iPhone 15 Pro Max 5X Portrait: Is it better than 3X or 2X for people photos?

iPhone 15 Pro Max 5X Portrait: Is it better than 3X or 2X for people photos?،

lens, an impressive technology where light bounces off four prisms to reach the sensor. This is a distinctly “Apple” way of doing things, as most other manufacturers use a periscope style, or folded zoom lens, which takes up much more space inside the phone.

You can also use this new 5X zoom lens for portrait mode photos, but unfortunately that also means you don’t get a 3X portrait mode on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

So how does this work for portrait mode photos? Are 5X portrait mode photos on the iPhone 15 Pro Max better than 3X portraits iPhone 15 Pro?

Or is it still better to just use 2X mode, which is supported even on the classic iPhone 15?
We’ve taken plenty of photos to show you the results with each of these cameras, but first let’s start with a quick overview:
  • 2X — 48mm activated iPhone 15 Pro series, 52 mm on iPhone15/15 Plus, uses main 1X camera sensor crop
  • 3X — 72mm activated iPhone 15 Proa dedicated objective
  • 5X – 120 mm above iPhone 15 Pro Maxa dedicated lens that would be several times more expensive than the 3X camera

Scene 1 – Say “cheese”!

In this first shot, we had to take a step back from how we usually take a photo in order to even compose with the new 5X camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

But the result is really impressive in the viewfinder. Due to the longer focal length, the background appears compressed and all attention is on our model. We were outside and it was no problem to step back, but in smaller spaces this is not always possible.

At the same distance, using the 3X camera, you get what photographers call the “cowboy shot,” meaning the subject is captured from the knees up. We assume a cowboy’s guns would be somewhere in this area, hence the reference.

At the same distance, using the 2X camera, you get a full-body shot with plenty of context. You can see where we shot and it’s more of an environmental portrait.

Each of these shots uses the default f/4.5 preset. This gives very creamy bokeh on the 5X lens, but not so much on the others. If we were to edit these images to our liking, we’d need to boost the bokeh for the 3X and 2X shots to get better separation, but luckily that’s very easy to do in the Photos app.

Scene 2 – Strike a pose

Here’s another photo that illustrates the type of results you get at 2X, 3X, and 5X.

The 5X photo is nice, but keep in mind that we could have gotten closer using the 3X lens or the 2X lens to get a more compressed background, whereas you don’t really have that versatility with the 5X objective.

Scene 3 – Autumn Colors

In this next photo, because of the creamy background, the 5X photo is the one that most closely resembles the results you get with a professional camera.

However, you can edit 2X or 3X photos by reducing the aperture and achieve a similar result.

Scene 4 – All about the bokeh

If you want to separate your subject from the background, 3X and 5X zoom cameras do a great job. Don’t forget, though, that you can also zoom in with your feet using the 2X camera to get a close-up perspective. You don’t always have the ability to zoom with your feet when using the 3X and especially when using the 5X zoom camera.

Conclusion

Is there a “best lens” for portraits?

New 5X zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max Captures face portraits with blurred background that looks like a professional camera and you will get this look by default. That’s impressive, but such a long zoom range takes you away from your subject and limits you to that “face shot” look. So specifically for taking photos of people, the 5X zoom lens seems a bit limiting.

At the same time, if you have pets that you like to photograph, this might be perfect. You will be able to keep your distance, not disturb the animal, while obtaining a zoomed photo.

The good old 3X zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro remains very efficient and more versatile for people photography. You can move around and capture a close-up portrait, or you can move further away to get more of a “cowboy shot.” This would also work with pets, but admittedly not as well as the 5X lens.

Finally, the 2X zoom on the iPhone15which uses sensor cropping, also looks great and we are all happy iPhone15 the models have it. This focal length is ideal for smaller spaces and when you want to capture more of the environment, and it’s the one we use the most. This also works well for portrait photos where multiple people are in the frame.

Finally, the 1X zoom portrait mode was not demonstrated in this article. It’s a very useful lens for group photos, but to take a photo of a single person it requires you to get way too close and distort facial features in a way that isn’t aesthetically pleasing. This is the lens we would use the least for portrait mode photos.

So…what is your favorite focal length for taking portrait photos? And do you even take a lot of portraits with a blurred background?