Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

austinmann.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 294 posts

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#251

Post by c0nsilienc3 »

Exotic locations and good light make a better photo than simply having the newest iPhone--I think everyone here can agree.

Brian Chen, whom I respect, from NYTimes reviewed the newest iPhone and compared all his notes, photos, and videos to his iPhone reviews in the past and said there was hardly a difference in quality and performance.

I'm not saying the camera advancements aren't nice, but as a working photographer I have pretty strong opinions about some of the new features like night shot. There are already apps that exist for iOS that do this (take multiple photos and average them out to produce a brighter image with less noise). Also, I believe that if it's really too dark to take a good photo, it's not worth taking a photo at all because even the night shot image won't look that great (and of course they look great when you see them because they are side-by-side comparisons with the darker, more crappy photo, but as standalone photos they look like garbage). I'd rather find or make good light if I want to take a portrait.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#252

Post by Hamuko »

Does this mean that I can justify the staggering price of an iPhone 11 Pro by saying that I won't be needing a new camera? Not that I was really in market for a new point-and-shoot, but I feel like I need something to justify it.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#253

Post by mfer »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #190
la_barba wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the point of muddying the waters without having verifiable facts? The thing with speculation is .. anyone can speculate, on anything, for any reason. That doesn't make it true. >I'm just saying it's naive to think that everyone is always highly committed to playing nice with the FTC rules. Who exactly said that?

Look at the quote at the beginning of this thread. If it looks like an ad, if it reads unnaturally, like something no real person would say to convey a honest opinion, then it's most likely an ad.

I read the post and it read fairly naturally to me. There are a wide variety of people out there who communicate differently.

Given the date of the post, time to write it up, and time to take the pictures this phone is in the hands of something before the official release date.

I read this like I read something from John Gruber about something Apple.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#254

Post by sosborn »

m0skit0 wrote: post #167

I never considered the camera when buying a phone, and in fact would love a price discount in higher phone models with a cheaper or even no cameras. Question for professional photographers from someone that has no idea about photography: why would you use a phone when you can use your professional camera?

There is a wide range of professional photography and a good smartphone camera can fill some of those needs. Shooting for a magazine? You’ll want a dslr. Shooting for social media in a professional context? The phone is great.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#255

Post by ska »

Diederich wrote: post #239
overcast wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key elements to these photos basically come down to dramatic lighting(dawn/dusk), leading lines(look at the bridge and waterway shots, your eyes are guided to the mountains and the horizon), and the rule of thirds(dividing your image up into quadrants, and keeping important subjects at their intersections). Basic stuff, but as always requires LOTS of practice and experimentation.

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I were driving up highway 395, just east of the California High Sierras. At the time, we were only using disposable cameras. She suddenly asked me to pull over, which I did, and backed up a bit, to right around here: https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. A couple of months…

Equipment can't make you a good photographer. Luck and taking lots of photos sometimes can get you a good photo, but it's not reproducible.

The thing that better equipment gives you is options, and if you know how to use it, the possibility of getting photos you otherwise couldn't get (at least not a decent version of). That's it, really.

Even the most modest equipment can take a great photo - but the conditions have to be just right for that gear.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#256

Post by dsego »

jartelt wrote: post #157
jonlucc wrote: post #4

The photography in these kinds of reviews is amazing, and the camera looks pretty stellar compared to the XS, but I find myself reading them wondering if it will make my pictures any better. I'm a mediocre photographer at best, and I'm certainly not going to be able to capture many images like the ones in this review.

Many peoples' photos can be improved by 1) trying to be more still while the HDR photos are being captured, 2) resist the urge to zoom, 3) tap on the area of the photo you want to be in focus before shooting, and 4) generally stick with landscape mode. This is especially true when taking a picture of someone in front of a mountain (or something similar). Don't zoom! Take a picture of the mountains with the people in…

Experiment with perspective, take a photo from up above your head tilted downward, or lower from the waist. Sometimes it helps to get closer to the subject to fill the frame and get some natural depth of field. Also,a cheap tripod selfie stick works wonders, esp. at night with manual exposure time. And a personal gripe, don't ever ever cut off the feet, people end up looking like cardboard cutouts.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#257

Post by fock »

ansgri wrote: post #235
fock wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you can do all of this with an ILC too and will profit from the fact that it has far less technical limitations. Basically most of the really "cool" applications center around using the electronic shutter which up to 2-3years ago none of the ILC-companies dared to offer for the masses because it has some shortcomings which the "hey I can finally shoot in the dark"-crowd might not notice/care about, but people buy…

I was talking of compact ILCs specifically, that they would profit from this to become comparable with bulky 'pro' gear.

ah, but then if you look at µ4/3 it's already there (6k/30fps bursts with the electronic shutter for selection afterwards, pixelshift to improve resolution, ...)

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#258

Post by mceachen »

Diederich wrote: post #239
overcast wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key elements to these photos basically come down to dramatic lighting(dawn/dusk), leading lines(look at the bridge and waterway shots, your eyes are guided to the mountains and the horizon), and the rule of thirds(dividing your image up into quadrants, and keeping important subjects at their intersections). Basic stuff, but as always requires LOTS of practice and experimentation.

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I were driving up highway 395, just east of the California High Sierras. At the time, we were only using disposable cameras. She suddenly asked me to pull over, which I did, and backed up a bit, to right around here: https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. A couple of months…

Thanks for sharing, that was a great story.

A photographer friend shared with me a long time ago very similar advice to get better shots: location, timing, make the subject wear red, and push the shutter button more.

You can't frame what you didn't take.

Re: iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

#260

Post by Diederich »

dvaun wrote: post #247
Diederich wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I were driving up highway 395, just east of the California High Sierras. At the time, we were only using disposable cameras. She suddenly asked me to pull over, which I did, and backed up a bit, to right around here: https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. A couple of months…

> She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. This is fantastic! The Eastern Sierras are an amazing place to explore through camping and day hikes. In my own experience, my parents had planned backpacking trips in this area several times when I was a teen, where each trip was filled with moments like the one your wife and yourself experienced. New…

> Seeing a sky full of stars

Yes.

As a teenager, with my grandparents, we were camped here for a while: https://goo.gl/maps/zYf5SvSZ2WMaFQpx5 The moon was new, and not yet risen. Even though it was mid summer, near midnight, the outside temperature was below freezing.

I walked out away from the camp, past a small ridge, and suddenly, for the first time in my life, I could see not a single artificial light.

At more than 10,000 feet of elevation, the air was sharp as a knife. It was dark, yet it wasn't. The arc of our galaxy looked like cotton, it was so bright and clear. The stars were steady, with barely any atmospheric distortion.

I sat on a large rock and opened the book I was carrying.

"By the starlit mere of Cuiviénen, Water of Awakening, they rose from the sleep of Ilúvatar; and while they dwelt yet silent by Cuiviénen their eyes beheld first of all things the stars of heaven. Therefore they have ever loved the starlight, and have revered Varda Elentári above all the Valar."

Post reply on HN