Vancouver Aquarium with the iPhone X
Some photos from this weekend using the iPhone X. Captured in RAW (dng) using Adobe Lightroom Mobile (a free app) and edited with Lightroom on the desktop.
The Aquarium presents especially challenging conditions for any camera (shooting through glass, reflections, low light). Though the quality still pales to that from a camera with a larger lens and sensor I'm impressed with the photos the phone can produce. The future looks bright if this is how far we have come in only a few years.
Vancouver Aquarium with the iPhone X : 2018-09-09 : Emerald Tree Boa
Last one, not from the Aquarium but I just liked the shot :) Still an iPhone X shot.
Nikon D800 vs iPhone 4S : Round 2
Coming back from hiking the Chief near Squamish, I decided to stop at Shannon Falls for one more quick photo opportunity. Shannon Falls is a beautiful waterfall outside of Squamish (between Vancouver and Whistler). It is the third highest waterfall in BC, and well worth a stop if you are in the area.
I had my Nikon D800 with me and was using the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lens with a polarizing filter. I also decided to shoot the same scene with my iPhone 4S. Yes, not a fair test but just presented for fun. The iPhone fared much better this time compared to my previous attempt.
Here is the iPhone shot, edited on the device with Nik Software's (now Google's) awesome Snapseed.
Now the Nikon D800 shot, edited in Adobe Lightroom.
Both files downsampled to the same resolution. The iPhone did ok, though couldn't get the longer exposure time needed to get the softer water effect on the D800.
Nikon D800 vs iPhone 4S
I was at Newell Lake near Brooks, Alberta with my brother a few weeks ago and as the sun was setting I tried to capture a few photos. It was a warm evening which would have otherwise been pleasant if it wasn't for the swarm of mosquitoes. I was literally getting destroyed by the things, but pushed on and got some shots. The specific location for the shots was this small peninsula.
First, the iPhone photo (showing the Nikon D800).
Next, the image from the Nikon D800 with Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 lens. This is actually a 7 shot exposure bracket combined in an HDR image using Photomatix.
Both images scaled to 2048 on the long edge. If you look close, I think you will agree that the D800 has a slight edge in image quality here :)
Antrodiaetus pacificus Trapdoor Spider
I was walking my dogs near the University of British Columbia (UBC) today and came across a spider I have not encountered before. It looked like a small tarantula: similar body shape, hairy, black, and rather menacing. I only had my iPhone 4S with me (wish I had the D800 and 105mm VR Micro) and took a few photos before moving on.
It turns out this is a trapdoor spider (or folding-door spider) and fairly common in this area. They are not often seen because they tend to stay in their burrow. This one is specifically Antrodiaetus pacificus, and it is a type of tarantula. It is likely a male out of his burrow in search of a mate.
More info on these guys here (PDF). Also found this great video on Youtube (see below).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUa-Fc088NU
iPhone 4S vs Canon P&S vs Nikon D90
An image shootout between the iPhone 4S, a digital point and shoot (Canon SD870 IS), and a digital SLR (Nikon D90). I have tried to match focal length as best I can. On the Canon I zoomed in slightly to try and get the same field of view. On the Nikon I used a 14-24 lens at 24mm.
iPhone Camera
- Sensor: 8 megapixel CMOS sensor (1/3.2")
- Focal length: 4.28mm
- Aperture: f/2.4
- Image dimensions: 3264 x 2448
- Focal length multiplier: 7.61
- 35mm equivalent: 32.6mm
Canon SD870 IS
- Sensor: 8 megapixel CCD sensor (1/2.5")
- Focal length: 4.6-17.3mm
- Aperture: f/2.8-5.8
- Image dimensions: 3264 x 2448
- Focal length multiplier: 6.02
- 35mm equivalent: 28-105mm
Nikon D90 with Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 Lens
- Sensor: 12 megapixel CMOS sensor (Nikon DX)
- Focal length: 12-24mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Image dimensions: 4288 x 2848
- Focal length multiplier: 1.5
- 35mm equivalent: 18-36mm
Photos were taken with the Canon set to Auto, flash disabled. The D90 was set to "P", flash disabled, lens at f/2.8. All devices were hand-held, medium light. Here are the results.
iPhone 4S
Canon SD870 IS
Nikon D90
Taking a crop on the clock face you get this.
iPhone 4S
Canon SD870 IS
Nikon D90
iPhone 4S Video Test and more PUPPIES!
A quick test of the iPhone 4S video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOm7qUfoqMs&hd=1
Link to the HD video on YouTube
A quick review of the iPhone 4S
Hardware
Signal strength for cellular and WiFi seems stronger. When choosing from Wifi networks, I get more options than I did with the iPhone 4 in the same locations which suggests it's picking up things further away. Also, I can pick up my company WiFi signal further away. Well done Apple, this is a change everyone will appreciate.
The new dual-core A5 processor (800MHz) is an improvement over the iPhone 4 and this phone feels faster overall, especially when using the photo app. Things render just a bit faster.
Screen is the same, but still excellent if not the best on the market.
Camera is improved, it's faster and 8MP. I haven't used it enough to comment on the performace though. I do love the fact that iOS 5 allows me to launch the camera from the lock screen, handy if you need to pull out your phone for a quick snap.
Software
Notification center is a 1000% improvement over the previous system. It's now not annoying and useful, something Apple should have done years ago.
Still no week view in the calendar app, lame.
Addition of iCloud is nice, a backup away from the computer is certainly the way of the future.
Siri, the voice assistant. I'm not sold on it yet, it worked well for some things but not others. It can't find restaurants in Canada, nor can it give directions making it less useful. It does have location and geofence capability, so for example it knows where you work and if you are currently there. I can then tell Siri to "remind me to call my wife when I leave work" and it will create a reminder that triggers when I leave the office. I think I need to live with it for a while, but it could be an interesting feature.
Overall, a good upgrade to the iPhone 4.