iPhone 7 camera test. Where does the difference begin?
Recently I bought myself a film camera - big, heavy and insanely beautiful. Having tested it in practice, I noticed a curious phenomenon: standing on the street and taking pictures of strangers, I suddenly noticed that passers-by no longer perceive a person with a camera as a photographer. No one covers their face, no one walks around me so as not to spoil the frame, no one even pays attention to the thing in my hands. And then I took out my phone and began to take pictures of people in the same way as before shooting on film. The reaction was completely different. Some smiled, others turned away, others circled around me, trying not to spoil the frame - in general, they behaved in a completely natural way in relation to a street photographer.
While we were figuring out which is better - Nikon or Canon, more than one generation of people has grown up in the world who perceive photography only as a function of a smartphone. Compact cameras have long gone to the "dump of history", and this does not sadden me at all, but the change in the perception of photography as a process makes me think. On the other hand, some things still remain unchanged. People are still arguing about which is better (Sony or LG? Galaxy or iPhone?), and there is still no clear answer to this question. So today we will compare six flagship smartphones to find out which one still shoots better.
⇡ Introduction
A number of smartphones today have two cameras at once, and the very logic of having a second lens and sensor is different for them. Other smartphones still use a single camera module. Some of the fellow journalists rightly believe that it is single modules that show the best results in shooting.
phone camera ranking:
1. U11
2. Pixel
3.GS8Never known Apple to be this far behind, but guess this is the price of dual-camera focus.
— Vlad Savov (@vladsavov) July 28, 2017
So, for the purity of the experiment, the second cameras did not participate in the comparison at all - today we will only talk about the normal shooting mode. The fashionable portrait mode of the iPhone 7 Plus was not used, nor was the wide-angle camera in the LG G6 or the simulated shallow depth of field in the Huawei P10 Plus.
⇡ Testing
In different tests, we will evaluate the result according to different criteria, but the key factors will be sharpness and detail. In addition, the result is affected by the correct exposure and white balance. In each test, a smartphone can score 0, 1 or 2 points. The smartphone with the highest score will be named the best. Go.
⇡ Shooting through glass
No one, of course, is recognized, but this is one of the most popular shooting genres. The view from the hotel window, the landscape through the windshield of the car, the view from the plane - we shoot this often. At first glance, nothing complicated, but since the windows often turn out to be tinted, this pretty much “confuses” the automatic white balance. So in the first test, in addition to the overall picture quality, we will also evaluate the correct color temperature setting.
The same scene in full size from the cameras , and
This is quite a difficult scene for mobile cameras. Shooting against the sun (which, however, is in a haze and does not fall into the frame) in this case could give three different results. In the first one, the sky was correctly exposed, and everything in the lower half of the frame was too dark. In the second, the bottom half of the frame is well-detailed, while the top half looks too light. Well, the third option is the average between the first two.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium and iPhone 7 Plus give out the most correct white balance, but according to subjective feelings, the shot from the Samsung Galaxy S8+ looks the best. The result of Huawei P10 Plus also looks good, but the white balance is incorrect. The HTC U11 and LG G6 are much worse. The latter excessively overestimates the contrast during the software processing of the image after shooting. Probably, the company believes that the end user likes contrasting pictures more, but the technique itself is rather stupid. Let's change the shooting point and look at the result with more "correct" lighting.
There is plenty of light, there is a shadow in the frame, by which you can estimate the width of the dynamic range. The difficulty lies only in the presence of tinted glass, which often confuses the automatic color temperature detection algorithm.
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ produces an excellent picture without dips in shadows and highlights on the fuselage of the aircraft and in the sky, but the white balance is far from correct. HTC U11 proved to be the best here, and if we talk about the overall sharpness and detail of the picture, then there will be two leaders - these are Samsung and HTC devices. The higher camera resolution in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium adds neither sharpness nor detail, and the LG G6 overdid it again with contrast.
