a situation by situation basis. Backlit images are much sharper and better exposed while greater dynamic range allows our eyes the pleasure of scanning across more information throughout the frame.
The original iPhone images are a joke in comparison to those from more recent generations. Unfortunately, each of the cameras seem to have missed focus on the actual subject in these images, instead opting for the tall dry brush in the background.
While these slivers make it hard to see the improvements in the iPhone 6, which came out Friday, the full images below display its advantages much more clearly. For more examples and a further write-up, check out Lisa Bettany's fantastic article on snapsnapsnap.photo.
[All images used with permission]
enough alredy with iphone comparison, its not that intersting
its a camera in a phone, they all shoot the same, they are crapy in low light and everything i in focus
you used to make such a great articles about real photographing, but really? seven articles in the last two weeks? the new 750 didnt get that much reconition
i dont think you are out of ideas, i'm sure you can do better fstoppers!
thank you and a have a good jewish new years!
i found it kinda cool to the see the transition. Many more readers have iPhones than d750's (I now have both, and would love some posts about my new favorite nikon!)
Following your logic - nobody should review Canon 1D and this site should refocus on phone cam reviews? Since everyone got phones and only few 1D?
You're not forced to read any FStoppers article :P
Thats is probably to most disrespectful comment ever. Nobody is forced. But people are reading it for a reason - understanding that this is pro/semi-pro photographers blog. Have some respect for readers.
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This is funny, especially considering I'm not even an editor... That title is reserved for his highnesses Jaron, Zach, and her highness, Lauren. However, we all have our opinions. But to Scott's point, I think it's very relevant for a lot of readers... You're all going to LOVE an article I have coming in a bit....especially Omer... It's "very relevant."
lol, you may have to stay off the internet to avoid apple blogs on the camera and phone. CNET and engadget have put out a lot too. nothing like this though, I appreciate it. And if the phone is this crappy, see what Jeremy Cowart did with it this past week. http://jeremycowart.com/2014/09/johnnyswim-iphone-shoot/
Not impressed. Studio, lights, photo-editing can make almost any photo look good. Again, it's not about the equipment, but skills of the photographer - so stop screaming that iPhone is the only phone which can do that. You should try then Lumia 1020 and see it can do... smh Apple azz kissers. Blinded by brand!
iPhone user here. I did try the Lumia 1020. At first I was blown away by the resolution, then everything else about it crept up and ruined it. Horrible white balance, dr, response. I returned it after a week of use. iPhone takes better pictures as a whole than the Lumia 44mp cameras.
Pffff are you serious? White balance and response was amazing. Have no idea what you are talking about buddy! iPhone pics - pffff flat crap! You must be high saying that iPhone has a better cam then iPhone LMAO
White balance must be personal taste. Personallyl, I dont like beige turning into a bright yellow, blues turning to purple, etc but hey, to each their own. As for response, youre telling me that to go from out of pocket, to usable state was good for you? that was a 5 second ordeal and most shots were gone by then. Or what about the fact that once you actually hit the shutter button, it took another second for it to shoot and then you had to wait ANOTHER 3-4 seconds before being able to shoot again. I noticed you didnt say anything about DR, we must agree that its not the best.
I think there was something wrong with your Lumia, because there was 2 reasons why I loved my Lumia - dedicated camera button with super fast response time, and 2nd reason - shooting RAW. And shooting RAW ... lets say don't worry about white balance and other stuff - in RAW you can fix all this stuff without losing quality. iPhone can't do that. So, response time - probably you specific phone fault. And white balance - irrelevant because of RAW format capability.
I'm a working photographer and a Nikon shooter, and I am much more interested in the performance of the iPhone 6 camera than the D750. I take more personal photos on my iPhone than I do on my Nikon, and I'm far from the only photographer I know who does the same. In fact I'm pretty sure that iPhones are the most used cameras in the world...
I agree. Lets be realistic - iPhone has an OK camera and it's a phone cam. Thats it - how good can it really be? Timelapsing - Android had timelapsing apps for like few years now. Slowmo - again not new. Quality... pfff try to beat Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41MP zeiss lens and capability to shoot RAW. Again - it's just a phone cam! If I want to read about phone specs I will go on phone review bloggs. Here I'm to read about pro/semi-pro photography.
I think its awesome that you have all the phones still, I have the 3gs and its so bad for video/pics. The OS is so old that I can't even get most apps on it, ha ha. It might be time to upgrade.
If you're thinking about it, the iPhone 6 is well worth it, I think (I know from experience). It may just be time to upgrade after so many years...
Yeah, I think any phone would be a huge upgrade at this point.
The iPhone 6 shots look bent...
What happened to reading to improve out knowledge, lives, grammar, etc… I met a couple of buddying photographer the other day and was able to have a nice conversation thanks to this article. Read, read and then read more…