 "iPhone 7 Plus")
I’ve got to admit I was never a fan of big-screen phones, or phablets if you please. Thus, I wasn’t very convinced when Apple came out with their “Plus” line of devices. What could a few extra inches of screen do, which its smaller sibling couldn’t? And since I wasn’t going to give up my DSLR in a hurry, the fabulous camera on the iPhones didn’t sway me.
Then the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge compelled me to look hard at phones as one’s primary candid camera. And since the iPhone 7 Plus was unveiled, I was itching to give it a look, so what if it’s a phablet. Shifting from my iPhone 5s to the 7 Plus was like trading in a Fiat for a Ferrari. The 7 Plus was zippier, bigger and meaner; and a big heavier than my 5s.
I took the phone out for a spin in the neighbourhood and was impressed by the shots it captured in bright sunlight with the main lens, which has an aperture of f/1.8. I compared these shots with some similar ones I had clicked with the Galaxy S7 edge some months earlier in similar light conditions, and found them to be “warmer”; but the photos captured by the iPhone had more vibrant colours — and yes, they looked vibrant on my PC monitor as well. Both the cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus sport a resolution of 12 megapixels (MP).
Next I tried some low-light shots with the 7 Plus, again something I had tried with the Galaxy S7 earlier. Well, objects captured by the iPhone’s main camera were sharper, when I didn’t use a tripod. Using the telephoto lens on the 7 Plus, with an aperture of f/2.8, at 2x in low-light conditions without a tripod resulted in a little bit of blur. And of course, there was a lot of noise when one used the digital zoom as well — which is what happens with all phone cameras.
Next I tried some low-light shots with the 7 Plus, again something I had tried with the Galaxy S7 earlier. Well, objects captured by the iPhone’s main camera were sharper, when I didn’t use a tripod. Using the telephoto lens on the 7 Plus, with an aperture of f/2.8, at 2x in low-light conditions without a tripod resulted in a little bit of blur. And of course, there was a lot of noise when one used the digital zoom as well — which is what happens with all phone cameras.
The net result of this experiment was I did the unthinkable the next day. On a day visit to the ruins of Delhi’s Hauz Khas, I picked the 7 Plus over two top-end DSLRs I had in for review. I clicked quite a few photos at the ruins — some panorama shots, a few videos, one slo-mo shot and a few “square” shots. While I missed the manual controls I use on my DSLR, I loved the fact that the camera is so intuitive and easy to use. And it’s fast, as I could click the cars zipping past our cab on the way to the ruins.
The best thing about the zoom lens is the fact it activates with just a tap on the screen; no more pinching to zoom. This makes a lot of difference while shooting 4K videos (with no time limits), as there are no jerks since you can use both hands to steady the phone. Shots taken with the 7 Plus against a setting sun were about the same quality as those shot by my wife using our entry-level DSLR. I loved the way the details of light and shade were captured, and these details were retained even when I zoomed in on the image on my PC.
Indoors, the four-LED flash ensures you have enough light, while the 7MP iSight front camera (with an aperture of f/2.2) captures a lot of details (you’ve been warned). Apple also showed off the “Portrait” mode, which lets you give a “bokeh” effect to photo — focus on the subject, blurring out the background; but one needs to wait for the update to be rolled out later. Using the cameras heats up the phone a bit, but its nothing serious and doesn’t affect the performance or the battery life.
But an iPhone is much more than a camera; despite it being a “super phone” it can sadly be let down by the vagaries of our networks. Still, it did have better network coverage in places where the network is pathetic on my 5s. The 7 Plus is also the first iPhone with stereo speakers, and they don’t get too muffled even if your hands are on them, as I discovered while watching Silicon Valley on Hotstar.
Of course you’ll need time to get used to the “virtual” Home button, with a Taptic engine which gives you feedback. And of course, there’s this grouse about having to carry a connector along to connect to your favourite cans. And screen resolution is still stuck at full high-definition. But because of this trade-off, you get a A10 Fusion processor which gives you amazing graphics performance in games (Apple will make a lot of money off me this month; I’ve been buying stuff like Riptide GP: Renegade which I didn’t consider for my 5s), a zippier processor, water- and dust-resistant body, a fabulous snapper a battery which lasts through the day. And overnight, the battery dissipated only five per cent. Also,The Jet Black review unit I’m using is good to hold but is a fingerprint magnet, thus a case is recommended.
The iPhone 7 Plus, from Rs 72,000, is meant for those who want a handset which is more than a phone; it is also a brilliant point-and-shoot camera for those candid shots which could find place in a photographer’s arsenal. And if you’ve got an iPhone older than two years, it is well worth the upgrade.
