It's hard to believe it's almost been a year since the iPhone 15 Pro Max hit shelves. Features like the titanium build, action button, and high-speed USB-C were all hyped at launch, but there's been one key feature that's kept me using the iPhone 15 Pro Max as my daily driver in between reviewing other phones. The 5x zoom lens.
Apple was far from the first manufacturer to add long-range zoom to a phone to a phone, but its implementation is among the most reliable. The lens is faster than what competitors had done previously (and equal in speed to the Pixel 8 Pro, and the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL), which in turn leads to better photos.
The speed compensates for the fact that camera shake is more pronounced at longer zoom ranges. A small hand movement becomes more significant when you're shooting at 5x, which can make your photos blurry. It also means the camera lens is usable in low light, where shooting speed becomes even more important.
As someone who spends too much of their disposable income on concert tickets, having a reliable long-range zoom on my phone has resulted in some amazing photos. While I managed to luck my way into okay shots on phones I'd tested previously, the results were nowhere as consistent as what I've been getting with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are a few of my favourite snaps I've taken. A fun learning I've had over the last year is turning on portrait mode can work surprisingly well when taking photos at shows. This also holds true for lenses other than the 5x.
iPhone 15 Pro Max camera samples
Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Of course, not every photo is going to turn out. Shooting in challenging environments like a show is a tricky test for any camera, but especially phones. While iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x lens is faster than most rivals, it's slower than the primary lens, so there's still a chance you'll get blurry shots.
Especially dark shows also led to worse photo quality. Sometimes shots looked too noisy. In others, there simply wasn't enough detail. Here are a few phot that I'm not quite as happy with. Some are decent, others are unusable.
iPhone 15 Pro Max camera samples
Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x zoom lens has become an invaluable tool for capturing memories when seeing bands play live. It's a shame it's limited to the most expensive iPhone, but rumours suggest the iPhone 16 Pro will also get a 5x zoom lens this year, up from the 3x zoom lens on last year's model.
There's no doubt that the iPhone 16 Pro won't be a cheap phone either, but here's hoping that reliable long-range zoom lenses trickle down to more affordable price points over the coming years.
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Alex Choros
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