Malte´s Photography

Results and conclusion of the iPhone 16 Pro Max photography challenge

Planned had been 3 month – I ended up with a 8-month test period.

The Project

Last year in November, I decided to start a project named “Is an iPhone 16 Pro Max a replacement for a Digital Mirrorless System Camera as my Fujifilm X-PRO 3”. Many of my photographer friends said to me “Are you nuts? An iPhone is a toy!”.

First Findings

An iPhone is an expensive toy. Just the phone with the on-board software is just a replacement for the small compact cameras with tiny sensors. The images are  good but the possibility to create something special, take a photo as you want, without photoshop, one of the huge strengths of the Fujifilm X-PRO 3, you can not do with the Apple iPhone camera software.

This all changed a lot when I started in the second month to use third party camera software for the iPhone. First, I used ProCamera. A very professional software with a lot of adjustment possibilities and fully supporting the new Apple ProRAW file format and a resolution of 48 megapixels. After post processing the images in Adobe Lightroom, the images reached the quality of my Fujifilm X-PRO 3. Still the easiness and reduced post processing time, I love from the X-PRO 3, is missing.

Game Changer

All this changed when I explored the new LeicaLuxApp. Yes, a software made by Leica. They used the iPhone portrait mode where a virtual selected focal depth with smooth bokeh can applied to the pictures. Leica even provided the emulation of their iconic lenses 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 120mm and 135mm. All this in combination with film emulsion looks (simulations) enabled me to setup the iPhone Camera to take pictures with the look and style I wanted. All this got very close to the experience I had with my loved Fujifilm X-PRO 3.

I would say perfect if there would not have been one other criteria that is so important to me during the creative process of taking pictures, the touch and feel of holding a camera in my hands. Haptic is so important to me. Pressing a release button, selecting the size of the diaphragm with an adjustment wheel and holding comfortable the camera/iPhone without getting a cramp in my hand. All this I have been missing while using the iPhone 16 Pro Max for taking pictures.

The Last Missing Point

The photographic experience with the iPhone changed so much when I started to use the iPhone Grip of Fjorden. A grip connected to the iPhone that offered a real two step release button, an adjustment wheel to choose the virtual aperture, a leveler that allows to change the chosen lens simulation and focal length and even a Fn button to assign freely to an additional function. Also, this Grip offers a good hand feeling of holding the iPhone like a real camera. I have chosen the original Fjorden iPhone cover which allows to connect the Grip strong to the iPhone. The mag safe connector is easy to mount but is not giving a robust feeling as I need it holding a 2000€ iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB.

Verdict

All in all, the combination of iPhone 16 Pro Max, LeicaLuxApp and Fjorden Grip is a real alternative to a real camera in the daily shooting situation providing, supported by the great cameras of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, great images at least good enough for A4 format photo prints and any social media. All this without spending hours on any image processing software on PC, iPad or even iPhone. I am very sure during my next business trip to the Americas or Asia I will leave my Fujifilm X-PRO 3 at home and will come back with a bunch of great images.

To confirm that findings I will start some weeks of using intensively again my Fujifilm X-PRO 3 with various lenses. I will be back with that experience in 30 days of now.

I added to this project report/conclusion a list of my best images made in the last 8 month. Please have a look and you are very welcome to tell me your opinion.