Yearly with out fail, Apple delivers among the finest cameras on any smartphone in its latest iPhone. Mainly any iPhone you purchase—even the earlier 12 months’s mannequin—will snap wonderful images and report movies in stellar high quality.
It’s that consistency, together with the recognition of Macs amongst photograph and video professionals, that makes the iPhone so in style amongst photographers and videographers. Whether or not you’re a professional or simply an fanatic, the iPhone that’s greatest for images is nearly at all times the latest one—however that additionally tends to be the most costly possibility, so is that the mannequin a images fanatic should purchase?
Whereas the prime quality iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional Max each provide superior cameras and spectacular applied sciences that may lead to professional-looking images, the opposite iPhones nonetheless take wonderful images and are worthy of consideration.
On this article we are going to run although not solely the present iPhones that Apple is promoting proper now together with some iPhones from the previous few years. This fashion we can provide recommendation on one of the best iPhone for images that matches along with your funds.
In case you are prepared to purchase one of the best iPhone for images we might suggest the iPhone 14 Professional, however in the event you would like to contemplate your choices learn on…
You might also wish to learn our iPhone shopping for information and our iPhone comparability.
How the iPhone cameras evaluate
Yearly, with every new iPhone, Apple improves the digicam and video options of its iPhones. We are likely to see new images software program and know-how for every technology of iPhone, somewhat than huge modifications to the specs of the cameras—though there have been some fairly huge leaps within the Professional fashions of the iPhone 14, as you possibly can see beneath.
We’ll start with an summary of the digicam specs for the present iPhone fashions, earlier than happening to take a look at the digicam options that Apple has launched through the years.
iPhone | Principal digicam | Extremely Huge | Telephoto | Zoom |
---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone 14 Professional Max | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12PM, ƒ/2.8 aperture | 0.5, 1, 2, 3x optical zoom |
iPhone 14 Professional | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12PM, ƒ/2.8 aperture | 0.5, 1, 2, 3x optical zoom |
iPhone 14 Plus | 12MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1x optical zoom | |
iPhone 14 | 12MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1x optical zoom | |
iPhone 13 Professional Max | 12MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture | 0.5, 1, 3x optical zoom |
iPhone 13 Professional | 12MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture | 0.5, 1, 3x optical zoom |
iPhone 13 | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1 optical zoom | |
iPhone 13 mini | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1 optical zoom | |
iPhone SE | 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture | 0.5, 1 optical zoom | ||
iPhone 12 Professional Max | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 0.5, 1, 2.5x optical zoom |
iPhone 12 Professional | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture | 0.5, 1, 2x optical zoom |
iPhone 12 | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1 optical zoom | |
iPhone 11 | 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 0.5, 1x optical zoom |
Lately the Professional and Professional Max fashions have supplied an identical digicam specs, however this wasn’t at all times the case. For instance, the iPhone 12 Professional Max supplied a greater telephoto lens. This does imply that there is no such thing as a longer a motive for images followers to selected the Professional Max over the Professional – until they might profit from the longer battery life supplied by the larger mannequin.
You would possibly assume that the 48MP digicam on the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max would signify an enormous leap from the opposite iPhones, and it does, however whether or not it actually issues to you is determined by whether or not you want 48MP images (which is able to take a number of area up in your iPhone so be sure you select an iPhone with loads of storage!)
It’s not really a typical setting—that you must allow 48MP ProRAW capturing if you wish to use it. Capturing in RAW (on this case, Apple’s ProRAW) offers photographers extra management on the subject of modifying the {photograph}, however RAW has been a function on iPhones for the reason that iPhone 12 Professional, so it isn’t a function distinctive to the iPhone 14 Professional fashions, it’s simply probably the most information you’ve ever been in a position to seize on an iPhone.
One key distinction is the addition of a telephoto lens on the Professional fashions. If you would like an extended focus lens then these are the telephones to decide on. These telephones even have the higher optical zoom choices, providing op to 3x, in comparison with 1x on the usual iPhones (the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max add a brand new 2x zoom). Macro images can be restricted to the iPhone 13 Professional and Professional Max and the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max. It makes use of the Extremely Huge digicam and you should use it for dwell images and macro movies too.

