New Yorker: "With the iPhone 7, apple changed the camera industry forever"

[sevo]

Pretty incredible if not outright insane the level of denial that goes on within photo enthusiast forums regarding the smartphone camera's enormous impact on society and the whole of photography today.

There is no doubt smartphones are dramatically relevant - they have revolutionized the way people use cameras maybe four to six years ago. It is just that the iPhone 7+ is no quantum leap within smartphones - there already are phones with higher computing power, better cameras and better water protection around.

If there really is a quantum leap happening right now it is that reasonably powerful smartphones (4G, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 8/2MP AF camera) have dropped to the $70 margin - so that a very considerable slice of the world population can now own a tool about as powerful as a iPhone 5. THIS does really affect photography, as these smartphones are more affordable and accessible than any comparable digital camera (and postprocessing computer) or even film camera ever was.

 

[KM-25]

It is just that the iPhone 7+ is no quantum leap within smartphones - there already are phones with higher computing power, better cameras and better water protection around.

I teach a couple classes once a week at a very prestigious photo program in the U.S. and we are very well connected to the industry overall. I think you greatly underestimate the impact of the new dual camera design on this phone.

Trust me, over time with innovative 3rd party app development, it is going to allow one to do things you simply can not imagine.

 

[sevo]

I think you greatly underestimate the impact of the new dual camera design on this phone.

The "new dual camera design" is the Sunny Optical module already around on several other smartphones...

 

[KM-25]

The "new dual camera design" is the Sunny Optical module already around on several other smartphones...

Yep. And now it is in the 7+ using iOS which is where most of the money is for app developers and where the cutting edge is in terms of pushing that hardware.

 

[Cameron]

The "new dual camera design" is the Sunny Optical module already around on several other smartphones...

Yeah, and we don't hear about it because of how small of market share those smartphones have. Once the iPhone 7+ has it, everyone has it, ie. developers and photographers can do great things.

 

[ferider]

Yeah, and we don't hear about it because of how small of market share those smartphones have. Once the iPhone 7+ has it, everyone has it, ie. developers and photographers can do great things.

Yep. And now it is in the 7+ using iOS which is where most of the money is for app developers and where the cutting edge is in terms of pushing that hardware.

American wishful thinking. See post #29.

 

[Cameron]

American wishful thinking. See post #29.



Also this is wrong. > 80% cell phones are Android based.

Not sure what you're trying to prove. Saw #29. You quoted Huawei having 8% and iPhone having less than 13%, which is actually 15%. Seems like the iPhone has more, no? Android =/= Huawei. Just because one android phone has it doesn't mean all of them do.

When iPhone gets a feature or hardware addition, people notice and people follow. Sorry to say it, but that's the way it is. The general consumer doesn't know what a Huawei is.

In regards to the second post, he never said iOS has market share. He says that's where developers make money, which is absolutely true.

 

[ferider]

Not sure what you're trying to prove.

I'm just continuing to demonstrate bias (towards a single manufacturer) in the article mentioned by the OP.

1) "But Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus is the first major phone to marry the dual-lens system to immense computing capabilities."; it's not the first, period.
2) Huwai, with a market share of 8% is just one player. Sunny Optical also provides to Samsung, among others. Now, we will see if Samsung fixes their most recent power problem ...
3) Android apps make more money than iOS apps. Not by charging money for the app but via volume and advertisements.

Note that I'm speaking both as a happy iPhone user, and as a Silicon Valley software developer. Not trying to prove anything, except showing data which you can of course continue to ignore.

My personal opinion on the thread subject (has the camera industry changed?) is that this train has long left the station. Billions of people have used smart phones as their main photography tool since years, and it's part of a complicated culture change, including move away from paper, increased perceived value of selfies and related "personal" photographs, etc. I blame Kardashian and Hilton more than the phone manufacturers 🙂

Carry on.

Roland.

 

[mpaniagua]

Pretty incredible if not outright insane the level of denial that goes on within photo enthusiast forums regarding the smartphone camera's enormous impact on society and the whole of photography today.

The image quality is amazing as are the images & videos being made with them. I think the ergonomics are out of this world and allows for a type of purview and spontaneity that you simply can not get in any other camera. You don't even have to really chimp / review the image, you know you got it when you took it!

My 7 + 256GB can't get here soon enough.

What I find incredible annoying is how Iphone enthusiast over- hype each and every Iphone release. Sure, they are good for what they are (portable devices), but that's about it.

Really remind me about some of the Leica fans (I own several Leicas and M6 is my main camera) that insist that Leica and Leica lens are the best of the best of this world (which they are 😛) and every other camera or lens are trash; some people like them, some people don't

 

[mpaniagua]

When iPhone gets a feature or hardware addition, people notice and people follow. Sorry to say it, but that's the way it is. The general consumer doesn't know what a Huawei is.

lol!! Talking about navel–gazing 🙂

 

[giganova]

lol!! Talking about navel–gazing 🙂

To be honest, before Leica announced a partnership with Huawei, I have never heard of them. I have never met a person who has a Huawei phone. Are they predominantly in the Asian market or do they produce phones that I might know under a different name?

 

[mpaniagua]

They been around for a while. Not sure USA, but they have a good market share on Asia and other countries. Ive had one Huawei phone and also a 3g Wifi Hotspot router. Their products are quite reliable.

 

[ferider]

Are they predominantly in the Asian market or do they produce phones that I might know under a different name?

Yes. Head-quarters in Shenzhen (close to Hong Kong), interestingly only a couple of miles away from Foxconn (http://www.recode.net/2015/4/6/1156...e-born-a-rare-glimpse-inside-foxconns-factory).

