The big question that many users are asking themselves after the launch of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is, is it worth switching from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 13 Pro Max for its cameras? Well, in this post we are going to put one in front of the other and compare the results that these two devices are capable of providing so that it is you or yourself who decides whether or not it is worth it and if there has been a great evolution of one. generation to another.
What difference is there in the cameras?
Before entering fully to compare the images that have been captured by both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, let’s go with the differences on paper, that is, the technical specifications of both cameras and that, in theory, they should translate into results once we put them in front of each other.
Improved iPhone 13 Pro Max lenses
The first thing you can see is that both devices have the same number of lenses , one on the front and three on the rear camera module . Inside this camera module you can find a telephoto lens, a wide angle lens and an ultra wide angle lens. These last three have been the object of change from one generation to another, in fact if you compare them aesthetically it is already obvious that the lenses of the iPhone 13 Pro Max are considerably larger, since the opening of the same has improved notably, except on the telephoto lens.
In addition, if we talk about the telephoto lens, in the iPhone 13 Pro Max you enjoy a lens equivalent to 77mm , now being a x3 instead of the x2.5 that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has . This has made the aperture on the iPhone 13 Pro Max f / 2.8 while on the iPhone 12 Pro Max it is f / 2.2. In this case, brightness has been sacrificed for having a larger optical zoom.
As for the wide-angle lens, which is the main and brightest of all, the differences we find are really small. In the iPhone 13 Pro Max the aperture becomes f / 1.5 for the f / 1.6 that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has, which already had a really wonderful wide-angle lens and that now, with version 13 Apple has added something more luminosity to this lens.
Finally we go with the lens that has undergone the most changes, and for the better, it is the ultra wide angle . In the iPhone 12 Pro Max it has an aperture of f / 2.4 , while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an f / 1.8 , which means a quite considerable improvement in terms of how much light this lens will let in and the degree of brightness and detail that users will gain when using this camera in conditions where the light begins to be dim.
Another detail that must be mentioned is that the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an improved HDR, which Apple has called HDR 4 , while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has HDR 3. In the rest of the features, both devices have the following features: Same features like Depp Fusion, Apple ProRAW, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, and a long list of great features.
Photographic styles arrive
Another of the big differences between the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are the photographic styles. If we seek to define them quickly and vulgarly, we can say that they are filters that you can set to take one type of photography or another, although there is really much more behind this new functionality that Apple has introduced. First of all we leave you what are the available styles.
- Standard.
- High contrast.
- Shiny.
- Warm.
- Cold.
These five photographic styles respond to the different styles that most photographers have when it comes to later editing their captures. However, Apple has not done it in any way, that is, its operation is not to apply a series of values in a general way to the entire photograph so that it has tones marked by the style, but rather it does so in a general way. intelligent. So much so that skin tones will never be affected by choosing one style or another, and the same happens with the color of the sky.
Therefore, if you are one of those people who opt for a type of photography that is colder, warmer, brighter or with a more marked contrast, you can select one of these styles and take all your photographs with it. In addition, the way to apply it or rather, select it is very simple, you can do it from the iPhone camera application itself, or in the camera application settings .
Daytime photographs
Once you know what are the differences in terms of technical specifications that exist between the cameras of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it is time to check if these differences translate into unequal results on the part of both devices. In addition, you should know that in order to offer you a faster loading speed of this page, we have had to compress all the photographs shown in the following sections. In any case, all of them have the same compression percentage so that the lowest possible quality is lost and the differences can be clearly appreciated.
Telephoto Lens
As we have commented previously, the telephoto lens has suffered a variation in its focal length, going from a x2.5 in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, to a x3 in the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This makes the images look closer, however this has also made the lens aperture to be f / 2.8 on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, while on the iPhone 12 Pro Max it is f / 2.2. Let’s see the results.
How can you observe, in good light conditions, the change in aperture is not appreciable, so in that aspect the user will not have to worry about this loss. However, what is clearly appreciated is the change in focal length, especially in the image of the church where this considerable increase is evident.