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus - 1 point,
- HTC U11 - 1 point,
- Samsung Galaxy S8+ - 2 points,
- LG G6 - 0 points,
- Huawei P10 Plus - 1 point,
⇡ Macro photography
Smartphone manufacturers rarely list a minimum focusing distance in their built-in camera specs, so here I had to start from a "close to the subject" position and then gradually move the phone back until it could focus. The end result was about the same, but to be sure, I shot two scenes: flowers in a well-lit room and coffee beans in a home setting with daylight from a window on an overcast day.
This simple, at first glance, scene caused difficulties for several smartphones at once. It seemed that there was enough light in the room, but when the "look" of the lens is directed to one small point, it turns out that the lighting for macro photography is insufficient.
Some pictures (HTC U11 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium) show some noise. Color reproduction is good for everyone, but the G6 again overestimates the contrast. In terms of sharpness, the Galaxy S8+ is again in the lead, LG has the second result, pictures from the iPhone 7 Plus and HTC U11 look a little worse, outsiders are Huawei P10 Plus and Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
Advantages
Bright display with natural colors
Extremely fast processor
IP67
Durable battery...
Flaws
… but long charging times
Poor value for money
Test results for Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
- Price-quality ratio
Average
- Value for money: 47
- Performance and Management (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
Apple's New XXL Phone
Apple offers the iPhone 7 Plus with three different storage sizes: 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB.
Thus, the manufacturer has finally said goodbye to the 16 GB version, which, due to the lack of a slot for MicroSD memory cards, has ceased to meet the requirements of our time.
The device we tested is the version with the smallest amount of memory (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 case is made of glass and metal, the transitions are very clean, the antenna lines on the back surface have migrated to the edges. Like its predecessor, the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.
The new iPhone XXL-format is equipped with an Apple A10 processor, which is allocated as much as 3 GB random access memory. We've already admired the speed and responsiveness of the iPhone 7, and the XXL version can score a little more in the corresponding test category: the system is extremely fast and surpasses all previously tested devices in our rating in this parameter.
The 5.5-inch display in the test lab shows great results. For example, with its 570 cd/m2 it is still 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 lowering the image contrast level.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus visits Chip test lab
Big saver
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 3,000 mAh 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 and 43 minutes, and the iPhone 7 can last a good 9 hours and 1 minute.
Now about the iPhone 7 Plus: it is equipped with a 2900 mAh battery and works without recharging for 9 hours and 33 minutes. However, there is a problem: in order to charge a slightly larger battery, it will take a little more time - in this case, the smartphone needs to be plugged into the outlet for as much as 3.5 hours. Quick Charge technology is not available on board Apple devices.
iPhone 7 Plus launches with latest version operating system iOS 10.0.2. According to Apple, it is free from minor bugs, there are no noticeable innovations compared to iOS 10. The 32 GB version of the iPhone 7 Plus missed some rating points during testing.
A variant comparable to the rest technical specifications, but equipped with a built-in memory of 128 GB, we have not yet had it on the test. So far, this has deprived the iPhone 7 Plus of the opportunity to take a higher place in our rating, since the size of the internal memory is an extremely important criterion when evaluating equipment, and with such a high level of smartphone manufacturing, the results are approximately equal. With more storage, the phone we tested would certainly have scored slightly higher than the recently tested iPhone 7 (128GB).
Apple's dual camera setup on the back of the iPhone 7 Plus Dual camera for better results?
Apple installs its new dual camera exclusive to 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 a tenfold increase. However, it should be noted that only the frame size increases.
In general, in practice, the iPhone 7 Plus takes noticeably more detailed photos than regular smartphones. Both lenses are equipped with an optical image stabilizer. The main camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels, especially those pictures that are taken in daylight look clear. In general, photos from the wide-angle camera resemble those of the iPhone 6S Plus, while the telephoto lens produces images of the same quality - only the frame is narrower.
Rare Apple
Although the iPhone 7 Plus is now officially available, finding a new device from Apple on the market is not so easy. First of all, due to problems with delivery at the start of sales, products are not available everywhere. For the 32 GB version, Apple requires 68,000 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 to choose from can be executed in the following colors: black, gold, silver and rose gold. Also available in black onyx, but only for models with 128 or 256 GB of memory.
