iPhone 8 Plus Camera Review – Enhanced Portrait Lighting Capabilities

Features:

The iPhone 8 Plus continued Apple’s dual-lens tradition, building on the success of the iPhone 7 Plus while introducing a new Portrait Lighting feature that elevated portrait photography. The camera system was designed to offer more professional-looking shots, particularly when capturing people.

• 12MP Dual-Lens System: The iPhone 8 Plus featured a 12MP wide-angle lens (f/1.8) and a 12MP telephoto lens (f/2.8), allowing for 2x optical zoom and the much-loved Portrait Mode.
• Portrait Lighting: An evolution of Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting added studio-quality lighting effects to photos. It used machine learning to simulate different lighting scenarios, offering five lighting effects, including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, and Stage Mono.
• Optical Image Stabilization (OIS): OIS was included on the wide-angle lens, helping to produce steady shots and videos, especially in low-light conditions.
• Quad-LED True Tone Flash with Slow Sync: The improved True Tone Flash offered more even lighting with warmer tones, especially in night photography.
• 4K Video at 60fps: Like the iPhone 8, the 8 Plus could shoot 4K video at 60fps, providing incredibly smooth and high-resolution video recording.

Reviews:

The iPhone 8 Plus was widely praised for refining Portrait Mode with its new Portrait Lighting feature. Reviewers noted that this made portraits look more professional, with effects that were previously only achievable with high-end photography equipment. The dual-lens system continued to impress, particularly with its optical zoom and the versatility it provided.

Pros:

• Portrait Lighting: This feature added significant creative control over portraits, allowing users to simulate professional lighting setups without the need for external equipment. The five effects, especially Stage Lighting, gave portraits a dramatic flair.
• Dual-Lens Versatility: The combination of a wide-angle and telephoto lens provided flexibility for both portrait photography and zooming in on subjects, all while maintaining high image quality.
• Improved Low-Light Performance: With the help of OIS and the faster f/1.8 wide-angle lens, low-light performance was improved, delivering clearer and brighter photos.
• 4K Video at 60fps: The ability to record 4K video at a high frame rate ensured that the iPhone 8 Plus was not just a great still camera but also a capable video tool.

Cons:

• Portrait Lighting Edge Detection: While impressive, Portrait Lighting sometimes struggled with detecting edges of subjects, particularly with hair or complex backgrounds, resulting in occasional imperfections.
• Limited Low-Light Performance on Telephoto Lens: Like previous models, the telephoto lens had a smaller f/2.8 aperture, which limited its effectiveness in low-light environments.
• Incremental Upgrade: Although the Portrait Lighting feature was a valuable addition, the overall camera system felt like an incremental upgrade compared to the iPhone 7 Plus, especially for users not focused on portrait photography.

Benefits:

For users who love portrait photography, the iPhone 8 Plus was a significant step forward, thanks to the enhanced Portrait Lighting feature. This made it possible to capture professional-looking shots with creative lighting effects that brought subjects to life. The dual-lens system also provided a versatile photography experience, with optical zoom and steady shots in low-light settings.

Conclusion:

The iPhone 8 Plus built on the strengths of its predecessor, refining the dual-lens system and introducing the new Portrait Lighting feature. This addition made the device a must-have for users who enjoyed portrait photography, offering a suite of lighting effects that transformed ordinary photos into stunning portraits. While it may not have represented a revolutionary leap, the iPhone 8 Plus’ camera solidified Apple’s reputation for delivering professional-quality tools in a smartphone, making it an excellent choice for photography enthusiasts.