Is the iPhone 7’s Camera Really Worth Your Money?

Chick with a Nikon here and I was wondering, how many of you have iPhones? Don’t worry, I’m not currently inside your house wondering if you answered my question or at least raised your hand. That’s a Tuesday kind of thing. But the reason why I asked this is because I know that not all of my readers are able to afford a professional camera and are more likely to invest in a smartphone with a decent camera. It is no secret that since it came out, the iPhone has dominated the mobile world. I swear I see 7-year-olds with iPhones. I don’t know about you but when I was 7 I was learning how to color inside the lines on a PHYSICAL coloring book. Not on an app that I downloaded. Now, since entering the selfie era, iPhones have become even more essential. People are constantly upgrading their iPhones for the newest model. The iPhone 7 reportedly has the best camera yet. But if you’re like me and you don’t like to upgrade your iPhone every year, you might be content with your iPhone 6. If you’re deciding on whether to upgrade your iPhone 6 to an iPhone 7 or simply trying to see if the iPhone 7 will up your selfie game, here are some photos that compare and contrast the iPhone 7’s camera quality and the iPhone 6’s camera quality.

(Note: All these photographs were taken with either the iPhone 7 Plus or the iPhone 6. All photos are unretouched.)

Portrait Photography

Left image taken with the iPhone 7 Plus. Right image taken with the iPhone 6. Both photos taken by Stephanie Lamas

Before I start, I would like to thank my good friend and fellow photographer, Jarrette Werk, for letting me borrow his iPhone 6 for this blog post. Now onto phone photography. Right off the bat you can notice the differences. The iPhone 7’s photo looks as if it was taken by a professional (I don’t mean to toot my own horn but toot toot), while the iPhone 6’s photo looks like a regular photo taken on any phone. Yes, both are clear and sharp but the iPhone 7’s photo has a blur in the background and makes the colors pop. I bet you’re wondering why. Well stop your yelling because I’m going to tell you why. The iPhone 7 Plus comes with a new camera feature that is specifically for portraits. I know right, mind blown. It allows you to take professional looking photographs without having to spend money on an actual camera. There are a few downfalls though. This special feature is only offered in the iPhone 7 Plus and not in the regular iPhone 7. So you might have to spend a few more hundred bucks. Also, this effect requires you to step farther back than you usually would and it will not work in harsh lighting. So you can’t be taking your Kardashian selfies in the dark (I know, I cried too). But either than that, I definitely prefer the iPhone 7 Plus over the iPhone 6 when it comes to portrait photography.

Close-Ups

Left image taken with the iPhone 6. Right image taken with the iPhone 7 Plus. Both photos taken by Stephanie Lamas

Now, I don’t want to come across bias since I own an iPhone 7 Plus. There are times when I prefer the iPhone 6 over the iPhone 7 Plus. But this is not one of them (#SorryNotSorry). Here we have a close-up shot of someone’s eye. Call me Doctor Obvious. Just like the previous example, the differences are noticeable. The iPhone 6’s photo is warmer and sharper compared to the iPhone 7’s photo. But the iPhone 7’s photograph has better lighting and tries to hide unpleasant marks. For that reason I also prefer the iPhone 7 for close-ups. Although I will admit taking close-ups with an iPhone 7 was more difficult than taking it with the iPhone 6 because it did not want to focus. Where was Ariana Grande when I needed her? (Get it? No? Okay…)

Panoramas

Left image taken with the iPhone 6. Right image taken with the iPhone 7 Plus. Both photos taken by Stephanie Lamas

Panoramas have been a fan favorite effect since the iPhone was released. It allows you to capture a whole area in one photo. This is one feature that does not seem to change no matter what generation of iPhone you have. Seriously, look at the two photos. Do you notice any major differences besides the color of the sky? Here is where I say that you don’t need the latest iPhone for a quality panorama. See I’m not biased. I would like to thank Apple for remaining consistent with this feature and not making us buy a new phone every year. So if your main focus is panoramic photos, don’t spend hundreds on the newest model.

Zoom

Left image taken with the iPhone 7 Plus. Right image taken with the iPhone 6. Both photos taken by Stephanie Lamas

I just want to live in a world where if I cannot get close to my subject, I can have a nice zoom that does not look pixelated. Is that too much to ask for? Well until Santa reads my wish list, I’ll just keep complaining to Apple. The iPhone 7 has another special feature when it comes to zooming in on photos that the iPhone 6 does not. The iPhone 7 has automatic zoom so you can select how close you want the image and it also has the classic manual zoom if you prefer that method. The iPhone 7 offers a more clear zoom than the iPhone 6 but I am still not content. Maybe it’s just because I prefer to take my photos with my Nikon (its name is Willis), or maybe it’s because I always want the perfect image. Santa please come through!

Environmental

Left image taken with the iPhone 6. Right image taken with the iPhone 7 Plus. Both photos taken by Stephanie Lamas

Finally, environmental photographs. This one was a bit tricky to get because students do not appreciate you taking photos of them during finals week. So although this might not be the best example of environmental portraits, just know that I tried. Here, we have students in their natural habitat, college. Act now and get the stress for free while also gaining 15 pounds! Just like the panoramas, this type of shot does not require the newest iPhone. Just a nice area and subjects that don’t care if you’re photographing them (sorry students in the library).

Special shoutout to Jarrette Werk for letting me use his iPhone 6 and Charis Nixon for being my beautiful model. Most importantly, shoutout to you for reading my work and not getting annoyed by me yet. Seriously, that’s a huge accomplishment. Stay updated on my posts by following my other social media platforms:

Medium

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr