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 results were impressive. The computational photography that Apple has developed over the years really shows in low-light situations. The dynamic range captured in the sunset shot above would have been impossible just a few years ago without professional equipment.

ProRAW vs Standard HEIC

The ProRAW format gives you much more flexibility in post-processing:

12-bit color depth instead of 8-bit
More shadow detail to recover in editing
Better highlight handling in high-contrast scenes
No compression artifacts in gradients

The file sizes are larger (around 25MB per photo), but the quality improvement is worth it if you plan to edit your photos.

My Favorite Settings

For street photography, I found these settings work best:

Use the 1x lens for most shots
Enable ProRAW in camera settings
Keep exposure compensation at -0.3 to preserve highlights
Use gridlines to help with composition

Conclusion

The iPhone 13 Pro is a legitimate photography tool. While it won't replace a full-frame mirrorless camera for professional work, it's more than capable for travel photography, street photography, and everyday captures.

The best camera is the one you have with you, and the iPhone is always in your pocket.