The iPhone has one of the top-of-the-line cameras on the smartphone market. Now, with the new iPhone 12 lineup, the lenses are better than ever. Since the iPhone X, released in 2017, the lens has undergone several improvements.
You can have anything from one main camera with the iPhone XR to three cameras plus a LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max.
Each generation of iPhone brings its differences. The iPhone 12 Pro Max currently has the best of them, with the main camera absorbing more than 80% more light than its predecessor.
The iPhone XR stands out for the single camera that makes Portrait Mode, the 11 and 12 for the ultra-wide lens, while the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max models feature a LiDAR sensor to make a 3D mapping of the environment and improve the focus of the photo. And also a telephoto lens for a clearer zoom.
Check out these camera tips to get the most out of your iPhone.
How to access the camera quickly
There are several ways to open the camera only.
- On the locked screen: tap and long press the camera icon in the lower right corner to open it;
- On the locked screen: you can also swipe from the right corner to the left to quickly open the camera;
- From Control Center: Swipe down from the top right corner to access Control Center. Then tap the camera symbol;
- In the Camera app: press and hold it and select one of the options “Take Selfie,” “Record Video,” “Take Portrait,” and “Take Portrait Selfie” to enjoy the shortcut;
- With Siri: Tell Siri, “Hey Siri, open the camera” or “Hey Siri, take a selfie.”
- With the Smart Battery Case: If you have Apple’s extra battery case, tap the button on the lower right side of the device to trigger the camera.
Understanding Camera Symbols
When you open the camera, you will notice that it has changed in iOS 14, especially for the new iPhones. Let’s understand each of the buttons. First, tap the little arrow at the top to open all options.
- Flash: the icon in the upper left corner is the flash. By tapping on it, you can toggle it on or off;
- Night Mode: next to the flash, a half-moon will sometimes appear. This is Night Mode for better photos in the dark. We will speak of him already;
- Live Photo: In the upper right corner is the Live Photo option. With it activated, every time you make a click, keep the phone still for another second, and it records a mini video. To watch it, tap and hold the photo in the photo gallery.
- ProRaw: Next to Live Photo, there is now a new icon called RAW. In it, you can take raw photos, which is ideal for photographers to edit later. So it doesn’t matter if the image is too dark. You can correct it later.
- .5x, 1x, and 2x: is the zoom-out or zoom-in you can give between the lenses. Tap them to zoom in or out of the object. If you run your finger over them, you can choose how much you want to bring the object closer or make it further away;
- 4:3: at the bottom, as you already know, the Flash symbol, Night Mode, and Live Photo. The next is the photo aspect. You can leave the default 4:3, “square” for Instagram, or “16:9”;
- Timer: Activate the timer to get ready for the photo. You can choose 3 or 10 seconds to wait before the click;
- Filters: the four balls are the filters you can use on the photo.
Benefits of the ultra-wide-angle camera
With an extra camera on the phone, it’s easier to take more creative photos. The ultra-wide-angle lens lets you capture up to four times more information from a scene. She is ideal for:
- Landscapes: sea, mountains, canyons, beach;
- Photos with family/friends: in this case, the fun thing is that you can get much closer to take the photo. The tip is to be careful with the ends so as not to distort people;
- Buildings: depending on the inclination, it is possible to make the buildings of Avenida Paulista or the Center touch each other. The distortion that is not good for people can be poetic for construction. Don’t forget to look up;
- New Perspectives: Take advantage of this distortion to take pictures of murals, stretch clothes, and more.
Photo and video modes
With the camera open, you can do more than take a picture or record a video. There are six modes available on both the front and main cameras: Time-lapse (to record fast-moving videos), Slow Motion (to record in slow motion), Video, Photo, Portrait (those photos with a blurred background), and Panorama.
- Take multiple photos simultaneously: On new iPhones, to take a continuous photo sequence, press the camera button and, without releasing it, move it to the left. When finished, release the button;
- Start recording video: if you keep holding the photo button, it starts recording a video. Drag your finger to the right and then release to keep the video recording mode activated;
- Transform photos and videos: With Live Photos turned on, tap multiple times to take photos. Then, in the gallery, select all these photos, tap the share button, and “Save as video.”
Making the best portraits
There are six Studio Lighting modes on both the main camera and selfie camera: Natural Light, Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono, and Bright Light Mono.
The most interesting thing about the iPhone 11 or higher, for those who come from an iPhone XR or a model with a single main camera, is that it is possible to take portraits of people and also of objects and animals for the first time.
In the case of those who have an iPhone 11 Pro or higher, it has a function that did not exist in dual camera models until the iPhone XS. When you tapped to take a portrait, the camera would automatically zoom in. If you tap the button 2x in the lower left corner, you can take a portrait with the main camera without any problems. This is because the supporting lens is ultra-wide and not telephoto.
How to use Night Mode
Night Mode is unique to iPhones 11 and 12. It allows you to take better photos at night or in low-light environments. As I said above, the Night Mode icon doesn’t always appear, because Apple only activates it when it realizes there’s a need.
With it, the difference is that you have to keep the iPhone still for a few more seconds while it captures all the information in the photo.
- Setting Night Mode: tap the Night Mode ball in the upper left corner. At the bottom, slide your finger to how much exposure time you want on the camera;
- Use a tripod to take pictures of the sky: With the iPhone stationary on a stand, you can take an exposure of up to 30 seconds. Usually, it only allows all of this for shots in the pitch black or outdoors to capture the stars, for example;
- Use light: you know those birthday candles or, for example, a lightsaber? When clicking, move this point of light to “write in the air” or achieve new effects.
Tips for recording videos
- Switching between cameras: While recording a video, you can switch between ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto cameras (iPhone 11 Pro). It’s important to remember that only the wide-angle and telephoto have optical stabilization;
- Zoom-in microphone: If you’re recording something and you zoom in on a person, speaker, or dog, the audio pick-up is directed there. You have an audio gain where you point the camera
- Changing the video quality: when you select the video option, notice that in the upper right corner, there are “HD” and “60” options. Tap HD to change to 4K and 60 to change to 30. The first option changes the recording resolution and the second option changes how many frames/scenes are recorded per second. The higher the numbers, the heavier the file;
Selfie camera tips
The selfie camera on the new iPhones is also more powerful. It has TrueDepth, and Face ID, so you can make use of Portrait Mode and more.
- Selfies: not caught, but it is possible to record selfies in slow motion. Select the “Slow Motion” option and move your hair or record the heavy rain in the back. The tip is the lighter, the better the video;
- Zoom-out: You know that thing where the iPhone camera doesn’t fit a lot of people? When turning the phone to horizontal, it zoocms out on the selfie camera, fitting more people in the photo. If you want to take a selfie without having to turn the screen, just tap the little arrows that “expand” above the photo button.
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