Just How Good is the iPhone 6 Camera?

Photography Tips

In all the hubbub about Apple’s two new iPhones—the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus—one of the most talked about topics is the new and improved camera. But how good is it, really? Travel photographer Austin Mann embarked on a week-long photography and videography adventure in Iceland to test it out:

Some of the many features that the new iSight camera has include:

• f/2.2 aperture (which means macro-like effects are an option with the help of the autofocus lock feature)
• 1080P HD video at 60 frames per second (fps)
• 240-fps slow-motion video
• time-lapse video
• exposure control
• “Focus Pixels” (better sensor = better autofocus capabilities, including continuous autofocus)

Mann tested out many of these features, mounting the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus side-by-side with the 5S to get a true comparison.

Using the iPhone for travel photography meant that he could brave Iceland’s rugged natural environment with minimal gear and maximum mobility. He said,

“It’s just so fun to be playing with this device [the iPhone 6 Plus]. It makes it easy to capture great images.”

He tried out the slo-mo capabilities at Seljalandsfoss waterfall:

iPhone 6 Plus vs. iPhone 5S

And the timelapse setting at Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon full of floating icebergs:

Mann also tested out the camera’s continuous auto-focusing capabilities in low light conditions at a beach on Iceland’s southwestern-most tip:

“I really enjoy the challenge and spontaneity of capturing powerful images without directing them. I love to explore, see a moment coming, line up the shot and capture it as it passes. The great thing about carrying the iPhone as my primary shooting device is it’s simple yet so powerful: it’s ready to capture virtually any scenario I encounter. It enables images like this in a way no other camera ever could, no matter the cost.”

What do you think? Would you buy one of the new iPhones just for the camera?