Halide developer calls iPhone 12 Pro Max camera improvements 'mind-blowing'

Halide developer Sebastiaan de With has published an in-depth look at the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera and the "mind-blowing" photographic improvements that it brings.

The developer and photographer typically shares his thoughts on Apple camera technology when the company releases a new device, and this year is no different. In his evaluation, de With breaks down the new camera features on Apple's latest 6.7-inch handset and puts them to the test.

For example, one of the main differences between the iPhone 12 Pro and the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max is the addition of a larger sensor. It's about 47% bigger than the previous generation, and allows the device to bring in more light to reduce noise and bump up sharpness.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max's sensor versus the iPhone 11 Pro Max sensor. Credit: Sebastiaan de With

Daylight comparisons between the two Pro models don't show a significant difference, but in lower lighting, the iPhone 12 Pro Max's bigger sensor allows it to pull more detail.

Interestingly, Apple's own computational photography features seem to downplay the iPhone 12 Pro Max's improvements. When shooting in RAW, which doesn't feature any noise reduction, de With says that the device shows off a "big leap ahead in image quality."

A comparison of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 shots. The top is an iPhone 12 Pro Max shooting in Night Mode, the middle is an iPhone 12 Pro shooting in RAW, and the bottom is an iPhone 12 Pro Max shooting in RAW. Credit: Sebastiaan de With

The Pro Max also features new sensor shift optical image stabilization on its wide lens. This, again, shines in low-light conditions and when shooting in RAW. According to de With, the iPhone 12 Pro Max pulls ahead — "way ahead, really" — in low-light conditions thanks to the feature.

The full article by de With goes into more detail and provides a series of comparison shots, so it's well worth a read for anyone interested in iPhone photography. To sum it the piece, however, de With said that the results are "mind-blowing."

"It achieves images previously only seen in dedicated cameras, with sensors four times its size. It allows photographers to get steady and well exposed shots in conditions that weren't imaginable a year ago. It captures low-light shots beyond anything we've seen on an iPhone. By a lot," de With said.