Apple iPhone PRO SuperMax
Apple just announced the iPhone PRO SuperMax with - due to large demand - four cameras and a viewfinder as an accessory: it addresses the issue of the screen glared-out by sunlight; a serious problem for dedicated iPhotographers.
A welcome upgrade is the fourth camera - a true tele lens. Apple mis-named the third lens as a 'tele', whereas it really is a 'normal' lens. The original three lenses are the ultra wide 13mm, the wide 26mm and the 52mm ... which is a 'normal'. *
Added now is a true tele of 104mm. Now the iPhone truly is a PRO ... just like my Canon Pro camera, with its Pro zoom lens, which ranges from 24mm (wide) via 50mm (normal) to 105mm (tele) ... and (since it's a zoom) everything in-between.
With the Pro camera system Apple added a super-wide, which was a super-smart move, because - while there always is the 'pano' option - it is great to have super-wide in the one shot ... just as it is great to now have tele without digital zooming.
These are the PRO features: 1) no more digital zooming (PROs crop their pics in post) just a button to choose any of the four lenses. 2) optional manual focus: move a cursor, the camera focuses, the focus stays locked in. 3) Raw files. Cool.
Furthermore: 4) it is sensible to limit the iPhone cameras to 12mp. But for pro cameras the 'sweet-spot' is 20mp. In a standard iPhone that'd be too much, the files would be too large; but 20mp is great for the PRO SuperMax. Super. Cool.
Make no mistake: This camera (with a phone built in) is truly the ultimate substitute for conventional cameras ... DSLR or mirrorless. Apple put themselves apart from the pack, with no competition. From now on, there will only be software updates.
Is it correct to talk of this device as a camera? Well, what is the 'best camera'? Forget Canon, Nikon et al. The world has changed. It's clear, without ambiguity ... the 'best camera' is the one you have with you when you want to take a photo.
This question needs to be answered: Who wants to carry two devices with them? Well, nobody. That would be sooo last century. And since now-a-days neither does one need a wallet anymore, all Apple has to do now is invent keyless door locks.
There is a new paradigm: it is safe to say that now a whole new generation of pro as well as dedicated amateur photographers have been given the tool to be part of the competition for serious, badass, no compromise, award-winning photography.
All from their pocket.
I am a retired pro-photographer, now mainly engaged
with PHOTOART creative street photography ... I will be
the first to ditch my DSLR when these requirements are met.
(trust me peops, it will come, just like 3 cameras
which I predicted a few years ago ... blog 725
even though I pre-predicted the viewfinder)
Furthermore, the old choice of colours is not pertinent for Pro Photographers.
Another improvement (only on the iPhone PRO SuperMax) is the all new:
Pro SuperMatte Black
* More on lenses and focal lengths: When I say the lenses are 13, 26, 52 and 104mm then I refer to the equivalent focal lengths for full frame 35mm cameras.
On an iPhone the wide-angle lens has an actual focal length of 4.25mm, which is equivalent to 26mm on a full-frame camera. The 'telephoto' lens is 6mm, which is equivalent to a 52mm lens on a full-frame camera ... which makes it in real terms a normal lens. Only a 12mm lens, comparative to 104mm in full frame 35mm terms, is a true tele lens. However, the lenses probably have to be a little 'longer', since the chips should be larger.
Here's are a couple of links to interesting articles on the cameras:
What are the focal lengths and how do they compare with a regular camera?
One more article about lenses, this time the iPhone 12 and 12 Max.