Alternatives
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (128 GB)
Those who already own it do not have to switch to the iPhone 7 Plus. Although the novelty is even a little faster and smoother, the 6S Plus hardware is still too early to write off. 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 the older XXL brother, but its standard version is cheaper. While the 32GB iPhone 7 Plus will set you back £68,000, the 128GB version of the iPhone 7 will cost you just £66,000.
| TEST RESULTS | |
|
Performance and Management (35%) |
|
|
Equipment (25%) |
|
|
Battery (15%) |
|
|
Display (15%) |
|
|
Camera (10%) |
|
| CONCLUSION The iPhone 7 Plus offers a bit more than the iPhone 7 in every way: a brighter display, longer battery life, and a dual camera setup. Additionally, you can select an extremely fast processor. At the same time, you can find fault with a long charge and a small amount of internal memory (in the case of a 32-gigabyte model). |
88.9% OVERALL RESULT |
Specifications and test results of Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
| Price-quality ratio | 47 |
| OS in testing | iOS 10 |
| Current OS | iOS 10.0.2 |
| Is there an OS update planned? | no data |
| App Store | Apple App Store |
| The weight | 188 |
| Length x Width | 158 x 78 mm |
| Thickness | 9 mm |
| Design expertise | Great |
| Expert evaluation of the speed of work | very good |
| Download speed: PDF 800 KB over WLAN | 0.9 s |
| Download speed: main chip.de over WLAN | 0.1 s |
| Download speed: chip.de test chart over WLAN | 1.4 s |
| Sound quality (hands-free) | very good |
| CPU | Apple A10 |
| Processor architecture | 64 Bit |
| CPU frequency | - |
| Number of CPU cores | 4 |
| RAM | 3.0 GB |
| Battery: capacity | 2.900 mAh |
| Battery: easily removable | - |
| Battery: surf time | 9:33 h:min |
| Battery: charging time | 3:34 h:min |
| Quick charge 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. four | up to 150 Mbps |
| LTE: Cat. 6 | up to 300 Mbps |
| LTE: Cat. 9 | up to 450 Mbps |
| 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: checkerboard contrast in a bright room | 53:1 |
| Screen: checkerboard contrast in a dark room | 135:1 |
| Camera: Resolution | 12.2 MP |
| Camera: measured resolution | 1.499 line pairs |
| Camera: expert assessment of image quality | Good |
| Camera: VN1 noise | 1.7VN1 |
| 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: auto focus | Yes |
| Camera: flash | Double LED |
| Video resolution | 3.840 x 2.160 pixels |
| Front camera: resolution | 7.2 MP |
| LED indicator | yes (monochrome) |
| Radio | - |
| SIM card type | Nano SIM |
| Dual SIM | - |
| Protection against dust and moisture (IP certified) | IP67 |
| The fingerprint 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 |
Big smartphones. The price for them is more, and the benefits are sometimes very controversial. And today I have just such a gadget: big and for a lot of money.
Of course, I'm talking about the iPhone 7 plus, the price tag for which is truly inhumane. Sometimes it seems that a personal security guard must be attached to each copy, so as not to block such a significant monetary acquisition. Therefore, for safety, a big, strong, bearded Dima (our subscriber) will be with me.
I will not talk about the fact that there is a large display, water and dust protection according to the IP 67 standard (you can dive into the pool for a minute with it or wash it with dishes).
I'm not going to say that it does a complete chaos in terms of performance, because of which I downloaded half 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 camera, which now shoots honest FullHD. Happiness for bloggers, but only 30 fps. Do you want 25 or 24? - use a third party app (I installed Filmic Pro).
Let's move on to the main cameras.
One camera received a wide-angle lens with an aperture of 1.8. It is high time! In fact, this gives us a cleaner picture in low light. Otherwise, the iPhone has always given us good quality photos with natural colors without artificially boosting saturation and contrast as in many other smartphones.
 |
 |
Focal length - still about 28 mm. And even better stabilization. You can safely shoot a smooth video, but keep in mind that stabilization, of course, will not save strongly crooked legs :). In addition to excellent photos, the camera allows you to shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps.
