iPhone 5S versus 6 Plus in a pretty dark pub.
Instead of this stacking, the OIS can compensate for slower shutter speeds, allowing the camera to go with a lower ISO setting that introduces less noise and resulting in a cleaner, sharper-looking photo. The problem is, you might still need a high ISO, which adds noise, and the extra processing adds some softness. Just like past iPhones used to do for HDR pictures, the new phones in dim conditions will quickly shoot multiple photos and stack them, in the process removing minor blur from hand shake as well as noise (a technique Sony and others have been doing for years in their point-and-shoot cameras). With the 6, you do get improved low-light photo quality in part to Apple taking advantage of its new sensor and processor. The question is, "Is it worth it?" It really all depends on what you shoot, how you shoot, and what you typically do with your photos. So, along with screen size and battery life, the optical image stabilization (OIS) of the 6 Plus is one of the big upsells. The 6, the 6 Plus and optical image stabilization That wasn't the case with the 6 and 6 Plus. Too often with the 5S we would end up with pictures that would be just off the mark or focused behind our subject. However, in our tests, the AF was more accurate, especially when trying to hit a moving subject and in low light. Frankly, the iPhone 5S's camera focused more quickly than most smartphones, so speed never felt like an issue. Flower close-up: iPhone 5s versus iPhone 6.Īs with picture quality, the camera sensor's Focus Pixels - aka phase-detection autofocus (AF) system - isn't a huge leap in speed, or at least it likely won't feel like much of one. Not mind-blowingly better, but it's improved enough that details are visibly sharper and cleaner and the HDR mode seems to have further tamed blown-out highlights and rescued detail that otherwise would be lost in shadows.
The 5S certainly has a very good camera, but the 6's photos are a bit more usable for enlarging and cropping, despite having similar specs to their predecessor.Ĭolor and exposure are solid across all three phones, but the iPhone 6's image processing is noticeably better. If the camera is one of your main reasons for upgrading to an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, go ahead, it's definitely worth it. Zoom in on image shot with 5s, 6, and 6 Plus: note the detail differences.
(We'll look at video recording in a future evaluation.) But the improved autofocus, stabilization and added 240fps slow-mo and 60fps video modes make a big difference as an everyday video camera.
But if you value better autofocus and low-light shooting, the 6 and 6 Plus are both improvements.įor these tests, we chiefly used the rear iSight camera, and concentrated on still shots. The answer is, yes: but, the step up isn't as massive as in previous years. Is the 6 a worthy step up? And does the 6 Plus, with its optical image stabilization, make a significant difference? There are plenty of flagship phones with cameras worth comparing head-to-head, but for now, we wanted to dive into a simple comparison: How good are the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as cameras versus the iPhone 5S ? Some of this has already been answered in our reviews, but this more detailed deep dive was a chance to compare them in the same way we compare point-and-shoot cameras. As phone camera quality keeps accelerating, upgrading to a new phone can often be a question of, "Is the camera worth spending more for?" Cameras aren't just a smartphone feature now: they're practically the killer app.