Wide Angle Lens
This is the main lens of both devices, the one that is used the most and we can also affirm without fear of being wrong that the one that offers the best results, the images that it is capable of capturing are of a fantastic quality. As we said, in this case the difference between the wide-angle lens of one device and another is minimal, with the opening of the iPhone 13 Pro Max being f / 1.5 while in the iPhone 12 Pro Max it is f / 1.6.
That little difference at the specification level is clearly reflected in the photographic results of the images you just saw. Really, if we told you that they are the same photograph, you would believe it because they are two images with identical results, yes, identical but of a fantastic quality.
Ultra Wide Angle Lens
The ultra wide angle lens is, without a doubt, the one that most users enjoy the most thanks to the very different results it is capable of generating. In good light conditions since the iPhone 11 Pro Max included it, the rear module has always given very good results. Now, it has also improved notably in the aperture, going from f / 2.4 to f / 1.8, but it will be necessary to see if that improvement in the aperture translates into better results in good lighting conditions.
As you have seen, the reality is that despite the fact that there is a considerable difference in aperture, in daytime conditions, with enough sunlight, the results are, again, traced and both devices offer very high quality photographs. On a personal note, it is my favorite lens and, without a doubt, the one I enjoy the most when I go out of the house to take pictures.
Frontal camera
Fortunately for all iPhone users, this one has one of the best selfies on the market, if not the best and surely Apple has thought that if something works so well, better not touch it. What we can expect are two traced images since, in terms of technical differences, both devices have the same camera, same aperture, although in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro Max it has HDR 4, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has HDR 3.
As we anticipated, we would have two images practically the same again if it were not for the model. It is true that the red tone of the sweatshirt may vary slightly, but in any case, the difference between the two photographs is practically non-existent, offering a high quality selfie to all users of these two devices.
Macro Photography
And if until now we had not appreciated differences between the two devices, this is the point where we will obviously find differences, and it is time to talk about macro photography. The main and most important difference is that with the iPhone 12 Pro Max users do not have the possibility of taking this type of photography, while with the iPhone 13 Pro Max they do, and the results speak for themselves.
To take this type of photography there is no macro mode as such that users can select, but as you get closer with the camera of your iPhone to an object, given a limited distance, it will automatically switch to macro mode and pass to use the ultra wide angle lens for this. This is one of the points where the difference in aperture in the ultra-wide angle lens translates into a new functionality, despite the fact that in good light conditions, photography with this lens does not differ much from that obtained with the iPhone 12. Pro Max.
Portrait mode
One of the shooting modes that users enjoy the most since it came to the iPhone in version 7 Plus is the portrait mode. In the case of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it takes advantage of the wide-angle lens, that is, the x1, and the telephoto lens, which is a x2.5, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max uses the wide-angle lens, which maintains the x1, and the telephoto lens. , which changes to a x3, the latter being the main difference.
The tonic of the entire comparison is also maintained in this section, although if we look closely at the photograph of the hedge, we can see how the HDR 4 comes into play in the part of the image where sunlight is entering from the side, providing some more detail in the image of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Of course, portrait mode is not only available on the telephoto and wide-angle lenses, but also on the front camera. In this case we see again how the HDR 4 makes an appearance and gives the iPhone 13 Pro Max photograph a slightly lighter sweatshirt tone, as is the case with the protagonist’s skin tone.
Night photography
We have already verified that daytime photography between both devices, leaving macro mode aside, is practically traced except when HDR 4 enters the scene considerably. However, and depending on the aperture improvement of the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lens, it has to be in the night section when we really appreciate those differences. It should be mentioned that in this case what we have done are three different photographs in which the first two have the night mode activated automatically, and the third without night mode, which will surely be where we can most appreciate the differences. Let’s check it out.
Telephoto Lens
When we mentioned the technical differences that the telephoto lenses of both devices have, the point where you will be able to notice it the most will be in this one, where the aperture of the lens does come into play as it has less light. However, both have night mode, which undoubtedly makes a difference with respect to previous iPhone models that do not enjoy it.
