iPhone 12 Pro Max - First Look
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Test Photos
A Fan of All Cameras
As much as I am a devout fan of traditional cameras such as my mirrorless Fujifilm or old Zeiss Ikon film camera I have never been one to snicker at iPhone or smartphone users.
On the contrary, I have been fascinated by iPhones, and from the iPhone 4 onward I believe they make for a sufficient substitution in a pinch, or better yet, an addition to a camera kit.
You know the old saying; “The best camera is the one you have with you”, and admittedly I do not always carry my traditional cameras but will always have my iPhone with me. I frequently use my aging iPhone 6s Plus for content on this site or for my Instagram feed @5050travelog.
First test shooting with the iPhone 12 Pro Max
Introducing the iPhone 12 Pro Max
While my preowned iPhone 6s Plus set me back around $150.00 the new iPhone 12 Pro Max is a whopping almost 10 times the cost. Not quite, but it’s getting close if you count in taxes and accessories.
$1,099.00 for the 128 GB model, $1,199.00 for 256 GB, and $1,399.00 with 512 MB. In comparison, the Fujifilm X-T3 currently retails for $999.00.
Call me old-fashioned but from the offset, these prices are hard to stomach. I am lucky my son thinks otherwise. Mik is replacing an ailing iPhone 6 and has been putting aside pennies for a while. We decided we would head out on the day of the iPhone 12 Pro Max release and see what the new camera was capable of.
Apple Pro RAW is not yet released but we could have shot RAW using Halide but for this first day, I decided I would let Apple do the wizardry and see what we would come up with.
The three lenses and flash and Lidar Scanner of the iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max Specs
All the specs can be found on Apple’s site but I will list some of the more notable features here. 12 Megapixels. Great that they do not try to push this higher. More megapixels on a small sensor lead to more noise and larger pixels will be able to gather more light.
The sensor for the main wide camera on the Pro Max is 47% larger than the iPhone 11 Pro and 12 Pro. This is good news as this is probably the lens you will use the most.
Three lenses, cool! Max f-stops are as follows: Ultra-wide, f/2.4, wide f/1.6, and telephoto, f/2. The max f-stop of f/1.6 on the wide camera is said to give 27% better low-light photos.
Comparing the cameras of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and an iPhone 6s
Handling the iPhone 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a work of art. The 6.7” super retina XDR display is drop-dead gorgeous and the screen alone will make your photos look beautiful.
It is easy to switch between the three lenses, ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto. I found the standard wide yields the best results with the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses lagging a bit behind.
Mik got the silicone case for protection but it also gives you a solid grip on the phone. We noticed a bit of lag when trying to adjust the exposure, especially when using the ultra wide-angle lens for video.
Size comparison between an iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (new 2020), iPhone 6s plus, and iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Image Quality
We never intended to shoot this first round of images using Apple’s HDR function but ended up doing so after all. I am not of fan of HDR images. We did not see an HDR switch in the camera app but found it in the settings. When we found it it was too late.
Images look rich in color and clarity on the new 6.7” screen but when put under scrutiny on my 15” MacBook Pro the compression and perhaps some oversharpening are apparent.
This is a matter of taste but the results go in line with what I expected and a quick comparison with my iPhone 6s Plus indicate an improvement. Not surprisingly so with the larger sensor and new tech but the iPhone 6s Plus is pretty good also. I would like to do more side-by-side comparisons.
Comparing the iPhone 6s to iPhone 12 Pro Max
In the above sequence, the first photo is from the iPhone 6s Plus, then iPhone 12 Pro Max, etc. You will notice HDR is turned off on the iPhone 6s Plus. The newer standard wide lens is a bit wider on the 12 Pro Max compared to the 6s.
Images on the new iPhone are stored in it high-efficiency image file format, HEIC, which meant I had to change them to JPEGs before uploading them to my site. The HEIC files take up less space than JPEG.
Capturing a video with the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
iPhone 12 Pro Max - First Thoughts
I realize the iPhone is so much more than a camera and hence may be worth the cost to you. You can record an album, make movies, play games, stay connected, use it as a design tool, find your way with GPS maps, or have it wake you up in the morning if you can’t get out of bed on your own. The list is endless with thousands of apps available.
As a photography tool, you should not ignore smartphones and as they get better and better inevitably the market share will continue to increase in comparison to traditional cameras.
More and more people I am sure will be more than happy with the results they can get from the camera in a device such as the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Personally, the iPhone, 6s, or 12 Pro, will not be replacing my current cameras. And although tempting I won’t be rushing out to upgrade my phone until my 6s is on its last legs.
The experience of shooting these cameras/iPhones is remarkably different but if you work each to their advantage they are all valid tools. The iPhone is a wonderful supplement to my kit and I am happy they keep improving them.
Apple has announced Apple Pro RAW. I look forward to trying this out and will do a follow-up post. I would like to see how the images hold up once I edit with my usual tools such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and VSCO. The question is, will I be able to pry the iPhone 12 Pro Max out of my son’s hands again? :)
The photos in this post have not been edited in any way.
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