The MacRumors Show: Tyler Stalman Talks iPhone 18 Pro's Camera

In this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, Tyler Stalman, a photographer and videographer, joined the discussion to explore the iPhone 18 Pro's camera capabilities. The main camera features a new 48-megapixel sensor along with a faster variable-aperture lens and updated image processing. The variable aperture offers settings ranging from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0, allowing for 45% more light to enter the lens at its widest setting compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture.

This increased light intake could result in approximately half an exposure stop improvement in low-light performance. At narrower apertures like ƒ/2.8 or ƒ/4.0, subjects in a group photo can remain sharp at various distances, provided sufficient light is available to compensate for the smaller opening. Conversely, a narrower aperture enables the use of slower shutter speeds in bright conditions, resulting in more natural motion blur.

The ƒ/1.48 setting admits even more light, benefiting indoor photography and potentially shortening Night mode exposures. The camera defaults to ƒ/1.8, which is close to the iPhone 17 Pro's fixed aperture, but the new sensor and processing still influence photos taken at that setting. The Pro Controls provide manual adjustments for aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and a live histogram within the Camera app.

Users can save their preferred settings for quick access during shooting. Additionally, Photographic Styles 3 allows for tone and color adjustments while preserving skin tones, with new controls like Soft Skin, Glow, and Film textures, including grain options that can be customized for each style. The Film setting aims to replicate an analog photograph's character, grain, and glow around bright highlights.

Tyler has tested the iPhone 18 Pro's film look against a film SLR using Kodak Portra 400 film. Apple's Reference Image feature creates a secure digital negative from the camera sensor's data, enabling comparison with an editable photo, and enhances creative editing capabilities. The iPhone Duo comes equipped with a 48-megapixel Main camera featuring a fixed ƒ/1.6 aperture and the same 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera as the iPhone 18 Pro.

Despite its larger price tag, the Duo lacks a variable aperture, Pro Controls, Reference Image, and professional formats like ProRAW and ProRes. However, the Duo boasts sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which the 17e does not possess, and Apple has yet to disclose detailed sensor information to determine if the two phones share identical hardware.

Furthermore, the Duo's folding design introduces unique features like Smart Take, Kid Cue, Duo Preview for hands-free shots, and live preview of a photo being taken on the rear camera. Apple is also rumored to be developing a custom image sensor for the 20th-anniversary iPhone, potentially arriving the following year.