The camera market has never been so stacked. There are DSLRs聽that,聽thanks to astronomically high聽ISOs, and svelte mirrorless cameras with giant sensors and huge megapixels that pump out ultra-detailed pictures that regularly grace the pages of this magazine.
I鈥檝e shot with many of those聽cameras and love that the technology has gotten so good. But the聽camera I use the most, even with access to all this high-end gear? My. That鈥檚 not shocking to most people since smartphones are so convenient and always in your pocket. But for me, there鈥檚 an important distinction.
Until the 6s came out, I still carried a heavier, more powerful camera because I wanted the higher resolution. The 5s and 6 just聽didn鈥檛 cut it. Backcountry skiing, hiking, riding, or watching the birth of my kids, I always carried heavier gear because I didn鈥檛 trust the聽phone to lock in on the moment with enough detail.
With the 6s however, a new 12-megapixel聽sensor passes the threshold. There鈥檚 enough resolution there to make a beautiful 8-by-12-inch print to hang on my wall (an important bar for me). Thanks to 50-percent more pixels plus other features like a better sensor, the images are also significantly sharper and crisper (something you can really notice when you post images on the web or Instagram). Normally more pixels means colors start to bleed together and you get noisier (read: grainier) photos, but Apple uses something called deep-trench isolation, which keeps the colors to themselves and the noise down. If you have the 6s Plus, you also get optical image stabilization, which helps keep photos in focus when you鈥檙e shooting in low light. 聽
Some people might聽call me a photo snob for being so picky. But I have my reasons. For years,聽I worked as a photojournalist and still consider myself a photographer (even though I edit more words now than images). Capturing the world around me for posterity was my job, so I always reached for the best tools. I still have my Canon DSLRs, and I use them for editorial jobs, but otherwise, everything gets recorded on my iPhone (and yes, other smartphone makers make nice cameras, too).
Here鈥檚 the best part鈥攖he technology is only going to get better. We just learned that聽 so you can snap uncompressed photos. And this fall we鈥檒l likely see the iPhone 7, or whatever Apple chooses to name it.聽If rumors are true, we could see a version with (where one is standard and the other is a wide-angle, maybe?) and for improved low-light performance.聽Apple is of course totally mum on what鈥檚 coming, but either or both of those advancement will only solidify my choice, and I鈥檓 sure it will do the same for others.