A Good Early iPhone 5S Camera Review ...
>> iPhone 5S Camera Review for Photographers
Dean Holland
Take Better Photos
September 22, 2013
takebetterphotos.com.au
You could be forgiven for not getting too excited about the camera in Apple's new flagship iPhone 5S. They've put dozens of tweaks into it, but not a single one sounds... sexy. It's still 8 megapixels, it still doesn't zoom, and the phone's still the same size as last year. Do all the little changes add up to something bigger?
<... Big Snip: see complete article and photos at link above...>
The Verdict
I often get phone calls asking me what camera I use, and I first have to clarify "Do you mean for work or pleasure?". The answers are very different. My workhorse cameras are no-compromise performance tools, with no concessions at all to being easy to carry or enjoyable to use. They are all business, and they're the last thing that I would want to take with me on holiday. I see the iPhone 5S as an attempt to make the opposite, a no-compromise fun phone-camera that adds to life. Each does its job better for not trying to do what the other does so well.
Looked at from a technical perspective, the iPhone 5S camera is another casual step forward for iPhones. And with the exception of the clever flash system, most of the photographic improvements seem to come from its processor, rather than from revolutionary hardware. The biggest change lies in the extra speed and flexibility.
But I'd argue that technical innovation is not what this phone is about. I've found the iPhone 5S to be the most fun iPhone camera to date. Instead of extra pixels, I'm enjoying the speed, performance, and the new party tricks of burst shooting, slow-motion video, and easier, better low-light shooting. It's the most 'invisible' of the phones, as it just gets out of your way, so you can enjoy what you're doing. If you like shooting on smartphones, I'd recommend that you give it a try.
If getting the best technical quality and detail is important to you, none of the improvements in the iPhone 5S is likely to appeal. Picture quality in good light hasn't improved compared to the iPhone 5 - arguably it's deteriorated a little. Picture quality in poor light has improved considerably, but is still far short of both the quality and usability of a dedicated camera for night photography.
Compared to shooting with a dedicated camera, shooting with a phone has lots of technical compromises. No zoom, no raw, no shallow depth of field, no shooting darker than EV-0.5, and relatively poor picture quality once you step indoors. And these are exactly the things that draw me to mobile photography, because they force me to be creative and keep it fun. - Dean - ###
The Author: Dean Holland (PhD) is Director of 'Take Better Photos' in Brisbane Australia. He's a professional photographer, author, photography instructor, a long time iphone user for casual snaps, and he has packaged an iPhone video 'course-in-a-box' ...
There is a 6 minute video clip from the course here: takebetterphotos.com.au
The 'Take Better Photos' website is here: takebetterphotos.com.au
- Eric - |
