Whether or not I’m capturing my Sunday brunch, outfit on the go, or an engagement session for a pair, I’m at all times taking photographs. For that motive, having a simply “okay” digital camera on my iPhone 14 hasn’t been slicing it, and as soon as I noticed digital camera specs on the iPhone 16 Pro, I jumped on the alternative.
Additionally: I upgraded to the iPhone 16 Plus – here’s why it’s the model most people should buy
The digital camera system on the iPhone 16 Professional is a big improve from the iPhone 14 and even the iPhone 15. It options improved {hardware} for taking photographs and consists of different main enhancements, resembling the brand new Digital camera Management, which elevates your entire photo-taking expertise.
The digital camera specs
Beginning with the digital camera specs, the iPhone 16 Professional has a 48-megapixel ultrawide digital camera, ideally suited for capturing extra particulars and higher-resolution photographs. It additionally has a 5X optical zoom, a helpful function — till now sometimes reserved for Professional Max fashions — for taking high-quality photographs of distant objects.
Regardless of the iPhone 16 Professional boasting the identical spectacular digital camera system because the iPhone 16 Professional Max — one of the best within the iPhone 16 lineup — a significant benefit of the Professional is that it nonetheless matches comfortably and compactly in your pocket. This was necessary for me as I like to take photographs on the go, particularly at tech occasions and conferences the place I do not wish to carry my digital camera.
Additionally: Every iPhone 16 model compared: Should you buy the standard, Plus, Pro, or Max?
If you happen to additionally create loads of video content material, the iPhone 16 Professional can also be a aggressive providing. It might probably shoot 4K video at 120 frames per second, which is Hollywood-level filming, and even make spatial video recordings to create videos for the Apple Vision Pro.
The mics on the iPhone 16 Professional have additionally been upgraded, enabling customers to seize higher audio on their movies and entry superior audio modifying options resembling the brand new Audio Mix software, which ought to enhance the video recording expertise.
Digital camera Management ought to make issues extra enjoyable
The function I’m most enthusiastic about utilizing in my on a regular basis life is the brand new Camera Control. If you’re used to taking photographs with a digital camera, you are accustomed to utilizing your fingertips to regulate parts of your photograph.
For instance, the strain you utilize on the shutter impacts the main target of the picture, and the dial on the high of the digital camera controls the aperture and shutter pace, considerably impacting the {photograph}’s consequence. You may have an analogous tactile expertise on the iPhone 16 Professional.
Additionally: iPhone 16 Pro: Upgrading from iPhone 13 Pro or earlier? Your list of new features is impressive
The Digital camera Management is touch-capacitive and sits beneath the facility button for straightforward entry whereas holding the telephone horizontally to take a panorama photograph. Customers can use the button to rapidly entry the digital camera, take a photograph, and personalize settings whereas taking photographs. ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner has used the smartphone extensively since its launch, and he calls it a “feat of engineering.”
“One press opens the digital camera app. A second press takes a photograph. Press and maintain, and it begins recording video. A light-weight press and a swipe to at least one aspect or the opposite permits you to zoom out and in. A double mild press and a swipe to both aspect lets you choose completely different settings from zoom to depth of area to the brand new photograph types to a number of different choices,” Hiner explains.
Despite the fact that it sounds extraordinarily difficult, after I tried the function on my colleagues’ take a look at unit within the workplace, it clicked after I carried out the movement simply a few instances. Not solely does the benefit of entry sound like an enormous productiveness enhance for when I’m working, however it’s going to additionally enable me to spend much less time twiddling with my telephone to take an image and extra time being current.
The sleeper hit
A significant ache level for iPhone customers is that what you see in your display when taking a photograph usually would not translate into the ultimate product with an obvious distinction in hues or lighting. I can not even categorical what number of instances I’ve had a photograph ruined by the autocorrection the telephone applies.
Additionally: We’ve used every iPhone 16 model and here’s our best buying advice for 2024
Now, the iPhone 16 lineup options the latest model of Photographic Type, which permits customers to scroll by way of completely different “types,” which act like delicate filters that regulate completely different colours in your photograph earlier than you are taking the shot. Then, after you are taking the shot, you may make changes within the Photographs app.