“Hidden Gem” (water bead in leaf) by Jirasak Panpiansin (@joez19). Shot on iPhone 13 Professional Max.
Apple
The apertures are additionally a major variation throughout iPhones, altering virtually each technology as Apple tries to design an iPhone able to even higher low gentle images. An ƒ/1.5 aperture on the iPhone 14 will soak up extra gentle than the ƒ/1.8 aperture on the iPhone SE, for instance.
However the aperture is simply a part of the story—in every technology Apple additionally improves the digicam sensor. The iPhone 14 Professional has a quad-pixel sensor that mixes each 4 pixels into one giant quad pixel equal to 2.44 µm, and the 12MP Extremely Huge digicam additionally options larger pixels than beforehand, for instance. See: How to decide on one of the best digicam cellphone: sensor measurement vs megapixels.
One other advantage of the newer iPhone cameras is gimbal-like second-generation sensor-shift optical picture stabilisation, which is a function of the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max solely. This enhances the sensor-shift optical picture stabilisation discovered on the iPhone 14 and the 13-series. The older iPhones provide optical picture stabilisation.
The iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max clearly stand out as one of the best iPhone cameras. In case you are in search of one of the best cameras on an iPhone these are those to decide on.
Nonetheless, in the event you don’t want a telephoto lens, and also you aren’t planning to shoot in 48MP RAW, there are good choices for images followers amongst Apple’s inexpensive iPhones.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
What options do iPhone cameras have?
All iPhones are able to taking good images due to Apple’s improvements in images software program and the processing that runs within the background. Most not too long ago the corporate has launched the Photonic Engine with the iPhone 14 vary. It is a computational images know-how that may make low gentle images look higher, amongst different issues.
The Photonic Engine builds on the Deep Fusion software program, which arrived with the iPhone 11. The Deep Fusion course of entails the digicam taking quite a lot of photographs at completely different exposures which it then assesses and combines to create one of the best shot potential. It’s most useful for selfies and portrait images.
Photographic Kinds arrived with the iPhone 13 and likewise options on the iPhone SE (third technology). These are preset kinds which might be utilized once you take {a photograph}, somewhat than including a filter after the photograph is taken. The profit being that changes are utilized to the appropriate parts of a picture—sustaining pores and skin tones, and many others—somewhat than to the entire picture. The 5 presets are Customary, Wealthy Distinction, Vibrant, Heat and Cool and you’ll modify Tone and Heat for every. In the event you discover a Photographic Kinds you’re pleased with you possibly can set it so your iPhone at all times makes use of it, saving you modifying time later. You’ll be able to after all edit your images later utilizing the filters within the Photographs app.
With each technology Apple seeks to enhance low-light images. That is no extra obvious than within the computerized Night time Mode settings that arrived within the iPhone 11 and have improved over the generations since. A Night time Mode Portrait setting arrived with the iPhone 12 Professional and iPhone 12 Professional Max, and is on the market within the later Professional fashions, however not the iPhone 13 or iPhone 14.

Foundry
Talking of portraits, Portrait Mode is on the market in iPhone SE (2nd technology) and later, iPhone X and later, and the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus. There’s additionally a Portrait Lighting function within the iPhone X and eight Plus and later that means that you can choose certainly one of 5 results to ‘gentle’ your portrait. You’ll be able to modify the depth of area for these portraits to create roughly background blur.
The Portrait Mode additionally evokes Cinematic Mode for making movies on the iPhone. With this setting the digicam can report video with a shallow depth of area, so that there’s extra concentrate on the topic. Cinematic Mode is on the market on the the iPhone 13-series and later.
One other video mode that arrived not too long ago is Motion Mode. A options of the iPhone 14-series, Motion Mode allows you to seize clean video once you’re shifting.
These are a few of the standout options which have arrived lately, however there may be a lot extra. For instance, Dwell Photographs allow you to take 3 second captures with every image so you possibly can choose the nonetheless picture you need, create a Gif-like impact, or simply hold the quick clip. You can also make a QuickTake video by holding the shutter button on the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later. And, after all, each iPhone can shoot time-laps and slo-mo movies in addition to sq., Portrait, and pano images.
Are iPhones good for video?
All iPhones at the moment offered (iPhone 12 or later) provide 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps and Slo-mo video help for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps.
The variations relate to options like Cinematic mode on the iPhone 13 and 14-series (however on solely in 4K HDR on the iPhone 14-series), ProRes and Macro video recording (solely out there on the iPhone 13 Professional and Max and 14 Professional and Max telephones) and HDR video recoding, which is 60 fps on the iPhone 13 and above, and 30 fps beneath, and never out there on the iPhone SE. Anther omission on the iPhone SE is the Audio Zoom, which may also help scale back background noise when recording and is current on iPhones 11 and later.
Options like Motion Mode and Cinematic mode, talked about above will little question show helpful to anybody making video with their iPhone.
Which iPhone digicam is greatest
1. Apple iPhone 14 Professional

Value When Reviewed:
€1.299
Whereas the iPhone 14 Professional Max provides the identical digicam because the iPhone 14 Professional, we’re selecting the Professional on the premise that it’s lighter and smaller and subsequently somewhat extra comfy to carry than the iPhone 14 Professional Max. Nonetheless, the Max does take pleasure in longer battery life (29 vs 23 hours in video playback) and that could be what issues most to you if you’re more likely to be out within the area for lengthy durations of time.
When you’ve got the cash to spend the iPhone 14 Professional offers you the good thing about three rear going through cameras, together with an extremely extensive and telephoto lens, as much as 3x optical zoom, Macro images and video, and as much as 48MP Apple ProRAW.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 14 Professional assessment
2. Apple iPhone 14

Value When Reviewed:
€999
Whereas it doesn’t provide similar degree of digicam specs because the Professional and Professional Max, the iPhone 14 remains to be a superb possibility if you’d like a good digicam in your iPhone with out having to spend a lot cash. Just like the iPhone 14 Professional, it provides the Motion Mode for taking regular handheld video, the Photonic Engine computational images know-how to make use of machine studying to enhance the images you are taking. These options make it a better option than the iPhone 13.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 14 assessment
3. Apple iPhone 13 Professional

It is a little bit of a wild card as Apple not sells it, however if you’re in search of a cut price and discover one on the market it’s price consideration. Just like the iPhone 14 Professional you get three rear going through cameras, together with an extremely extensive and telephoto lens, as much as 3x optical zoom, Macro images and video, and Apple ProRAW (though not 48MP).
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 13 Professional assessment
Additional studying:
iPhone digicam tricks to take higher images
How one can disable the digicam shutter sound on an iPhone or iPad
How one can remotely management your iPhone’s digicam