The Apple iOS 15 update has great camera features that can be useful for professional photographers and casual users alike. And while many of them are exclusive to new iPhone models, there are still some camera app updates and additions that apply to all iPhones running iOS 15.
Improved panoramas
If you have an iPhone 12 model, your panoramas will turn out better than in iOS 14. And if you have an iPhone 13 model, your panoramic shots should be more impressive than on the iPhone you had before.
The update reduces the amount of geometric distortion that appears in wide panoramas, so you should see fewer curves, bends, and elongations where there shouldn’t be. Landscape and scenery should look more like a standard photo, especially when shooting a panorama of close-up objects, such as buildings, where barrel distortion distorts horizontal lines very clearly.
A clean landscape shot taken in Pano mode on an iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 15. Image by Rebecca Perez/Gadget Hacks
But that’s not all. You’ll also see less distortion, blur, and glitch-like aberrations when moving objects are in your panoramas, so you don’t have to worry as much about people ruining your shots.
To keep things going, iOS 15 also reduces image noise and banding in panoramas. Streaking is when an image shows an uneven transition between shades of the same color. You will often see streaks when the sun is rising or setting in the frame, and a rough change in the gradient gives the image a more pixelated look.
Applicable to iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
ProRes Video Recording
For those of you with an iPhone 13 Pro, the iOS 15.1 update added the ability to record Apple ProRes video in the Camera app. ProRes video capture minimizes the compression used, allowing you to capture more detail and delivering the highest quality video for editing and post-processing. According to Apple, it is “one of the most popular formats for professional video post-production.”
To shoot ProRes video, go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats, then enable Apple ProRes. You will then see the ProRes control when using video mode in the camera app.
ProRes runs at up to 30 fps at 4K (10-bit 422 HQ chroma subsampling) and up to 60 fps at 1080p on iPhone 13 Pro models with 256 GB of storage or more. 128GB models only run at 25fps and 30fps at 1080p.
Apple warns that one minute of 10-bit HDR ProRes is approximately 1.7 GB for HD resolution and approximately 6 GB for 4K. Since this amount of storage is used up, you may need to upgrade your iCloud storage if you sync photos and videos to iCloud. Currently, iCloud only syncs files smaller than 50 GB.
Third party apps may also support shooting and editing in ProRes; if they don’t, they will downsize them to a smaller H.264 video file size.
Applicable to iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Disable auto macro mode
If you have an iPhone 13 Pro, a common complaint in iOS 15.0-15.0.2 was that the Camera app would automatically switch to the ultra-wide-angle lens for macro photography, even if you didn’t want to take macro shots. This can cause discomfort when the camera switches to an ultra wide-angle lens in the middle of the frame, losing the original image.
Apple listened, and in iOS 15.1 they gave us an “Auto Macro”toggle that works with photo, video, time-lapse, and time-lapse modes.
Close-up taken on the iPhone 13 Pro model. Image via Apple
To disable Auto Macro, open Settings and select Camera. You will see that the “Auto Macro”toggle is enabled by default. To turn it off, just turn off the switch. Then, when you want to take a macro shot, you can trigger it manually by switching to the 0.5x lens in the Camera app and moving closer to the subject.
Applicable to iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Night mode for telephoto shooting
Night mode has been available since the iPhone 11 models, but it has never been available on all cameras prior to the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. While this is more of a device-specific feature, it’s a sign that future iPhone Pro models will have new features, so night mode telephoto support is likely to remain.
Using a telephoto lens at night usually results in significant noise, but Night Mode takes advantage of the improved image sensor, ƒ/2.8 aperture, and 3x zoom (77mm focal length) to capture impressively clear shots in the dark.
You can use a tripod for greater clarity, and even combine the power of Night Mode and Apple ProRAW to expand your post-processing capabilities in tools like Lightroom and Photoshop. To enable ProRAW capture, go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats, then enable “Apple ProRAW”under Photo Capture. ProRaw files are 10 to 12 times larger than HEIF or JPEG files, so make sure you have enough storage space.
Applicable to iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Disable night mode
Night mode is great when you have something to support your iPhone so that it stays stable during long exposures in the dark. But in many cases, all you’ll have is your hands to keep the iPhone stable, and having a darker, grainier shot is better than one that has everything blurry due to motion. That’s why iOS 15 only offers a saved setting for Night Mode.
You could always turn off night mode per session prior to iOS 15, and you still can, but it gets old quickly. To disable Night Mode completely, go to Settings -> Camera -> Save Settings. Then make sure “Night Mode”is enabled. After that, the next time you see Night Mode pop up while taking a picture in the Camera app, disable it and your iPhone will keep it disabled until you manually enable it.
Images by Justin Meyers/ Gadget Hacks
Just remember that if you turn on night mode while saving the setting, it will always be on unless you turn it off again. And the setting is saved across the entire camera app, so if you disable it for photo mode, it will also be disabled for selfies, timelapses, and portraits.
Applicable to iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
photographic styles
On iPhone 13 models, iOS 15 gives a new look to photos and selfies in the Camera app with Photo Styles. More intelligent than filters, these presets allow you to fine-tune the image in your frame before you even take the shot. Right now there are four presets to choose from:
- Cool: Blue shades create a stylish look.
- Warm: The golden hue creates a warm look.
- Rich Contrast: Darker shadows, richer colors, and stronger contrast create an impactful look.
- Vivid: Amazingly bright and vibrant colors create a gorgeous yet natural look.
