When the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models were first announced, we looked at the features and specs to compare them. Now that we’ve shot with both a Pro and non-Pro iPhone, it’s time to revisit the ‘camera that’s always with you’ and see how they stand up against each other.
Are the new 24- and 48-megapixel resolutions in the iPhone 15 enough of an improvement over previous models that you can save money on an upgrade by not going Pro? Or do the additional features such as the macro mode, telephoto camera and raw format support justify the higher price of the iPhone 15 Pro?
After testing, we think the Pro is a clear choice for anyone who wants a camera first and foremost, but let’s dig into the details.
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You can dig deeper into the spec sheets if you’re so inclined, but here’s the gist. The current iPhone models come in two tiers. The entry level comprises the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus (the option with a larger screen). Both have two rear-facing cameras and one front-facing camera; the camera hardware is the same on both devices regardless of screen size.
The upper tier comprises the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (the larger-screen version), each with three rear-facing cameras and one front-facing camera. The Pro versions share the same camera hardware, with the exception of the telephoto lens that both models have but which is 3x (72mm equivalent) on the iPhone 15 Pro and 5x (120mm equivalent) on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
“After testing, we think the Pro is a clear choice for anyone who wants a camera first and foremost, but let’s dig into the details.”
The impressions that follow are based on hands-on experience with an iPhone 15 Plus and an iPhone 15 Pro, emphasizing the photographic differences of each.
For some people, this is the easiest differentiator between the two tiers: the Pro models include a dedicated telephoto camera. The 48MP main camera in all models does give a 2x optical zoom by cropping into the middle of the sensor, but the iPhone 15 Pros offer an additional 3x or 5x optical reach. Both can also digitally zoom to 10x or 15x, but friends don’t let friends zoom digitally without a very good reason.
But there are a few subtler disparities. The iPhone 15 Pro’s main camera shoots at a native 24mm equivalent field of view, while the iPhone 15 captures a slightly narrower 26mm equivalent field of view.
(Technically, the iPhone 15 Pro is 6.86mm and the iPhone 15 is 5.96mm, but in the Camera app interface and the Apple Photos app, the focal length equivalents are used; I’ll stick with those so you don’t have to read “equivalent” repeatedly.)
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| iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 15 Pro |
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus main camera has a 26mm equivalent field of view, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max main camera is a wider 24mm.
The iPhone 15 Pro models take this one step further by offering three ‘focal lengths’ for the main camera: the standard 1x (24mm), 1.2x (28mm) and 1.5x (35mm). Does 24mm feel too wide? Tap the 1x button to switch between them. Or, go to Settings > Camera > Main Camera and pick one of them to be the default. The 28mm and 35mm ranges are just different fields of view – Apple is employing its computational photography processing instead of different sensor crops – but the results do not exhibit artifacts the way a more dramatic digital zoom would.
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| 24mm | 28mm | 35mm |
On the iPhone 15 Pro models, you can shoot in 24mm, 28mm and 35mm equivalent focal lengths using the main camera.
Only the iPhone 15 Pro models include the Macro mode, even though all the phones have an ultra-wide camera (which has a minimum focus distance of just 2 centimeters).
It used to be that photographing in low light with a phone was barely worth attempting. Tiny lenses and small sensors are not conducive to gathering light, particularly when the camera is handheld. The main and ultra-wide cameras in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have slightly better aperture values than the iPhone 15 Pro models, probably to balance out their smaller sensor size.
| Camera* | iPhone 15/Plus | iPhone 15 Pro/Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main | F1.6 | F1.78 |
| Ultra Wide | F2.4 | F2.8 |
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Telephoto (both 3x and 5x) |
— | F2.8 |
| * iPhone cameras have fixed apertures | ||
Those aren’t large differences, and in general, the low-light capabilities of the iPhones owe much to computational processing. The iPhone automatically determines whether the light level in a scene is dark enough to invoke Night mode, which pixel-bins the main camera sensor and limits the resolution to 12MP.
The following side-by-side images show the iPhone 15 Pro with a small advantage over the iPhone 15 Plus in terms of low-light image quality.
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| iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 15 Pro |
Night mode on both devices reveals a lot of detail (including someone’s snacks at the bottom that I didn’t pay attention to while making the photos) without trying to make the images look like daylight. The iPhone 15 Pro photo looks slightly better to my eye.
