While we are living in strange times, I’m trying to keep certain traditions in place. When I get a new camera, I always take it to a familiar location, as a quick and simple comparison of new photos, to old photos. A day after receiving the iPhone 12, I visited the National Gallery of Art as I did last year with the iPhone 11 Pro. The museum is only partially reopened; the East Building is closed and only one floor of the West Building was accessible when these photos were taken. The NGA staff deserve credit for opening the museum and to have an efficient system to get a ticket and through the doors.
This is not of a review of the iPhone 12, but some comments of warranted. This phone’s new slightly larger size, combined with the iPhone 5 like edges, made it slightly more cumbersome to take photos. It may have just been getting used to the new form factor, but I wonder how large it will feel when I finally buy a case for it. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, due to be released next month, will be a two-handed smartphone / camera.
As for the quality of the photos and experience, I think this morning was an adjustment period. The display of the 12 Pro is slightly warmer than the 11 Pro. The upgraded HDR can improve photos dramatically, but sometimes, it goes a little overboard.
After three hours of photos, 50% of my iPhone battery was was gone. I can’t seem to remember the 11 Pro being affected that quickly from a morning of photos, but it was a bit jarring making it back from a photo trip with only 33% battery left. I can’t say this was due to all of the photography, or perhaps other processes typical with a new iPhone install / sync. The back of the phone also gets noticeably warm in heavy use.
This discussion also has to include an unusual disclaimer. The iPhone 12 Pro series will be the first phones to feature Apple ProRAW, a new imaging format that promises to combine the power of RAW and the computational benefits of iPhone photography. The feature is not yet in iOS 14.1, but will appear soon. I’m extremely interested in this format and if it will perhaps improve the cameras even more.
If you’re still on an iPhone X, you might find these cameras a worthwhile upgrade.
The photos below aren’t perfect, but a quick test of what the iPhone 12 can do.