Well, now the main thing - what kind of neighbor did the main camera get?
And this is a telephoto with a focal length of 56 mm and aperture of 2.8, without stabilization. Indeed, why is 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 put a beta version of software for creating bokeh, which tries to blur the background for you, 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 lights in the background.
Of course, all this will be completed in the future and, perhaps, the mode will be very smart, but at the moment it only brings tears. Especially if you remember about the price of this gadget.
Another joke: in normal lighting and the “Photo” mode, there is a switch button for 2x (double zoom), by clicking on which, the camera switches to the telephoto automatically. This, of course, is correct, but in poor lighting there is just an electronic zoom, and sometimes during the day. And you won’t understand if the switch has happened unless you stupidly cover one of the lenses with your finger. The smartphone will not inform you about it in any way!
Conclusions.
If you are a fan of the brand and know about such things as “cashback”, “black Friday” and “cyber monday” that allow you to save on purchases, then this smartphone is probably worth buying for you, if only because of the cool applications, many of which are only under iOS. I am now talking about applications for video and photography. The smartphone is nimble and convenient, but our poor brother in a difficult time of crisis needs to think twice before taking it, and the built-in telephoto lens should not even be in the top ten arguments for a purchase, it's just a bonus.
I went and checked myself. The results are below - with sliders, crops, original photos.
Looking ahead: the improvements were not where they were expected.
Where does the difference come from
2. White saturation and green realism
A mini-bed of daisies looks brighter and more positive iPhone screen 7 as in this comparison. Due to the wind and the need to hold two smartphones at once, the angles of view of the photos are slightly different, but the difference is noticeable even without a 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 almost glow. If you lower the brightness while shooting, you can easily get rid of this effect, but personally I like it more.
Again, the seven makes the photo look more like the real state of affairs. The grass was green, the petals were really bright - the day was overcast, but very bright.
3. Sometimes the difference between the cameras is almost invisible
Every year, Apple promises us breakthrough photo quality. And we are constantly disappointed. These photos are staged.
The reason is simple: the difference between the two cameras is leveled to imperceptible, if desired. The photo on the iPhone 7 was taken 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 capture the same white balance and, with the help of a slightly increased exposure, made almost the same photo. See the difference in quality between them? Will it be real, not a placebo? Try it, subscribe.
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
The iPhone 7 Plus photo is a great illustration of the harm from automatic shooting modes. No matter how much I twisted and turned the camera, the result is the same: the seventh sees cold whites in the frame.
The iPhone 6s Plus brought green colors closer to reality. Just couldn't focus properly on the flower:
If I had spent another 10 minutes, I would have made the iPhone 7 Plus hook the white point correctly. But this is not a SLR, you see. When you shoot on an iPhone, the last thing you want to do is stand and take one frame 20 times.
Automation failed, but the focus did not. And I personally like the bokeh on the iPhone 7 a little more. Less noise.
5. Victory for aperture, focus and bokeh
Never noticed so much bokeh noise on the iPhone 6s Plus. It's somehow unpleasant.
The source of the noise is not clear, there was more than enough light. Perhaps this is a design feature of the lenses (or the curvature of the hands, this is an option).
What definitely cannot be taken away from the iPhone 7 is the excellent rendering of the white color of the petals and bright yellow stamens. This can be unscrewed in Photoshop, make the pictures look similar. But the seventh iPhone worked by itself.
In windy weather, photographing flowers is not easy. Time after time I was convinced that the iPhone 7 does it better. Even if the object twitches, it retains more detail.
One attempt on the iPhone 7 and twelve attempts on the iPhone 6s - the first still had better focus. Freaked out, moved on.
6. Dark shades are visible, which are not on 6s
Rotate your iPhone and move the slider.
The desire of the iPhone 7 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, iPhone photo 6s turned out to be unrealistically boring and expressionless. Lost rich dark transitions in the center of the petals. The background and flowers blend into each other.