In this case, we do observe slightly different results, and despite the fact that due to the aperture we could expect a lower quality image on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the truth is that, again, HDR 4 makes the difference, especially if we look at it in the trunk of the palm tree that appears in the first image, where we also observe a notable difference in the colors of both images.
Wide Angle Lens
In the night section, this is surely the lens in which we can find the least differences between one device and another given the little difference in aperture between the wide-angle lens of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, it will be interesting to see if the HDR 4 makes an appearance in such a remarkable way as it happened in the telephoto lens.
The forecasts are confirmed and the photographs taken with the wide angle lens at night both using the night mode and without it are really similar. If you look closely you can see very slight differences produced by the HDR 4, especially in the image of the palm tree, but the reality is that they are fantastic results in both cases.
Ultra Wide Angle Lens
We come to one of the most anticipated moments, and that is that we are going to check how the wide-angle lens of the iPhone 13 Pro Max behaves after having been improved by giving it an aperture f / 1.8, while that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max remains at f / 2.4. Surely with the night mode activated, this difference cannot be appreciated, but without it it should be noticed.
The reality is that the differences between the results of one and the other follow the trend set throughout the comparison. Thanks to HDR 4 there are tiny details where the image of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is slightly better, however, in the photograph taken without night mode, which is the third, to think there are differences, some more noise in some points in the image of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but at first glance they are two really similar images.
Frontal camera
Obviously, we could not stop testing the performance offered by the two devices with their front camera in the night section. On paper we comment again that, except for the inclusion of HDR 4, both iPhone have the same camera and the same aperture, so the results should not be different at all. Let’s see them.
Against all odds, we do notice differences in both devices. The trend is that in the iPhone 13 Pro Max the skin tone is somewhat brighter than in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which has more to darken it. The best example of this is the first of the photographs, where we can also appreciate some more detail.
Macro Photography
The larger aperture of the ultra-wide-angle lens serves, among other things, to give users the possibility to perform or use that macro mode also in low light conditions, something that makes a lot of sense to be able to obtain such miniscule details also in the night. Let’s see an example of it.
The work that Apple has done with this lens is fantastic, hence despite being in unfavorable lighting conditions it is still capable of capturing that spectacular degree of detail that characterizes macro photography. In fact, if you look at this photograph you can come to appreciate the different cracks that the wood has.
Portrait mode
We go with the last shot of photographs, and we end with the night portrait mode. Usually this type of photography with bokeh is usually taken during the day, however, Apple also gives users the possibility to take advantage of it even if the light is scarce. Let’s see if there is any difference between the two devices in this shooting mode.
The photographs taken by both devices are very similar, however a slight variation in the color interpretation can be appreciated, obtaining more vivid tones in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and slightly more muted in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. . In the aspect of blur, both devices do really well, obtaining a practically perfect image in that sense.
If we move the portrait mode to the front camera, you will also be able to appreciate that the trend is the same, a slight variation in the way that the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro Max interpret the color, being mainly evident in the tone. of the skin. Except that the image is practically the same.
These are my conclusions
The results that we have obtained in this comparison are, honestly, those expected since, despite the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro Max has an improvement in the aperture of its wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses, the points at which we can notice This difference is very specific and at very precise times of the day where night mode is not advisable yet but the light is not so present.
Really the differential, at the camera level of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the macro mode, the photographic styles and the possibility of, in video, using the cinema mode , although it is true that the HDR 4 as we have seen there are situations in which clearly makes a difference. However, if you have entered this comparison to see if it is really worth going from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 13 Pro Max because of its camera, for 99.9% of users the answer is no, since as you have seen with With your own eyes, the differences are practically negligible, even more so if you are not going to use the device’s camera for professional work.
Even so, my assessment is that the evolution is positive, since Apple has touched the points where the iPhone 12 Pro Max did not perform at such a good level. That added to the macro photography options, HDR 4 and the cinematic video mode, make the iPhone 13 Pro Max the best device for all those who use their iPhone to take photos and video on an almost daily basis.
