Apple iPhone 8 Plus Field Test: Taking my new “pocket cam” out for a spin (plus lab sample images!)
posted Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 7:57 AM EDT
Click here to read our Apple iPhone 8 Plus Field Test
Although smartphones aren't really our primary area of expertise here at Imaging Resource, they have cameras in them (shockingly popular ones, if you haven't been keeping up with the news.) Therefore, having recently upgraded from the iPhone 6S to the new iPhone 8 Plus, I wanted to spend some time with my new "pocket camera" and test its image quality. Going from the 6S to the 8 Plus, I was finally able to experience the iPhone's newer dual-camera system with both wide-angle and telephoto lenses. And, with the latest iOS 11 operating system, I was also able to take advantage of the nifty Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting features.
I took the iPhone 8 Plus out for some shooting here in Atlanta as well as on a recent weekend trip up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I have to say, for a smartphone camera with a very tiny sensor, the device can capture some really pleasing photos. I admit, if you're a pixel-peeper, this isn't the camera for you. At close inspection, you can really see the limitations of the iPhone's small sensor. However, for mobile, web-sized, or general viewing, the images display a lot of detail and pretty nice dynamic range, all things considered.
New features, such as Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting, are really fun and can make for some unique photos, but it is still rough around the edges and doesn't work flawlessly all the time. Just like previous iPhones, too, the default Camera app doesn't capture RAW images, but Apple does allow third-party camera app developers to shoot in proper RAW files (.dng), so I took the iPhone 8 Plus down to our test lab for an impromptu First Shots session.
I'll be adding some more images to the iPhone 8 Plus Gallery Page in the coming days, but for now, head over to my iPhone 8 Plus Field Test for the all the details on what it's like to shoot with Apple's latest smartphone!
