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Behind the Shot: The iPhone 14 Pro’s Cameras

Forget Dynamic Island. Apple’s real story in 2022 was told through the lens. The iPhone 14 Pro camera finally feels worthy of its name.

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Three iPhone 14 Pro sample photos showing a tree at night, a green leaf, and a sunflower
01Essay2 min read

As I explained in one of my previous pieces, the iPhone 14 Pro is the first “Pro” phone deserving of the title. It delivers across the board, especially with its cameras.

In seriousness, the iPhone 14 Pro cameras are well and truly incredible. I have just returned from a trip to Dubai and wanted to share a few of the photographs I took. I shot most of them using the new 48MP sensor in RAW, which consumes an utterly vast amount of storage per image (up to 75MB).

The resulting picture quality is incredible. Although Apple has given photographers and cinematographers more control over the cameras, the system remains simple and powerful. You don’t need to be a photography expert to take excellent photographs; just aim, snap, and let the iPhone handle it.

The following photographs are all raw, straight from the iPhone cameras. More thoughts below.

There are a few additional photos I thought would be worth mentioning separately. The following photo really jumped out at me. Night mode handled the scene beautifully; the transition from the streetlights to the blackness of the sky is the chef’s kiss.

Tree illuminated at night against a dark sky

In this second photo, the iPhone’s camera had an even harder time. The camera struggled with Night mode, perhaps because a few light sources interfered with one another (the dots of light are a typical iPhone photo artifact). And to answer the questioners, I didn’t move while taking it, so movement wasn’t the issue.

Colorful hanging lanterns glowing against the night sky

After years of gradual improvement for the camera, the iPhone 14 Pro is a real leap forward. The new sensor adds depth, texture, and playfulness to images. It pays off for the people who want control, but doesn’t penalize the ones who just want to capture the moment.

Sami Fathi

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Written and edited by

Sami Fathi

Sami Fathi is a writer and longtime Apple observer. After years of fast-paced Apple reporting, including at MacRumors, he created Cupertino Lens for independent, evidence-led essays on Apple’s design, software, strategy, leadership, and culture.

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