iPhone 6S Plus not worthwhile upgrade for photographers

DxOMark still hasn’t done an review of the iPhone 6S Plus, but dpreview.com now has one. Here’s the verdict: “If you are a current 6 Plus user and don’t need 4K video there is no obvious reason to upgrade as image quality improvements are fairly minor and most special features work in a very similar way on the predecessor.”

Speaking of the predecessor, below is a challenging scene that the iPhone 6 Plus handles easily via (automatic) HDR. The face is in focus (try that, Canon!). There is detail in the sky. The exposure of the subject inside a tube is correct with no Photoshopping.

2015-11-15 14.25.12 HDR

I guess we will have to wait for the iPhone 7 before feeding Apple another $900!

 

9 thoughts on “iPhone 6S Plus not worthwhile upgrade for photographers

  1. But doesn’t the automatic HDR sort of make the legs look photoshopped over the floor of the tube? A little bit? At least my eye is looking for some shadows that are not there, I think.

  2. The one major benefit of the 6s Plus over the 6 Plus is the optical image stabilization while shooting video. Makes hand-held video look like it was shot with a steady-cam rig.

  3. Anthony Cardinale: “The one major benefit of the 6s Plus over the 6 Plus is the optical image stabilization while shooting video.”

    The 6 Plus and the 6S Plus both have image stabilization.
    The 6 and 6S (not plus) don’t have it.

  4. Does 6+ have slo mo? This is a nice feature especially if you have kids and a dog.
    GSM Arena link compares photos taken with the 6s+, Microsoft Lumia 950 and Sony’s Z5, the Lumia looks a little sharper. I got my wife the 6s+ and I got the Lumia and I think if you are a serious photographer, the Lumia has a more capable camera. If you are a casual shooter, or don’t want to mess with the photos in lightroom later to get the color casts out and tweak the contrast, the superior software and image processing in the Apple will be more satisfying.

  5. davep: The 6 Plus has image stabilization, but apparently only for photos, not video.

    Jay: The 6 Plus does have Slo-Mo. I’m definitely not willing to go into Lightroom with pictures from my phone! The whole point of a camera on a phone is convenience!

  6. The color & noise in the best phone cams are still awful compared to the lowly DSLR. The image is in focus because there’s no depth of field.

  7. My favorite feature of the 6s is the instantaneous unlock that the improved fingerprint scanner gets you. So if that enables you to get one more shot you missed before I’d say that has tremendous value. If you don’t use the fingerprint lock this probably doesn’t matter to you.

    Also, don’t underestimate the ‘live photos’ feature only available on the 6s. I thought it was just a gimmick at first but a few pics that are relatively boring can achieve awesomeness with a tiny bit of (even poor quality) video and audio that shows you the scene.

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