Focus in this case saves 6s, but this is purely episodic gain. If the wind were more favorable to the iPhone 7, he would unconditionally win.
7. Let's move on to the night. Complete victory for the iPhone 7 here and thereafter
Rotate your iPhone and move the slider.
Every year, Apple really improves the quality of photos from the iPhone in low light conditions. Think. the difference above is obvious. Both purely emotionally and objectively, the iPhone 7 shoots noticeably better at night. Clouds and light pollution are especially cool for the novelty.
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 transmits much more light on the Kremlin wall, but does not outperform last year's model in terms of detail. Not all at once, it will be necessary to sell the iPhone 8.
8. We print the best photos on a good printer
Okay, smartphone photos are 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 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 6-color. Therefore, I asked the Epson representative from the doorway: “Where do you have such a unit on which it is best to print photos from the iPhone 7 Plus?”. So I got acquainted with Epson L1800.
Epson L805 and L1800 are 6 color photo printers with factory CISS. What kind of animals are these and why the CISS system is so convenient, I will not repeat.
In short: for printing, these printers do not use cartridges, but special containers into which ink is directly poured. And there is a lot at once - 70 ml (a reserve for several years at once). These containers come with printers. With one filling of six containers, you can print in the region of 1500 - 1800 photos in 10x15 format.
The L1800 has the maximum print format - A3 +, the L805 - A4, but the second one can be connected directly from a smartphone via Wi-Fi.
The units were advised to us not by chance: they are able to produce prints with a resolution of up to 5760x1440 dpi, with complex transitions and color shades. What you need to complete the test drive of the new iPhone.
I was satisfied with the result of printing, I printed in different formats, and even in A3. So I recommend printers, as well as the iPhone 7 Plus.
And then something interesting began. An Epson representative, having learned that the photos were taken on the new iPhone 7 Plus, offered to arrange a test: print an image from a smartphone on a T-shirt. Like, the size of the picture is larger, the surface is not ideal - let's see what happens?
No sooner said than done: took a screenshot from an iPhone 7 Plus and fed it to a T-shirt printer. I even had to reduce the image pretty much so that everything would fit on the printing pad.
As a result, the printer coped with the task quite well and in a few minutes gave us an excellent T-shirt with a bright screenshot. The printer model is Epson SureColor SC-F2000, if you're interested.
Finally short video the process of a printer for over 1,000,000 rubles that prints an original photograph from a smartphone. Impressive work, impressive result!
I figured out the printouts, rolled it up and took it to the office, to surprise my colleagues.
Thanks to the Moscow office of Epson Europe for their support in preparing this material!
9 onwards: photo gallery of shots on iPhone 7 Plus
Shooting with Plus is inconvenient. It's too big to be able to release the shutter with the volume buttons. Especially if you use a case.
The quality of the photos speaks for itself: color rendering 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 you can see more details, and the sky has a more saturated hue, close to real.
Autofocus began to work a little faster, faster to cling to moving objects. I did not use it in the test, but the flash now finishes 2 times further. We can say that the flashlight in the seven has become even cooler.
In fact, the quality of the photos themselves and their detailing have not changed. If there is a difference, then it is imperceptible without examining identical crops - that is, insignificant.
My general amateurish conclusion: I wouldn't trade an iPhone 6s Plus for an iPhone 7 Plus just for the photos. This is a nice bonus.
In the last part, we compared how the flagship iPhone cameras perform under normal conditions. For example, we took the latest iPhone XS Max and the two-year-old iPhone 7 Plus.
Compared cameras iPhone XS Max and iPhone 7 Plus. Not everything is so clear
Ilya Kichaev
September 18, 2018Today, or rather last night, we left our studio on the streets of rainy Moscow. We set ourselves the task of comparing pictures taken in low light conditions - on an autumn evening.
