Phone-makers are fighting a camera war, each trying to outdo each other (and it seems, add more cameras). Apple first made buzz by releasing the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019 which had 3 cameras. Since then, the 11 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max have all had 3 cameras. But how good are they, really?

First, the video. Apple’s camera can record 4K video at 24/30/60 FPS, which is impractical for most purposes, but not because its bad, but because its too good (4K at 60 is pretty battery consuming but too high quality for most use). It can also record 1080p (which is good enough for most) at 30/60/120/240, in which the most practical decision is to shoot at 60/120. In-built image stabilization helps make video taken handheld super-still, and colors are displayed accurately.

For the camera, there is a 12 megapixel, f/1.6 or f/2.4 lens—good enough for everything on iPhone. In addition, the dynamic range is good, meaning that no parts of the image will be overly dark and others overly light. As one of the most important aspects, the camera is consistently able to get a proper exposure, making sure you always get the image you want.

Finally, the part that is not visible and maybe not noticeable. The software. Automatic editing and white-balance altering helps make colors pop better than they did before. And photo’s come out tack-sharp. In addition, Apple offers several in-software fixes for camera problems. Things like exposure compensation, which allows you to change how bright a photo comes out, aperture control (allowing you to change how blurry the background is), and several built-in filters allow for better photos.

Further reading:

https://www.dxomark.com/apple-iphone-12-camera-review-pro-level-video-amateur-zoom/ 

https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-12-vs-iphone-11-pro-camera-comparison-see-why-apple-newest-phone-wins/