The iPhones have always been known for their superior cameras. With the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple has significantly improved its already excellent smartphone cameras from the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Now well-known imaging specialist DxO Mark has released a thorough evaluation of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 camera. DxO Mark is still evaluating the 5.5-inch 7 Plus camera, a report on which should be released shortly.
iPhone 7 camera has received plenty of upgrades
While some of the best features are reserved for the Plus version, the 4.7-inch iPhone has also received plenty of upgrades such as an improved image processing, a brighter lens, four-element flash, class-leading optical image stabilization, and fast autofocus. Both the new iPhones have a wider DCI-P3 color gamut, making for richer colors when used with displays that support the DCI-P3 standard.
The iPhone 7 camera received a score of 86 from DxO Mark. By comparison, last year’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus had scored 82 and 84 respectively. DxO said the iPhone 7 camera was among the top three smartphone cameras they have ever tested. The iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and 7 all come with a 12MP sensor and a 28mm equivalent wide-angle lens. But the iPhone 7 camera has a f/1.8 aperture compared to the f/2.2 of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
DxO talks about the negative points
DxO chief scientist Fre?de?ric Guichard said that Apple uses a variety of innovative technologies to deliver a compelling camera experience. These include built-in OIS, efficient sensor electronics, high-performance lens design, and high-performance multi-image processing pipeline. DxO also praised Apple new algorithms that meld together multiple images to create the best possible result.
However, the iPhone 7 camera is far from perfect. DxO pointed out focusing irregularities, a drop off in fine detail, and visible luminance in low-light conditions. Though the Optical Image Stabilization reduces the camera shake in low-light exposures, motion blur was visible in at least a few instances. We are looking forward to the iPhone 7 Plus camera review, which has significantly closed the gap between smartphone cameras and DSLRs.