Night shooting, just like evening shooting, is very difficult: there is not much light, and the small sensors of smartphone cameras cannot get enough information about colors and lights, which is why noise appears in the pictures. To cope with them, noise reduction is connected. But personally, I don't really like how it works on iPhones - too aggressive, in my opinion. Also, the developers of the Halide camera app for iPhones said that the noise reduction in Smart HDR mode on the iPhone XS-series behaves completely obscenely:
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 a full automatic, so that both smartphones are in the same conditions.
Like last time, all files are plug-and-play, so you can see for yourself everything I'm talking about.
iPhone 7 Plus
The difference in this photo is not at all obvious: you can see that the white balance worked differently on both smartphones, but everything is within the normal range. If you post this photo on the Mosgortrans blog, then no one will even notice the substitution. But, as you know, the devil is visible in the details:
iPhone 7 Plus
Despite the fact that the developers of the Halide third-party camera accused the iPhone XS smartphones of aggressive noise reduction, here he still behaved more like a gentleman, eating fewer details than the iPhone 7 Plus. This is especially noticeable on the small green "OK" icons - they have a white border, which is almost invisible in the photo taken on the "seven".
It is impossible to take exactly the same pictures on these two smartphones: the main XS lens has a wider angle of view, so more is placed on a photo at the same resolution:
iPhone 7 Plus
In this case, each of the pictures has its pros and cons. Their color reproduction is a matter of taste. I like the way the dynamic range of the photo taken with the 7 is better: the dark areas are still dark, while they are not as unnaturally aligned with the highlights as in the picture taken with the XS Max.
But the photo taken on the “maximum” has its advantages: the Smart HDR mode does its job perfectly, which is why the flashes of the lanterns are not as large as those of the “seven”.
But with crops, not everything is so obvious:
iPhone 7 Plus
On them, shadow alignment on the XS Max looks like a winning strategy, and there are no such hard highlights. Moreover, you can see the detail located above the capital of the semi-column: the “seven” has just a very strong light there.
But the details are mostly “eaten” by both cameras: we won’t be able to see what kind of street is in the photo, but at least thanks to the iPhone XS Max we will understand that this is house number 6. It seems.
Let's move on to the next photos:
iPhone 7 Plus
In these photos, everything is much more obvious: XS Max did an excellent job. There are no flashes of lanterns, and we can even see the ceiling of the second floor of the Tower. And a pleasant trifle: the disgusting and distracting for all drivers frame of the “pedestrian crossing” sign is not highlighted in toxic green, but is muted in yellow. Although, this detail, rather, refers to the shortcomings of the photo - specifically with it, the white balance did not work very well.
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone XS Max. Damn, looks like that guy burned us!
In crop, the iPhone XS Max also did much better: the bricks between the window and the corner of the "Tower" do not look flat, unlike them, photographed on the "seven", and this bright spot of the lantern is not so bright, despite the fact that the picture itself is a little brighter . And also we can see the boundaries of the letters of the name of the university and the ceiling of the second floor, inappropriate for this building.
iPhone 7 Plus
And this picture is completely unexpected for us: the “seven” did much better. There is a great dynamics of light, the sky is more naturally colored, and “26” at the traffic light even looks like a light, but at least you can read this number!
XS Max was better at only lightening 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 the XS, the photo taken on it is much better. First, there is a wider dynamic range. Secondly, more details of the facade of the first floor of the yellow building are kept in the background. Thirdly, the parking sign under the traffic lights 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 so that the difference between them is maximum. And as it turned out, in two years the iPhone cameras did not grow much. Yes, you saw it very well.
If you suddenly choose an iPhone by camera and cannot decide, then first you need to understand what exactly you need. The XS has a much poorer dynamic range in our tests, and the white balance tends to be unnatural. I think it's about artificial intelligence. Sometimes he misses. For example, you are shooting outdoors, which the iPhone understands. He realizes: the sky is above, which means that it is necessary to color it. The first test showed that the “seven” does a better job in this regard: the gray gloomy sky remains gray, and does not begin to unnaturally blue, like the XS Max. But details in most shots are better preserved on the latest iPhone.
And that is why we see no reason to compare with last year's models - not so many people will update from them, and even update from the "tens" ... Why?
