iPhone 12 Pro Max
Capture stunning stills and richly detailed HDR clips with this top–of–the–range device
From $1,099 From Apple, apple.com
Features A14 Bionic; 128, 256 or 512GB storage; 6.7–inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; Ceramic Shield front; Pro camera system: 12MP ultra–wide, wide, and telephoto cameras; LiDAR scanner (rear); 12MP camera (front); Dolby Vision recording (60fps); 8.03oz
When shooting in city streets over the last year or so I found that the iPhone 11 Pro produced great results without drawing attention to me as a photographer. This enabled me to capture street portraits and documentary clips of people going about their daily activities. I was therefore keen to see how the new iPhone 12 Pro Max would shape up in similar urban shooting scenarios.
After unboxing the iPhone 12 Pro Max I was struck by its size and weight in comparison to my old iPhone 11 Pro. The 12 Pro Max weighs in at over 8oz compared to the 6.6oz 11 Pro. I have relatively small hands so was concerned that I might struggle to shoot one–handed while gripping the 6.7–inch display. Fortunately, I could set up the iPhone 12 Pro Max to trigger the Camera app’s shutter when I clicked a volume button. This enabled me to compose my photo and shoot single–handed (and therefore more candidly) as a street photographer. I was also concerned about keeping a safe hold on the iPhone due to the slippery smoothness of the matt glass back and stainless steel edge. Although Apple claim the iPhone 12 Pro Max has four–times better drop performance than the iPhone 11 Pro I was reluctant to put that to the test, so I planned to buy a protective cover.
My iPhone 12 Pro Max shipped with Apple’s MagSafe leather wallet. I loved the concept of having a wallet full of credit cards stuck to the back of the iPhone 12 Pro Max via its magnet. In practice, however, it didn’t take much pressure to dislodge it, so I resolved to leave the wallet behind when I went on my shoot. Before my test shoot I gave the 12 Pro Max a full charge. In the past I’ve found that the 11 Pro required recharging during the day so I could continue shooting and reviewing images. I hoped the 12 Pro Max would let me shoot for longer. More on that later…
ON LOCATION
To try and save battery consumption I only turned on the iPhone 12 Pro Max at 10am before spending the rest of the day shooting in the city. I kept my SIM card in the 11 Pro so that I was only using the 12 Pro Max to snap stills and capture clips. I was relieved to know that the phone was splash– and water–resistant, as it was raining during much of the test shoot.
I found that the 12 Pro Max’s more powerful 2.5x optical zoom was especially useful for capturing street photos. I could shoot a sharp high–quality snap of people from a distance without distracting them. At a 2.5x optical zoom, city landmarks filled the frame more prominently without the need to resort to the lower quality results of a digital zoom.
The Camera app’s Portrait mode also benefitted from the 2.5x optical zoom. It enabled me to get closer to birds without scaring them off, producing an attractive background bokeh behind them. The Ultra Wide lens was perfect for placing people in context of the surrounding buildings, while the Telephoto created more intimate portraits.
The wider f1.6 aperture on the Wide lens enabled me to grab sharp handheld shots in low–light locations without the camera having to use noise–inducing fast ISO settings or blur– inducing slow shutter speeds. The combination of a wider aperture and a 47% larger sensor certainly gives the 12 Pro Max the edge over other iPhones when it comes to night shoots.