Photo Styles will not affect skin tones in shots such as post-processing filters because the filter changes the live image and is not added later. According to Apple, they “use an expanded understanding of the scene to apply just the right amount of adjustments to different parts of the photo.”Just be aware that you can’t remove styles after capture as they are part of the images.
To use Photo Styles, in Photo mode for the rear or front camera, display the shooting settings and tap the Photo Styles icon, which looks like three cards stacked on top of each other. Then scroll through the presets, including the standard default option, and you can preview each style in real time to see if it fits the scene. You can even customize the look of each style with the Tone and Warmth sliders on the screen.
Images via Apple
When you choose a photographic style, it will be applied to every photo you take in the future until you change it to a different one or return to the default unfiltered look. When a style is active, you’ll see a “Photo Styles”icon at the top of the interface so you can quickly switch to another one. You can also change the styles from “Settings”-> “Camera”-> “Photographic Styles”.
Applicable to iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Cinematic mode for video
Portrait mode is a fantastic feature for photos in the Camera app, but before iOS 15 there was nothing like it for videos. All iPhone 13 models have a new shooting option called Cinematic Mode that can add amazing depth to your footage. As Apple describes it:
Cinematic mode applies a depth-of-field effect that keeps the subject of your video sharp, creating beautifully blurred foregrounds and backgrounds.
To explain further, it takes advantage of Dolby Vision HDR to apply a shallow depth of field during recording, allowing for a “focus stand”when focus shifts from one subject to another. It will lock onto one person in the scene, focusing on them and blurring the background, and it will adjust focus and blur whenever you switch your attention to another person in the frame. It even intelligently shifts focus and blurs whenever new objects appear in the scene.
Cinematic mode records video at 1080p at 30 frames per second, and the result, Apple says, is “beautiful focus transitions for a cinematic-quality image.”It’s not perfect, so the transitions might not be exactly what you’d like when you’re reviewing your footage, but you can easily adjust the focal points and depth of field in your post using the Photos app. You can even disable the effect if you like.
While Cinematic Mode is only available in the Camera app for iPhone 13 models, you can edit footage on older iPhone models. You can even edit videos in cinematic mode on other Apple products, including:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) running iPadOS 15
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) with iPadOS 15
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later) running iPadOS 15
- iPad mini (5th generation and later) running iPadOS 15
- MacBook Air (October 2018 and later) running macOS Monterey
- MacBook Pro (June 2017 and later) running macOS Monterey
- MacBook (June 2017) running macOS Monterey
- iMac (June 2017 and later) running macOS Monterey
- iMac Pro (all models) running macOS Monterey
- Mac Pro (December 2019) running macOS Monterey
- Mac mini (October 2018 and later) running macOS Monterey
Image via Apple
Capture: Applicable to iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Edit: Applies to iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro. Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Living text
On iPhone XS and newer models, iOS 15 adds a feature called “Live Text”that outputs real-world text directly to your device, saving you a lot of time typing it yourself. Just point the Camera app at a sign, book, or document—anything with words and numbers—and hit the Live Text button to extract it. Then copy if you want and paste where you need.
- More info: Scan real text with your iPhone’s camera to copy, paste or share it with the Live Text tool in iOS 15
You are not limited to the camera app either. If you know you want to import text from the real world into Messages, Notes, Safari, and other apps, you can initiate it from those apps without opening the Camera app first. Just tap on the text box in the app and find the Live Text icon in the tool menu that appears as shown below.
Images by Rebecca Perez/ Gadget Hacks
Live Text also works with photos, so you can take a photo on the fly and then scan the text when you need it. You can even scan online images looking for text to copy.
- More Info: Use iOS 15’s Live Text feature to scan text in photos and online images to copy, share, translate, search, and more.
Applies to iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Record Zoom QuickTakes
Apple introduced QuickTake, which lets you record video while you’re still in photo mode, in iOS 13. One thing that made QuickTakes less useful than regular videos was that you couldn’t zoom in while you were shooting. This will change in iOS 15.
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To take a QuickTake photo, press and hold the shutter button in photo mode, then swipe up on the screen (portrait) or left (landscape) to zoom in on the subject. To zoom out, simply slide your finger back toward the shutter. You can also lock QuickTake by swiping the shutter to the left (portrait) or up (landscape) and releasing it, then flick to zoom or use the zoom buttons on the screen. However, you cannot zoom when you start recording with the volume buttons.
Applies to iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.
updated user interfaces for scanning QR codes
Since the Camera app gained the ability to scan QR codes in iOS 11, the user interface has remained relatively static, but it has been updated in iOS 15 and Live Text has something to do with it.
Now when you scan a QR code, the embedded link will hug and follow the scan frame in a small bubble and disappear whenever the QR code is out of view. It used to be a huge notification banner at the top of the screen that you could either tap to open or long press to see a preview, and it was permanent so it didn’t disappear until you interacted with it.
While you can no longer long press a link in iOS 15 to preview, you can tap the Live Text icon to get other options such as Share, Copy Link, Add to Reading List, and Open in Safari “.
Some options remain the same, such as inline text, which shows the text and lets you search for it in Safari or copy it. But others, like embedded emails, will give you more options, like start FaceTime Audio or FaceTime with a contact, send them a message, and copy the email.
QR code scanned with iOS 14 (left) compared to iOS 15 (right). Images by Justin Meyers/ Gadget Hacks
Applicable to iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.