Welcome

Having become firmly invested in the Apple ecosystem over the years, I recently upgraded to an iPhone Xs Max – tempted by its impressive camera offering – and I certainly haven’t been disappointed. Portrait mode with the Depth effect looks fantastic on the phone’s large OLED screen, and not far behind it when viewed on a computer. After taking some pictures of my children, they asked me if I still needed my ‘real’ camera. Of course, I replied. Camera phones just get better and better (see our Mini Test, page 142) and some of their benefits – the convenience, the connectivity and the pace of technological advances – are giving the camera industry plenty to think about right now.

But it all comes down to flexibility and control, so for me it’s a ‘real’ camera system every time. On page 40, we show how to take that control to the next level, by using manual settings to transform your photography. Enjoy the issue.