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Much of the difference between the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro lies in the new camera system. As the name suggests, the Pro devices offer state-of-the-art cameras, but the 15 and 15 Plus still have very capable systems. But this year’s new iPhone 15 Pro Max stands alone as the only model with 5x optical zoom. Let’s dig into all the differences between the iPhone 15’s camera and the 15 Pro’s camera.
iPhone 15 camera and 15 Pro camera
rear camera
All iPhone 15 devices feature a new 48MP primary rear camera, next-generation portrait with focus and depth controls, Smart HDR 5, and more.
However, the 15 Pro and Pro Max have the most powerful camera systems. Additionally, with new changes this year, the 15 Pro Max has the most capable camera with a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This lens is limited to 3x on the 15 Pro, similar to the 14 Pro, and gives you 2x optical zoom on the 15 and 15 Plus.
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All iPhone 15 devices have a 48MP sensor, but the 15 Pro and Pro Max also have a more powerful sensor in their main camera. To be precise, it’s a 2.44 µm quad pixel sensor on the Pro devices and a 2 µm quad pixel sensor on the 15 and 15 Plus.
This year, all iPhone 15 models support taking 24MP and 48MP “Ultra High-Resolution Photos,” with the addition of a new 48MP HEIF Max, allowing users to capture detailed images without the large file sizes of ProRAW. (iPhone 14 Pro also gets HEIF Max).
iPhone15 | iPhone15 plus | iPhone15 pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
main lens | 48MP, aperture ƒ/1.6 | 48MP, aperture ƒ/1.6 | 48MP, f/1.78 aperture | 48MP, f/1.78 aperture |
main lens sensor | 2μm quad pixel | 2μm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel |
Main lens focal length | 26mm | 26mm | 24, 28, 35mm | 24, 28, 35mm |
ultra wide angle lens | 12MP, f/2.4 aperture | 12MP, f/2.4 aperture | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture |
telescope lens | ❌ | ❌ | 12MP, f/2.8 aperture | 12MP, f/2.8 aperture |
stable | Sensor shift optical image stabilization | Sensor shift optical image stabilization | 2nd generation sensor shift optical image stabilization | 2nd generation sensor shift optical image stabilization |
optical zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x |
digital zoom | up to 10x | up to 10x | Up to 15x | up to 25x |
flash | true tone flash | true tone flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash |
photonic engine | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
deep fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Smart HDR 5 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Next-gen portraiture with focus and depth control | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Portrait lighting with 6 effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode portrait | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
photography style | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
macro photography | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Apple ProRAW | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
sapphire crystal lens cover | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
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Another standout new feature on the Pro model is the option to quickly change (and set as default) different focal lengths (24, 28, and 35 mm) for the main camera.
The 15 Pro Max has a 10x zoom range from 0.5x to 5x with a focal length of 13mm to 120mm.
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Also, features like macro photography and Apple ProRAW support remain exclusive to the Pro model.
TruDepth selfie camera
Apple’s TrueDepth front camera on iPhone 15 devices receives various upgrades to the main rear camera. The only feature missing from the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro models is ProRes support.
iPhone15 | iPhone15 plus | iPhone15 pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
TrueDepth front camera | 12MP, f/1.9 aperture | 12MP, f/1.9 aperture | 12MP, f/1.9 aperture | 12MP, f/1.9 aperture |
retina flash | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
photonic engine | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
deep fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Smart HDR 5 for photography | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Next-gen portraiture with focus and depth control | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Portrait lighting with 6 effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Animoji and Memoji | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
photography style | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
4K recording | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
Cinematic mode | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
HDR/Dolby Vision recording | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps |
ProRes recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording |
slow motion recording | ✅ -1080p, 120 fps | ✅ -1080p, 120 fps | ✅ -1080p, 120 fps | ✅ -1080p, 120 fps |
QuickTake Video | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Cinematic video stabilization | ✅ – For 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – For 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – For 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – For 4K, 1080p, 720p |
video recording
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For iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, ProRes video recording jumps from 4K30 to 4K60. The Pro model also supports USB-C 3 at 10Gbps speeds, which means you can shoot ProRes directly to an external drive.
Log encoding for video recording on iPhone 15 Pro devices is also new, providing even more flexibility and scope for color grading and visual effects.
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iPhone15 | iPhone15 plus | iPhone15 pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
4K recording | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
1080p recording | ✅ – 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – 25, 30, or 60 fps |
Cinematic mode | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
action mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
HDR/Dolby Vision recording | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps |
ProRes recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording | ✅ – Up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording |
log video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
academy color encoding system | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
macro video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
spatial video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
slow motion recording | ✅ -1080p (120 fps or 240 fps) | ✅ -1080p (120 fps or 240 fps) | ✅ -1080p (120 fps or 240 fps) | ✅ -1080p (120 fps or 240 fps) |
Timelapse with stabilization | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
night mode time lapse | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
QuickTake Video | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
stable | Sensor shift optical image stabilization for videos | Sensor shift optical image stabilization for videos | 2nd generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization (for video) | 2nd generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization (for video) |
audio zoom | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
stereo recording | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Another new feature for professional users is support for Academy Color Encoding System (ACES). According to Apple, the 15 Pro device is the world’s first smartphone to support this standard.
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Finally, the 15 Pro and Pro Max now have the ability to capture spatial video, which can be viewed with Apple Vision Pro.
iPhone 15 and 15 Pro I/O
USB 3 on the Pro model enables some great new features, like shooting video directly to an external SSD and exporting large files faster. Please note that you will need a USB 3.1 gen 2 certified cable for this.
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All iPhone 15 devices ship with the iPhone and a USB-C charging cable.
If you need a power adapter, make sure it’s at least 20W so you can quickly charge your iPhone. Good options are:
iPhone 15 camera vs 15 Pro: which one is best for you?
All iPhone 15 models have powerful cameras, but which one is best for you depends on how you want to use your camera and which features are most important to you.
Unique camera features for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
- Three rear lenses: main, ultra-wide, and telephoto
- 5x optical zoom on 15 Pro Max and 3x on 15 Pro
- macro photography
- Nide mode portrait
- ProRAW and ProRes support
- Macro video recording, slow motion, time lapse
- Log video encoding and ACES support
- Recording to external storage
iPhone 15 or 15 Plus Pro camera
- If the features mentioned above are not a big deal to you, save your money and buy the iPhone 15. This includes his two excellent rear cameras with the main lens upgraded to 48MP this year and many other features such as next-gen portrait, night photography, etc. modes, Smart HDR 5 and more.
What do you think about the iPhone 15 camera and the 15 Pro? Will it influence your decision? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for reading our guide to the iPhone 15 camera and 15 Pro camera.
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