What does the new iPhone 6's camera offer photographers? There were a few key upgrades to the most popular smartphone camera on Earth. We explain what they are…
Is the Apple iPhone the most popular camera in the world? Hell yes, according to Apple. Flickr continues to back this up: the iPhone has officially been the most popular camera brand on Flickr since the launch of the iPhone 4.
So, whatever your feelings are towards Apple and smartphone cameras in general, the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cameras are big news.
The screens may be bigger, but when it comes to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus's iSight cameras, Apple hasn't chased inflated numbers: at 8MP, the sensor resolution remains unchanged since 2011's iPhone 4S.
The pixel size for both iPhone 6 cameras is still 1.5 microns, the lens is still constructed from 5 elements and the aperture stays at f/2.2, all of which are no different to the iPhone 5s's camera.
Most of the improvements to new iPhone 6 cameras are 'under the hood', with some notable software features and performance tweaks.
It's video capture that's seen perhaps the most significant enhancements, but the introduction of optical image stabilization, snappier autofocus and a 43MP panorama mode means that it's a more rounded proposition for photographers, too.
Here are 8 things you need to know about the iPhone 6 camera, in order of interestingness…
Key iPhone 6 camera features: 1. Faster processing, more storage and all-new Retina display
Obviously bigger is better, whether you're talking displays or legroom on a plane. The larger format and thinness (stack two CF cards and you're pretty much there) of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens may be the headline-grabbing feature, but touches such as the wider viewing angle, increased brightness and improved contrast of the all-new Retina HD displays is likely to make more of a difference to photographers.
The iPhone 6 Plus runs at 1920 x 1080 Full HD screen resolution, while its baby brother offers a resolution of 1334 x 750.
Both the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus use the same 64-bit A8 chip, which comes with a video encoder and image processor built in. As well as enabling camera and video features such as Focus Pixels and continuous AF, the A8 chip also offers improved efficiency so you can shoot for longer.
With the creative video options, high-res panoramas and longer battery life, iPhone 6 photographers are going to need plenty of storage space. There's no 32GB option this time around, with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus available in both 16GB and 64GB variants, along with a new 128GB option. The iPhone 6 Plus demands an £80-£90 ($100) premium over the iPhone 6.
SEE MORE: Hands-on iPhone 6 review
Key iPhone 6 camera features: 2. Autofocus with Focus Pixels
This is Apple's way of saying that the iPhone 6's sensor comes with phase detection autofocus built in. As you know, phase detection AF is more responsive than contrast detection AF.
It uses two images seen from slightly different positions to drive the focusing mechanism, with the goal being to make those two images line up.
Contrast detection is slower because it measures the focus directly from the sensor, with the goal being to find the point of maximum contrast – but it has to focus back and forth to find this point.
The end result is that the iPhone 6 reportedly autofocuses twice as fast as the iPhone 5.
Another welcome feature is that the iPhone 6's Focus Pixels enable continuous AF when shooting video, something which D-SLR manufacturers have only recently begun to roll out across their camera ranges.
SEE MORE: Best photo apps for photographers tested and rated
Key iPhone 6 camera features: 3. iPhone 6 Plus: Optical image stabilization
The iPhone 6 Plus camera introduces vibration-reducing optical image stabilization to the iPhone range. This uses the gyroscope to detect any movement of your hand while you're holding the phone to take a picture or shoot a video, with the A8 chip and M8 motion coprocessor adjusting the position of the lens unit to compensate for this motion.
Optical image stabilization has the potential to offer an improved low light performance, and is particularly effective when shooting video, reducing the chance of motion sickness-inducing juddery footage.
Only the iPhone 6 Plus comes with optical image stabilization – it gives Apple another way to differentiate the more expensive 5.5" iPhone 6 from the 4.7" version, after all – and photographers using the regular iPhone 6 will have to make do with Auto image stabilization, a digital solution as seen in the iPhone 5s.
This takes a rapid sequence of four short exposures and then combines the sharpest parts of each to create a final composite image.
SEE MORE: Adobe Photoshop Touch – how to use Photoshop for phone and tablets
Key iPhone 6 camera features: 4. New frame rates for iPhone 6 video
Video recording is where the most significant gains have been made with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus's iSight camera. Now, in addition to shooting 1080p at 30fps, you can record Full HD at 60fps.
Capturing more frames per second offers the potential for sharper, smoother videos, albeit ones that are likely to suck up more storage space.
If you're committed enough to use video editing software to cut together your iPhone movies, then importing 60fps into a project that's running at 30fps will cause the 60fps to run at half-speed. In other words, you end up with smooth slow-motion footage.
Of course, you can always record slow-mo video clips in-camera (in-phone?). The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus go one step better than the iPhone 5s's 720p at 120fps, allowing you to record HD footage at 240fps.
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