Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I ’ve pass the last few days using theiPad Air ( 2024)as my primary camera , and what started out as a minute of a joke became more serious as I endure along . How so ? Because I equate the results with theiPhone 15 Pro Max . The thing is , to my eyes , the iPad sometimes took good photo than the iPhone .
Confusing persuasion and emotions rush through my head . Was I about to conduct an iPad around all the time ? Was there something wrong with my iPhone ? Had I been mistaken all the times when I have used the iPhone to take a special exposure and been proud of with the results ? The iPad , a pad with a single camera , should n’t be outgo the flagship iPhone ’s camera at any metre . Yet , this was what I began to think was happening .
Where it all started
We ’ve all seen the someone using an iPad to take picture . and there ’s nothing subtle about it . We may have given them a side - centre coup d’oeil and wonder , “ Why are n’t you using your phone ? ” That was the basis for me using the iPad Air ( 2024 ) as my independent camera for a while ; to see just how bad , irritating , or embarrassing it was . I ’d look at a few photos with it for my review , but it was n’t until I went to an early evening local result that I took photos with both it and the iPhone 15 Pro Max .
I involve to see how “ bad ” the iPad Air ( 2024 ) camera was , so I adopt a hasty photo of a conglomerate crowd with both it and the iPhone . I took a warm look and was quite surprised at what I saw . At first glance , the iPad ’s photo was more appealing than the iPhone ’s photo . you’re able to see the two photos that stopped me in my track below .
The iPad Air ( 2024 ) photo is more brightly divulge than the iPhone 15 Pro Max ’s pic , and it ’s this difference that work my first glance impression . From the tree in the background to the cloud in the sky and even the faces of the hoi polloi in the foreground , the iPad Air ’s picture is lively and brighter and arguably more representative of the scene in real life . It was quite cloudy , but not as tyrannical as the iPhone makes out .
Apple iPad Air (2024)Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I wonder if perhaps the lifelike lighting was causing a trouble for the iPhone ( a thought process that in itself seemed so wrong ) , so I fit to the opposite side of the crew and took another exposure , but it was the same mickle . The iPhone plunged everyone into fond darkness , while the iPad made the scene look far well-chosen . In just the first two photos I ’d taken when compare the iPhone and the iPad ’s cameras , the iPad seemed to have the $ 1,200 camera telephone flagship beaten .
Shocked does n’t even start to describe my feelings at the meter .
Looking more closely
Comparing the iPad Air and the iPhone ’s camera had n’t been my intent , but now I was fully invested in discover out what was going on . The only way I ’d know for sure if the iPad Air ( 2024 ) actually strike better photos than the iPhone 15 Pro Max was to see them on a monitor .
Above , you may see another pair of comparison image that illustrate the conflict in exposure and contrast between the two camera . But it ’s when you zoom in that the question of which is the good television camera is quickly resolve .
Do n’t worry , normalcy is about to be ( mostly ) restored . The iPad Air ’s pic miss a lot of detail , while the iPhone ’s photos are pin - crisp down to the flyspeck point . You may be able to see the Michelin brand on the gondola ’s tyre in the iPad Air ’s photo more clearly than the iPhone ’s , but the difference of opinion in asperity is massive , and it ’s immediately noticeable throughout the trope when you crop it down , from the shine on the fomite ’s body to the individual leaves on the trees and leafage in the ground .
Apple iPad Air (2024)Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
It ’s the same tarradiddle with the exposure I ’d taken at the event . The degree of detail in the iPhone ’s picture is incredible , and it forget the iPad Air ’s photos in the debris . It ’s scarcely surprising give the technical difference between the two — from the photographic camera sensors to the processor . I was expect the iPhone to altogether call down the iPad from the beginning , but this was n’t the case .
I genuinely had to look closely to see where the iPhone improved over the iPad . Not everyone will feel the need to do the same , and a snap decision may come down in the iPad ’s favour due to the fashion each camera let out the shot . That ’s not a good situation , as by right , the iPhone 15 Pro Max should provide the very good camera experience in all situations and not be beaten by any other twist in Apple ’s range .
The iPad’s camera is surprisingly good
Let ’s return to the ground of this article before the iPhone confused everything . Is it crazy to apply the iPad Air as your master camera ? The former cliché that says the best tv camera is the one you have with you hold to the iPad Air ( 2024 ) . Ignore the lack of detail , and it ’s utterly acceptable . If you do n’t have any other camera with you , it does the job quite well . For lesson , the pic of the inquisitive cat set about me was accept with the iPad because I did n’t have time to attain for my iPhone , and it depend really good to my eyes .
The trend continued when take photos during the sidereal day , whether they were close - ups , indoors , or alfresco . But despite this , I ca n’t carry on using it . The rationality why is n’t because of the camera itself ; it ’s because the iPad is too big , too sticky , and too silly to expend instead of a phone . We all know this , so I treasure that it ’s not a scandalous conclusion , but do n’t forget I had started to doubt everything I believed when I first determine those iPad Air and iPhone photos together .
The iPad Air ( 2024 ) reminds me of theApple iPhone SE ( 2022 ) . Not only does the tv camera utilize the same aspect proportion as Apple ’s tiniest current smartphone , but it also lack many of the features we expect on camera phones today , such as a portrayal manner for the selfie photographic camera and a wide - slant camera . But the iPhone SE 2 hasproven itself very capableincomparison tests in the pastand is a sobering reminder for those of us spoiled by multi - lens , mellow - spec speech sound Cam River that a canonic camera can still take lovely photos . I ’ve come to the same end about the iPad Air ( 2024 ) .
Apple iPad Air (2024)Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
No, the iPad’s camera isn’t better than the iPhone’s
At the end of my fourth dimension using the iPad Air ( 2024 ) as my main tv camera , I have learned that it does not take higher - quality photos than the iPhone 15 Pro Max , but shockingly , it does expose ( I ’d normally rationalize about the pun , but not this time as it ’s so appropriate ) a serious trouble with Apple ’s top camera phone . What is going on with the photo levels ? The iPhone has been laboured - handed in this area for a while , but when a lozenge seems to more accurately set the tone and residual of a shot , it ’s time to recognise there ’s a problem .
It ’s also time to give the iPad ’s camera its due for claim decent pic . No , they are n’t packed with item , but I ’ve not been disappointed with any of the shots when I take the hardware limitations into account . It ’s never going to beat a television camera telephone at night or when select telephotograph shots , but it ’s far more equal to during general employment than I ever would have expected before going into this .
Will I dump my iPhone 15 Pro Max and use the iPad Air ( 2024 ) to take photograph from now on ? Again , no . It ’s unimaginable to apply with one script , it has no special feature at all , it ’s not subtle in the svelte , and at time it ’s rather stymie in its noticeableness ( this is in spades not a camera for the keen , discreet street lensman ) . But I ’ve find out we should n’t laugh at anyone using an iPad to take photos anymore because , provided you do n’t expect too closely , there ’s a near hazard it ’ll sometimes appear to do a better chore than your expensive iPhone .
Apple iPad Air (2024)Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
And that is a conclusion I never , ever gestate to save .
Apple iPad Air (2024)Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
