Common sense says you pick up the iPhone, open the camera app and just start shooting. That’ll work, but there happens to be so many settings and features hidden within these phones that stump way too many people, even some of us pros sometimes. Thus, I was inspired to jot them all down and explain them one by one, with tips on what I think are the best settings for each one of my top 13. And I’m singling out the iPhone here because A., I’m an iPhone user, B. I think the 13 Pro is far and away the best smartphone camera on the market and C. if you’d like me to do a follow-up on Android, just say the word! To begin, let’s assume you’ve updated to iOS 15, the latest operating system. Next, open the camera app. Here’s what you’ll see, and what I recommend.
From left to right:
More iPhone settings outside of the app
More iPhone settings outside of the app
Bonus:
Bonus:
Lenses: If you have a late model iPhone, you get three lenses to work with. The ultra-wide (.5) is equivalent to 12mm and this is great for wide vistas. The 1x is a normal wide angle, equivalent to 26mm while the telephoto on the iPhone 13 clocks in at 77mm, compared to 65mm on the iPhone 12 series. Consider that you’re walking around with a 12-77mm lens, when most photographers have a 24-70mm as their go-to, all-purpose zoom lens for street and event photography, and a 16-35mm for landscapes. The iPhone lenses aren’t as tack sharp as the pro lenses, but they sure are versatile. Cinematic Mode: Another new feature for the iPhone 13 series brings the “Portrait” mode like background blur to video. Macro: Also an iPhone 13 exclusive, you can get way, way closer than ever before with the macro feature. Try it by coming in tight on a strawberry or something else rather small. Did I miss any of your favorite camera features? Let me hear from you.
About the Author
About the Author
Jefferson Graham is a Los Angeles-based writer-photographer, the host of the “Photowalks” travel photography series on YouTube, and Tubi, a former USA TODAY tech columnist and working photographer. You can find more of Jeff’s work on his website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. This article was also published here and shared with permission.
