AppleInsider Staff
Photographer Austin Mann on Wednesday posted an in-depth look at the camera hardware and software suite offered with Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, taking the handsets to Iceland in a shootout against last year's iPhone 5s.
While a number of reviews have noted improvements with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cameras, none have taken the handsets into the field for extensive real-world testing. Mann, in partnership with The Verge, did just that by trekking through the rugged landscapes of Iceland to offer a unique perspective on Apple's new iSight enhancements.
More of a showcase than a review, Mann's post does well to capture the promise of Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus hardware when put in the hands of a professional.
Mann brought along both new handsets, as well as a reference iPhone 5s, and many of the shots were taken using a special dual-iPhone rig that allowed for side-by-side comparisons. Overall, the new iPhone 6 hardware is a major improvement over the outgoing model in light capturing ability, resolution and color accuracy.
The photographer made special note of phase detection autofocus, which Apple has branded "Focus Pixels," saying the technology will allow iPhone 6 owners to shoot in totally different ways. Aside from super fast constant focusing for still photos and video, users have expanded capabilities in shooting dark scenes.
In a video comparison highlighting the difference in autofocus speed between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s, Mann set both to focus on a rock before throwing it into the sea. Before the rock splashed down, the iPhone 6 had already refocused on the water. By comparison, the iPhone 5s never refocused.
On software, Mann says the features included with iOS 8 allow for greater manual control over image taking, pointing out that the new on-screen exposure control feature can help frame dramatic shots.
Also tested are the new iPhones' 240fps Slo-Mo mode, time lapse mode, panoramic imaging and optical image stabilization.
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22 Comments
I thought my 5 took pretty good shots, can't wait to see what the 6 can do.
Beautiful. But why is Iceland full of green while Greenland is full of ice? Whoever's running this planet has a lot to answer for...
This is another great real world test of the iPhone 6 camera :
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/17/life-is-tough/
Beautiful.
But why is Iceland full of green while Greenland is full of ice?
Whoever's running this planet has a lot to answer for...
Marketing, and when Greenland was initially settled it wasn't so much (at least along the coast) sort of a tragic story as the later residents dealt with increasing cold and less and less ability to grow food. Why the later Inuit peoples who relied on the sea for food were successful in the transition.
[quote name="GTR" url="/t/182385/photographer-takes-iphone-6-and-6-plus-to-iceland-details-major-enhancements-over-iphone-5s#post_2601629"]Beautiful. But why is Iceland full of green while Greenland is full of ice? Whoever's running this planet has a lot to answer for...[/quote]It's meant to trick. In olden days Iceland did not want invasion, and Greenland wants people to head to it.