Another factor is the light-gathering ability of the main cameras’ sensors: the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max use a Type 1/1.28 (9.8×7.3mm) sensor with 1.22µm pixels (which effectively act as 2.44µm ‘quad pixels’ when combined at 12MP mode). The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use a smaller 8x6mm main camera sensor with 1µm pixels (or 2µm ‘quad pixels’ when binned). In the following photos, clearly captured in darkness, each phone determined there was enough light to shoot without the aid of Night mode.
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| iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 15 Plus |
Both iPhones registered enough light in the scene that they didn’t need to switch to Night mode.
The iPhone 15 Plus image was made at 24MP, while the iPhone 15 Pro image was saved at the maximum 48MP resolution. (I think I forgot to enable the ‘HEIF Max’ resolution on the iPhone 15 Plus for this shot; otherwise, it would also be a 48MP image.) Also worth noting: the ISO values – ISO 500 for the 15 Plus, and ISO 640 for the 15 Pro – are not absurdly high. The imaging pipeline is still doing its work to get a balanced image, but it doesn’t seem to be straining.
Further pushing the iPhone 15 Pro models ahead is a second-generation optical image stabilization system that can help in dark situations; the iPhone 15 includes first-generation OIS. The Pro cameras also offer Night mode when shooting in Portrait mode, which is not available on the iPhone 15.
“Further pushing the iPhone 15 Pro models ahead is a second-generation optical image stabilization system that can help in dark situations.”
All that said, the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t dramatically superior to the iPhone 15 in low light. But if you find yourself taking iPhone photos at night or in poorly lit interiors, the Pro models will give you a slight edge.
Here the competition is a dead heat. Both camera models will automatically capture a depth map when they detect a person, dog or cat without needing to be switched to Portrait mode. The depth effect doesn’t appear unless you tap the ‘ƒ’ button that appears, but the data is saved with the image, so you can change the level of simulated blur later.
However, Portrait mode – automatic or manual – is disabled when shooting at 48MP (HEIF Max or RAW Max). So if you’re wondering why it’s not kicking in, check the resolution.
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| The iPhone 15 Plus detected the dog as the subject and automatically captured the photo in Portrait mode. |
While the addition of a high-resolution sensor on each iPhone model opens the ability to capture more pixels, it also introduces complexity. Until last year’s iPhone 14 Pro, every photo you shot was 12MP. Now, you can make 48MP images, but only using the main camera in 1x zoom, and you must also specify the ‘HEIF Max’ mode. In the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, you’ll have to turn on the Resolution Control setting to reveal the button that lets you switch resolutions. If you’re not shooting at the full 48MP, the camera defaults to 24MP, in most cases. Night mode and flash photos are saved at 12MP.
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| iPhone 15 Plus 48MP |
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| iPhone 15 Pro 48MP – Captured as 48MP ProRAW and exported as JPEG from Apple Photos. |
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| iPhone 15 Plus 24MP |
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| iPhone 15 Pro 24MP |
By default, all images are saved in the HEIC format (you can also opt to use JPEG instead), which bakes in Apple’s computational edits. If you want more editing flexibility by capturing Raw images, the iPhone 15 Pro models are your only choice.
The built-in Camera app records in Apple ProRAW format, which is more accurately described as a hybrid Raw format. It’s still the Raw data from the sensor, but Apple demosaics the information and runs it through its computational pipeline. You get a processed DNG image with extended dynamic range and tone-mapped areas that many photo editors can manipulate.
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| iPhone 15 Pro 48MP ProRAW unedited |
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iPhone 15 Pro 48MP ProRAW edited in Lightroom with Shadows +62 and Highlights –25
Pulling shadow detail out of a ProRAW image. |
By comparison, the 48MP HEIC file created by the iPhone 15 Plus loses some fidelity when the deep shadows are raised.
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| iPhone 15 Plus 48MP HEIC |
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| iPhone 15 Plus 48MP HEIC edited in Lightroom with Shadows +62 and Highlights –25. |
Although the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus don’t offer a Raw option in the Camera app, third-party apps such as Halide or Photon can access the native Raw image data and save it as a DNG, albeit limited to 12MP. That resolution limit also applies to non-Raw images.
I’m focusing on the camera systems mostly, but a few other hardware aspects are worth considering for their photography and videography implications. Each model now uses a USB-C port instead of Lightning for charging and wired syncing. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, however, limit the port to USB 2, 480 Mbps, data speeds. The Pro models can transfer at USB 3, or up to 10 Gbps, though you need a separate cable capable of those speeds. The one in the box is primarily for charging and only moves data at USB 2 speeds.
