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Which iPhone is better if I want a good camera, but I don't want to go with the PRO model? I stopped following iPhone models a while ago and have no idea about

by f311a 6y ago

Which iPhone is better if I want a good camera, but I don't want to go with the PRO model? I stopped following iPhone models a while ago and have no idea about the differences between 11, XR, and XS. I need a simple phone with a good camera and swapping SE1 for SE2 does not sound like a good option.

saagarjha 6y ago
iPhone 11 has the same cameras as iPhone 11 Pro, except for the telephoto lens.
Razengan 6y ago
I've been sticking with the XS and it has pretty good cameras. This is the first time I've skipped an iPhone since the 5, because I regretted upgrading to the XS from the X. You could just wait a few months and get the next one that's supposedly coming out with LIDAR or whatever.
klodolph 6y ago
There’s no simple answer for everyone but my current take on phone cameras is simple: Every current production iPhone has a good camera. The rear-facing cameras (which you use for taking pictures) are within spitting distance of perfect, barring any revolutions in camera physics. The front-facing cameras are inferior but they get the job done and are very respectable. If you want a noticeably better camera, it’s simply not available in this form factor. You can play with gimmicks like the 108MP Xiaomi Mi Note, but once you zoom in, you can see the dirty secret that there is heavy, heavy processing that makes the resolution possible at all, and from an image quality standpoint, you’re not any better off.
- jahlove 6y ago
  > The rear-facing cameras (which you use for taking pictures) are within spitting distance of perfect, barring any revolutions in camera physics. The front-facing cameras are inferior but they get the job done and are very respectable. I disagree. The pics looks good on a phone, but when you compare a large print vs a full frame camera, the difference is obvious. Also, if you try to photograph the milky way with your iPhone, it's limitations are obvious (even on a phone screen).
  - klodolph 6y ago
    As far as I can tell, you aren’t disagreeing with what I was saying. I’m talking about “perfect” relative to what is physically possible within a mobile phone form factor, under the assumption that we are using traditional camera technology—using a lens to project a two-dimensional image onto a sensor, which records the image. From quantum physics we know the resolution is limited by diffraction through the aperture, so barring radical new materials, this won’t change much. Also from quantum mechanics we know that the noise floor will never drop below the shot noise of the actual photons hitting the sensor. If you want a better camera, it’s easy to just get a bigger one. However, camera technology has plateaued, and we no longer see radical improvements in image quality just by upgrading our cameras to newer models. (We still see incremental improvements, like the appearance of mirrorless cameras, but there’s only so many incremental improvements you can make before you run out of physics, and need to change your assumptions.)
ValentineC 6y ago
> I stopped following iPhone models a while ago and have no idea about the differences between 11, XR, and XS. As other commenters have mentioned, the cameras seem to be mostly the same across the available iPhones. If you're looking for the absolute cheapest phone, the SE or XR would do. The 11 would be good if you find yourself taking a lot of wide-angle shots. (For example, it's better for travel landscape.) If you find that you zoom in often, the XS (mainly available from resellers or preowned) might be useful. Personally, I don't think it's that useful for day-to-day phototaking.
thebigspacefuck 6y ago
They all have pretty much the same basic 1x zoom camera. The 11 and XS have an additional telephoto 2X zoom. The XR and XS are lacking Night Sight so night pictures will be worse. The XS has an OLED screen instead of LED.

by f311a 6y ago

saagarjha 6y ago

iPhone 11 has the same cameras as iPhone 11 Pro, except for the telephoto lens.

Razengan 6y ago

I've been sticking with the XS and it has pretty good cameras. This is the first time I've skipped an iPhone since the 5, because I regretted upgrading to the XS from the X. You could just wait a few months and get the next one that's supposedly coming out with LIDAR or whatever.

klodolph 6y ago

There’s no simple answer for everyone but my current take on phone cameras is simple: Every current production iPhone has a good camera. The rear-facing cameras (which you use for taking pictures) are within spitting distance of perfect, barring any revolutions in camera physics. The front-facing cameras are inferior but they get the job done and are very respectable. If you want a noticeably better camera, it’s simply not available in this form factor. You can play with gimmicks like the 108MP Xiaomi Mi Note, but once you zoom in, you can see the dirty secret that there is heavy, heavy processing that makes the resolution possible at all, and from an image quality standpoint, you’re not any better off.

jahlove 6y ago
> The rear-facing cameras (which you use for taking pictures) are within spitting distance of perfect, barring any revolutions in camera physics. The front-facing cameras are inferior but they get the job done and are very respectable. I disagree. The pics looks good on a phone, but when you compare a large print vs a full frame camera, the difference is obvious. Also, if you try to photograph the milky way with your iPhone, it's limitations are obvious (even on a phone screen).
- klodolph 6y ago
  As far as I can tell, you aren’t disagreeing with what I was saying. I’m talking about “perfect” relative to what is physically possible within a mobile phone form factor, under the assumption that we are using traditional camera technology—using a lens to project a two-dimensional image onto a sensor, which records the image. From quantum physics we know the resolution is limited by diffraction through the aperture, so barring radical new materials, this won’t change much. Also from quantum mechanics we know that the noise floor will never drop below the shot noise of the actual photons hitting the sensor. If you want a better camera, it’s easy to just get a bigger one. However, camera technology has plateaued, and we no longer see radical improvements in image quality just by upgrading our cameras to newer models. (We still see incremental improvements, like the appearance of mirrorless cameras, but there’s only so many incremental improvements you can make before you run out of physics, and need to change your assumptions.)

ValentineC 6y ago

> I stopped following iPhone models a while ago and have no idea about the differences between 11, XR, and XS. As other commenters have mentioned, the cameras seem to be mostly the same across the available iPhones. If you're looking for the absolute cheapest phone, the SE or XR would do. The 11 would be good if you find yourself taking a lot of wide-angle shots. (For example, it's better for travel landscape.) If you find that you zoom in often, the XS (mainly available from resellers or preowned) might be useful. Personally, I don't think it's that useful for day-to-day phototaking.

thebigspacefuck 6y ago

They all have pretty much the same basic 1x zoom camera. The 11 and XS have an additional telephoto 2X zoom. The XR and XS are lacking Night Sight so night pictures will be worse. The XS has an OLED screen instead of LED.