Victoriano IzquierdoPHOTOS

Testing the camera of the new iPhone 13 Pro

I went for a walk in Granada, Spain, with the new iPhone 13 Pro, released last week, and shot all the pictures using the Apple ProRAW format to see how far digital photography is now compared to DSLR cameras. I also used the VSCO app for adjusting the color, brightness, and other parameters.

The new x3 optical zoom, equivalent to a 77mm is a game changer for documentary photographyThe new x3 optical zoom, equivalent to a 77mm is a game changer for documentary photography

The forest of the Alhambra in my hometown is one of the most magical places in the world. These lights during the sunset between the trees and the ancient castle are so delicate and always difficult to capture.The forest of the Alhambra in my hometown is one of the most magical places in the world. These lights during the sunset between the trees and the ancient castle are so delicate and always difficult to capture.

I have to say, I am pretty amazed by the results, after using an iPhone XS for the past 3 years. The major improvements with respect to my previous iPhone are:

  • The 3X optical zoom. Most of my best street photography pictures with my DSLR are taken with 24-105mm lenses. The 3X optical zoom is equivalent to a 77mm lens. I found myself using it all the time to bring elements closer in city landscapes. Like cars and trees with buildings.
  • The new 0.5X wide-angle lens, equivalent to 13mm, is also handy for some types of images you can really magnify a person, animal, or element to respect their surroundings.

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There is also a new macro lens that is amazing too, but I’ll probably use it only from time to time to capture insects, leaves, and other beautiful stuff, but definitely not my primary focus on taking pictures. I feel like it’s difficult to be original with macro photography and small creatures are pretty similar… 😂

But one of my biggest and unexpected surprises has been the new Apple ProRAW format. It was introduced at the end of last year for the iPhone 12. After testing it using VSCO I am really happy with how much control I get on the highlights and shadows, pretty similar to the experience with Adobe Camera RAW and the RAW files from my DSLRs Canon and Sony. As you can see in the images above and below the dynamic range in this difficult light situation is astonishing 🤯 . Read the Austin Mann review to learn more about the video capabilities.

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Portrait mode on Street photography, lovely bokeh IMG_8528.jpg

The portrait mode was already on my previous iPhone but on the 13 is even faster and makes possible to use with people or animals moving which is great for street photography. That bokeh is crucial for isolating the subjects around their context and what still make DSLR quite unique. The main drawback is that you can’t do it with any object more than 2 meters away and don’t support the Apple ProRAW form yet. Still not perfect but getting there year after year.

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