Those faster speeds on the iPhone 15 Pros enable you to record video to an external SSD or memory card, including in Apple ProRes 4K resolution at up to 60fps. Recording internally is limited to 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps. It’s also possible to save images directly to external storage if you’re using an app that supports it, such as Photon.
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| On the iPhone 15 Pro, when an SSD or memory card is connected to the USB-C slot, and you have a compatible cable and you’re recording to ProRes Log format, the tiny ‘USB-C’ indicator near the port indicates where the footage is being saved. |
Also available on the Pro models is the Action button, which replaces the hardware mute switch found on every other iPhone model, including the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. It can perform a small variety of actions, from launching the Camera app to turning on the flashlight. You can also run a Shortcut to perform other actions, such as creating a workaround for launching a third-party photo app.
If you have any inclination toward using your phone for photography on purpose, go Pro. You get the Macro mode, a variety of optical field of view options, the dedicated telephoto camera (at 3x or 5x zoom), a larger main camera sensor and the ability to capture in Raw using the built-in Camera app.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are great for most people who want good image quality but who want a seamless point-and-shoot experience. That can also include photographers who see their phone solely as a backup option to more traditional equipment. The convenience of grabbing your phone and capturing something quickly when your other gear isn’t at hand is unmatched, and the entry-level iPhone 15 models will create good-looking images you might otherwise have missed. And you can take the money you saved and put that toward your next lens or body.
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.
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Previously in this series, I talked about my visits to Andasibe NP, where I shot lemurs and chameleons, and to Tsingy Rouge NP, where I shot beautiful formations made by erosion. I also talked about shooting sifaka lemurs and baobab trees in Kirindy Forest reserve and about visiting several secluded stops on my way to the southern part of Madagascar. This time, I’ll talk about two short but fruitful visits: one to Isalo National Park and the other to Ranomafana National Park.
Isalo is a National Park in the Ihorombe region of Madagascar. It is a sandstone landscape dissected by wind and water erosion into rocky outcrops, plateaus, extensive plains and up to 200 m (660 ft) deep canyons. The park was created in 1962 and has been administered by the Madagascar National Parks authority since 1997. It includes landscapes considered part of the subhumid forests ecoregion. This ecoregion is home to numerous endemic species and has been given Critical/Endangered status because only small areas of native habitat remain, and most of those are highly fragmented.
As you’ve seen in previous articles, this fragmentation of ecosystems and, thus, the endangerment and rapid decline of endemic species is, unfortunately, very typical of Madagascar. Ecotourism is thus a most powerful and important tool to preserve what’s left of the fragile habitats and beautiful species of this poor country.
Isalo might not have infinite landscape photography attractions, but it does have some nice locations with fantastic rock formations, the principal of which is the famous rock arch. As with many locations in Madagascar, this arch is very crowded at sunset with tourist groups and locals but surprisingly empty during sunrise.
The arch can be photographed from both sides. The easier eastern side is basically connected to the road and is thus harder to shoot when it’s crowded, but getting to the shooting spot on the western side requires some agility and a bit of climbing and is thus much emptier, even during sunset. Thus, I chose to shoot the arch from the west during sunset and from the east during sunrise.
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The eastern side of the rock arch during a cloudy sunrise.
Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 |
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The western side a few minutes after sunset, under a strong post-sunset glow. This phenomenon happens when the western horizon is clear of clouds. The glow is surprisingly red and reflects beautifully off of brighter surfaces such as the rock arch.
Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 |
Apart from the arch, there are eroded rock formations nearby, surrounded by fields where termites build huge mounds, which can serve as nice foregrounds.
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A termite mound under post-sunset glow. I took this shot right after the arch shot since it was located just two minutes away.
Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 |
As for wildlife, Isalo has a small variety, including the sportive lemur and the red-fronted brown lemur, which I had already seen and photographed. It also has a decent-sized population of the ring-tailed lemur, perhaps the most famous of this primate family.
Getting to the ring-tailed lemurs was a bit of a challenge, and it took some precarious rock climbing to get to the point where they were hanging out. Still, nothing extreme. Upon getting to the lemur group, I got plenty of interesting poses by the lemurs, which were super cute and fun to shoot.
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“Why hello there!” It seems like this lemur was a top model in a previous life!
Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3 |
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I intentionally left some negative space on top of the frame since that’s where the lemur is looking.
Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3 |
I will talk about ring-tailed lemurs much more extensively in the next article, but for now, I will say that it’s not only their beauty but their wonderful behaviors that make them a joy to shoot. One such behavior is licking the branches for a taste of pheromones. Both male and female ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands that secrete pungent substances, which some lemurs find irresistible!
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Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on their sense of smell and territorial marking with scent glands, providing communication signals throughout a group’s home range. The males will participate in stink fights by dousing their tails with their pheromones and ‘wafting’ them at opponents. Additionally, lemurs of both sexes will scent-mark trees, rocks or other objects by simply rubbing their faces and bodies onto it. I guess the eyes say it all.
Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3 |
What I’ll talk about next wasn’t the next stop in my trip after Isalo. That stop deserves its own article, so for now, I’ll skip it and talk about the very last stop – Ranomafana NP. The park protects more than 41,600 hectares (161 square miles) of tropical rainforest at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,200 m (2,645 to 3,937 ft) and is home to several rare species of plants and animals. Out of these species, I had a really good time shooting the golden bamboo lemur, a medium-sized lemur endemic to the area.
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Golden bamboo lemur. These guys are super fast and jump around constantly, but once in a while, they’ll stop and allow a shot or two. I think they’re absolutely beautiful!
Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 |
This was the second bamboo lemur I shot (the first was the gray bamboo lemur in Andasibe (see the first article in the series), but it was the most photogenic, and by far the harder one to shoot. I had to run across narrow trails through thick vegetation, sometimes only to find out the lemur had already gone away. But I was very happy with this final shot: a golden bamboo lemur inside a heart-shaped leafy frame.
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It’s hard to beat cuteness in a heart-shaped frame. This was a difficult shot technically, as it was very dark inside the thick vegetation, and my camera found it hard to focus. Only a few shots turned out good, and this is my favorite. You may remember framing as one of the methods I discussed in my landscape composition series—I would say it’s even more useful in wildlife photography!
Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 |
In the next, final article in this series, I’ll talk about the crown jewel of my Madagascar visit: Anja Reserve.
Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveller based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates and to his YouTube channel.
If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the world’s most fascinating landscapes and wildlife with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Madagascar, Greenland, the Lofoten Islands, Namibia and Vietnam.
Erez also offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.
Belgian photographer Eric T’Kindt photo was awarded the overall Gold prize at this year’s World Sports Photography Awards. The photo of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto was shot at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium.
T’Kindt’s photo took the overall prize having been awarded Gold in the Gymnastics category.
Nikon has announced the Z6III, its third-generation mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera. A new 24MP sensor brings speed to every part of the camera, and all the key features have been upgraded.
The newest version of Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds video-oriented flagship camera has arrived, and it includes features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit Float audio capture, phase-detect autofocus, and compatibility with Panasonic’s Real-Time LUT system and Lumix Lab app.
The Lumix S9 is Panasonic’s newest full-frame mirrorless camera. It allows users to create their own custom looks for out-of-camera colors and is the first full-frame Lumix camera aimed squarely at social media content creators.
The Sony a9 III is the world’s first full-frame mirrorless camera to feature a global electronic shutter with simultaneous readout. After extensive testing of this 120 fps sports camera, to see what you gain (and, perhaps, lose).
What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We’ve picked the models that really stand out.
What’s the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.
If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.
‘What’s the best mirrorless camera?’ We’re glad you asked.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a ‘best’ option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
Belgian photographer Eric T’Kindt photo was awarded the overall Gold prize at this year’s World Sports Photography Awards. The photo of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto was shot at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium.
T’Kindt’s photo took the overall prize having been awarded Gold in the Gymnastics category.
Nikon has announced the Z6III, its third-generation mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera. A new 24MP sensor brings speed to every part of the camera, and all the key features have been upgraded.
The newest version of Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds video-oriented flagship camera has arrived, and it includes features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit Float audio capture, phase-detect autofocus, and compatibility with Panasonic’s Real-Time LUT system and Lumix Lab app.
The Lumix S9 is Panasonic’s newest full-frame mirrorless camera. It allows users to create their own custom looks for out-of-camera colors and is the first full-frame Lumix camera aimed squarely at social media content creators.
The Sony a9 III is the world’s first full-frame mirrorless camera to feature a global electronic shutter with simultaneous readout. After extensive testing of this 120 fps sports camera, to see what you gain (and, perhaps, lose).
What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We’ve picked the models that really stand out.
What’s the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.
If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.
‘What’s the best mirrorless camera?’ We’re glad you asked.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a ‘best’ option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
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