 

[sevo]

To be honest, before Leica announced a partnership with Huawei, I have never heard of them. I have never met a person who has a Huawei phone. Are they predominantly in the Asian market or do they produce phones that I might know under a different name?

Globally the biggest player in telecommunications grid equipment, and (as a minor side activity) number three in mobile phones world wide. Branded as Huawei (high end) and Honor (mid range) - I suspect that besides these activities they will be behind at least one of the many new Chinese low end makers (these obviously have money and knowledge behind them).

 

[gavinlg]

I think you greatly underestimate the impact of the new dual camera design on this phone.

Trust me, over time with innovative 3rd party app development, it is going to allow one to do things you simply can not imagine.

I don't mean to call you out, but things like what? It's a tiny sensor camera with a two stage zoom - I understand it's all connected to the social media platforms etc, but in terms of being a camera, it's still a pretty limited device. I feel it may change the way people post ****ty latte art and seflies on instagram, but I doubt it will have any meaningful effect on actual photography. I don't see photojournalists dumping their 5d's or fashion photographers ditching their phase ones to use an iphone because they can post the photos to instagram a few hours quicker...

 

[KM-25]

I don't mean to call you out, but things like what? It's a tiny sensor camera with a two stage zoom - I understand it's all connected to the social media platforms etc, but in terms of being a camera, it's still a pretty limited device. I feel it may change the way people post ****ty latte art and seflies on instagram, but I doubt it will have any meaningful effect on actual photography. I don't see photojournalists dumping their 5d's or fashion photographers ditching their phase ones to use an iphone because they can post the photos to instagram a few hours quicker...

Have you ever had work published from an iPhone? Because I have and even back with an iPhone 4 it held a full page with no problem at all.

Futhermore, you are conveniently taking it out of context, this is a tool that is added to a photographer's choices, not replaces it. It's taken years for camera makers to catch onto the idea of EVF, touch screens, etc. Now we have two separate cameras in one platform and what that will allow 3rd party app makers to do should result in some amazing things.

Like it or not, enthusiasts and pros alike use the iPhone platform for both stills and video and produce tremendous results if they have the talent and vision. Sure, it is limited, but you know what? So are the other cameras people use, especially in certain cases of access.

 

[mpaniagua]

Have you ever had work published from an iPhone? Because I have and even back with an iPhone 4 it held a full page with no problem at all.

Futhermore, you are conveniently taking it out of context, this is a tool that is added to a photographer's choices, not replaces it. It's taken years for camera makers to catch onto the idea of EVF, touch screens, etc. Now we have two separate cameras in one platform and what that will allow 3rd party app makers to do should result in some amazing things.

Like it or not, enthusiasts and pros alike use the iPhone platform for both stills and video and produce tremendous results if they have the talent and vision. Sure, it is limited, but you know what? So are the other cameras people use, especially in certain cases of access.

Honestly, its just a tool 🙂. Serious photographers had used Holga as well, and I dont see Holga replacing pros cameras.

Cell phones are changing the consumers camera market. Its not just Iphone, its the whole cell phone-camera marriage concept that's its doing it.

Iphone its not really changing photography at all as a whole, mostly because photography is so heterogeneous that a single tool would hardly make any impact or difference at all.

 

[sevo]

Have you ever had work published from an iPhone? Because I have and even back with an iPhone 4 it held a full page with no problem at all.

But that is no property particular to the iPhone, nor necessarily a argument for anything other than "the best camera is the one you have at hand". Magazines had already published ugly sub-1MP shots from the earliest camera phones - any picture being better than none. Camera phones had already taken over, in terms of presence, in 2003 when they first outsold cameras, and fully capable camera smartphones (with IQ and specs upward of iPhone 4 level) were already out when the original iPhone hit the streets.

FWIW, I do not see the iPhone 7 as a potential failure for its lack of novelty - no iPhone apart from the first one ever was radically novel, and even that one was only original in design and integration, not in its features. Apple haven't been novel for the past twenty years. They are catering to the demographically oldest and most conservative buyers, so they are right in keeping a step behind, as long as they stick to perfect integration - their USP is "trust us and it will work" rather than "this will change your life provided that you manage to work out the configuration all by yourself", and their users will prefer incremental updates to any radical paradigm change.

 

[Addy101]

Pretty incredible if not outright insane the level of denial that goes on within photo enthusiast forums regarding the smartphone camera's enormous impact on society and the whole of photography today.

True, I guess.

however,

The image quality is amazing as are the images & videos being made with them. I think the ergonomics are out of this world and allows for a type of purview and spontaneity that you simply can not get in any other camera.

Untrue. The image quality might be good enough FOR YOU, it isn't FOR ME. Phones and cameras are different tools for different situations. To me it is "pretty incredible if not outright insane the level of denial" phonelovers display about the usefulness of "real" cameras.

To me the way a phone forces me to hold it when taking a picture is terrible, even if it allows "purview" (I don't know what you mean by that), it doesn't allow for spontaneity - at least for me. I find the ergonomics terrible - I use my phone for a lot of stuff and it is great for most of those, good enough for most other things, but taking photos is a chore....

Cameras are tools, they allow a different kind of control - to me that control is better. There are some downsides where a phone is much better, especially with regard to connectivity. However, the extremely small sensors give big problems for IQ, at least for my kind of photography. As they say, YMMV, it seems good enough for your kind of photography.

Enjoy your iPhone 7+ and show us the pictures you took with it - this is a photography forum after all 😎

Oh, almost forgot, hope you don't use it to listen to music or watch videos - no headphone jack 😱

 

[Lss]

Oh, almost forgot, hope you don't use it to listen to music or watch videos - no headphone jack 😱

I see the nineties called and claimed BT back. 😀