Which iPhone model can take a photo of a 1 cm spider spinning its web in gust wind at 5+ km/h?

ivanh

I am still keeping the iPhone 4s in the pocket when I do bushwalking. Over the years I always want to have an iPhone that can take a photo of a spider busily spinning its web.  The last one I was successful was using iPhone 4s.  Using iPhone 4s, I took a beautiful picture of a spider in an outdoor cobweb, cropped 1/16 of the picture and printed it on an A4 sized photo paper with its leg extended to the edge of the photo frame and hairs on the 1 cm long spider all clearly displayed. But the wind was still.

Then, in so many years, all newer iphone models lack ability to focus on a spider spinning a cobweb.  More lenses worse and 3 lenses iPhone 11 Pro the worst because when you zoom in or out, the iPhone just switch to another lens and the spider disappears all a sudden from your screen.  The optical centre just moved away!

The problem of iPhones is that they tried hard to focus on the background bush, the sky or another bigger background.  The spider in the front just blurs away.

Any one got a clear spinning-a-web spider picture?  Or that hopeless for any iPhone camera?

Mike Wuerthele

ivanh said:

I am still keeping the iPhone 4s in the pocket when I do bushwalking. Over the years I always want to have an iPhone that can take a photo of a spider busily spinning its web.  The last one I was successful was using iPhone 4s.  Using iPhone 4s, I took a beautiful picture of a spider in an outdoor cobweb, cropped 1/16 of the picture and printed it on an A4 sized photo paper with its leg extended to the edge of the photo frame and hairs on the 1 cm long spider all clearly displayed. But the wind was still.

Then, in so many years, all newer iphone models lack ability to focus on a spider spinning a cobweb.  More lenses worse and 3 lenses iPhone 11 Pro the worst because when you zoom in or out, the iPhone just switch to another lens and the spider disappears all a sudden from your screen.  The optical centre just moved away!

The problem of iPhones is that they tried hard to focus on the background bush, the sky or another bigger background.  The spider in the front just blurs away.

Any one got a clear spinning-a-web spider picture?  Or that hopeless for any iPhone camera?

It's not impossible for the camera hardware, it's a limitation of the software folding in the capabilities of the cameras with limited user customizability.

Get the Halide app.

ivanh

Mike Wuerthele said:

ivanh said:

I am still keeping the iPhone 4s in the pocket when I do bushwalking. Over the years I always want to have an iPhone that can take a photo of a spider busily spinning its web.  The last one I was successful was using iPhone 4s.  Using iPhone 4s, I took a beautiful picture of a spider in an outdoor cobweb, cropped 1/16 of the picture and printed it on an A4 sized photo paper with its leg extended to the edge of the photo frame and hairs on the 1 cm long spider all clearly displayed. But the wind was still.

Then, in so many years, all newer iphone models lack ability to focus on a spider spinning a cobweb.  More lenses worse and 3 lenses iPhone 11 Pro the worst because when you zoom in or out, the iPhone just switch to another lens and the spider disappears all a sudden from your screen.  The optical centre just moved away!

The problem of iPhones is that they tried hard to focus on the background bush, the sky or another bigger background.  The spider in the front just blurs away.

Any one got a clear spinning-a-web spider picture?  Or that hopeless for any iPhone camera?

It's not impossible for the camera hardware, it's a limitation of the software folding in the capabilities of the cameras with limited user customizability.

Get the Halide app.

For an Apple to Apple comparison, I used all native iOS camera apps for those pictures taking spiders.  Yes, use of third-party apps may have some enhancements or new capabilities but I don't bother.  Thanks Mike.

kingofsomewherehot

ivanh said:

...  Yes, use of third-party apps may have some enhancements or new capabilities but I don't bother...

So there IS a solution to your problem, you just don't really want a solution.
You are more interested in complaining than in a solution.

(Tap the screen... you can force it to focus on whatever you want it to.)

SpamSandwich

Consider shooting the subject matter at a higher frame rate.

ivanh

SpamSandwich said:

Consider shooting the subject matter at a higher frame rate.

You need to be able to focus it first.  

iPhone 4s is still the best, and better than iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max as of today, using native iOS camera app of latest version to their latest iOS versions.

ivanh

kingofsomewherehot said:

ivanh said:

...  Yes, use of third-party apps may have some enhancements or new capabilities but I don't bother...

So there IS a solution to your problem, you just don't really want a solution.
You are more interested in complaining than in a solution.

(Tap the screen... you can force it to focus on whatever you want it to.)

There is always a solution to every problem. But why do I pay monthly subscription to get an app while I am expecting a standard feature?  It's consumer expectation, not a complaint.  

kingofsomewherehot

SpamSandwich said:

Consider shooting the subject matter at a higher frame rate.

For a photo???  isn't the frame rate always "1" for a photo? 

Peza

ivanh said:

SpamSandwich said:

Consider shooting the subject matter at a higher frame rate.

You need to be able to focus it first.  

iPhone 4s is still the best, and better than iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max as of today, using native iOS camera app of latest version to their latest iOS versions.

Perhaps try the iPhone XR as it still has a single lens camera on it?