One of the most common questions I get asked is ‘which camera should I buy’. As your phone is the camera you’ll always have with you, phone camera advice seems like a good place to start.
The short version…
Don’t start with budget. List the most important features and how much you will use them. Most people I speak to say that the camera is a priority, so don’t compromise on it! A phone camera may be all you need, and will save you having to buy a separate one, so it’s worth spending more on the phone. If budget does become the deciding factor, get an older model that has what you need, rather than the latest one that is a compromise. e.g for iPhones, I would get the 15 Pro or 16 Pro rather than the latest iPhone 17, because the telephoto (zoom) lens is important to me. Check the official Apple Refurb Store for older models. From my experience, these always seem brand new and unused.
The iPhone had a major upgrade in 2022 with the 14 Pro, with better lenses, a new sensor and resolution tripled from 12 to 48 megapixels. So my advice would be don’t get anything older than a 14 model. It’s not all about the megapixels (MP) though, and you’ll need to change a few settings to get the highest resolution, the default is still 12MP. Unless you really need it, it’s best not to use the highest resolution anyway, as the file size can be around 30 times bigger (find out more on my iPhone photography workshops).
The longer, techie version…
Questions to ask if camera is high on your priority:
– How many lenses does it have
– What are they; Wide, Ultra Wide, Telephoto
– Does it have Portrait Mode (a useful feature that blurs the background to make your subject stand out). Some models also have Depth Control, which means decide how much blur to apply. The later iPhones also have cinematic mode which is Portrait Mode for Video
– Do you need take photos in RAW
– Do you take macro (close-up) photos
– What video resolution does it record at (compare front and back cameras)
Lets take the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro as an example:
The iPhone 17 has two lenses and the iPhone 17 Pro has three. You may think that two is enough, and therefore the extra £ for the Pro isn’t worth it. But, the important bit is the ‘2x Zoom OUT’, this is from 1x wide to 0.5x ultra wide. i.e no telephoto, and the reason I personally would not buy the iPhone 17.
The third lens in the 17 Pro is really useful in my opinion. The telephoto lens is better for products and portraits. The ultra wide is useful for group selfies, landscapes and property interiors. But… be careful if you’re using the ultra wide, it may be very distorted, especially for people and can make them look very odd!
- Want an iPhone 14, 15, 16 or 17? Be aware that it only has Ultra Wide and Wide camera lenses. If you want a telephoto lens, choose the Pro series (or Max versions if you want a larger screen).
- If you want to compare specifications use the Apple website’s iPhone Comparison Tool
Would you like some advice on which phone you should get next? Send me an email and I’ll be happy to help.
Want to learn how to get the best out of your phone camera? Come along to one of my phone photography and editing workshops; you’ll learn how to get out of ‘point-and-shoot’ mode and how to edit your photos. Check out the link above for loads of fantastic reviews and to book your place.
