Pro photographer tests iPhone 7 Plus cameras at US Open, finds they perform 'exceedingly well'

Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2016
Apple and ESPN equipped photographer Landon Nordeman with an unreleased iPhone 7 Plus for this weekend's U.S. Open tennis tournament, resulting in a series of photos showcasing the new dual-lens system for the phone, set to launch on Friday.


Via ESPN.


"Working with the new two-camera system on the iPhone 7 Plus encouraged Nordeman to react instinctively and quickly to the moments he discovered around the grounds while looking like another fan," ESPN wrote in a feature detailing Nordeman's shots. "The autofocus and exposure performed exceedingly well in various lighting conditions -- so that even with one hand, he could get the shot.

"Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives, using color and composition without distracting his subjects -- in a fresh way by using the phone instead of a big camera lens and flash."


Via ESPN.


While many of the photos featured bright outdoor lighting on a hot New York day, some of the shots featured stark contrasts with shadows cast as the day went on, showcasing the lower light performance of the iPhone 7 Plus.

Other shots captured up close details, and shallow depth of field. Nordeman's shots were captured from all over Aruthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, from on the court to the nosebleeds.


Via ESPN.


Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook highlighted the photos via his Twitter account, and Nordeman himself responded with glowing praise for the iPhone 7 Plus: "I love it!"

Weekend sporting events proved a natural fit for Apple to showcase the power of the iPhone 7 Plus camera ahead of this Friday's launch. The company also equipped Sports Illustrated photographers to shoot National Football League games on Sunday.

In addition to dual 12-megapixel lenses, the iPhone 7 Plus also features a quad-LED True Tone flash, and a new Apple-designed high-speed image sensor with a wide color gamut. Paired with a new wide color display, the iPhone 7 series promises photographers a more faithful color reproduction than ever before.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
  • Reply 2 of 38
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    Nordeman has shot for ESPN, Time, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Vogue, to name a few. Are you really suggesting that he shouldn't be called a professional photographer? Get real.
    magman1979zroger73pscooter63calitmaychiatechprod1gynolamacguybrucemcsteveh
  • Reply 3 of 38
    nhughes said:
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    Nordeman has shot for ESPN, Time, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Vogue, to name a few. Are you really suggesting that he shouldn't be called a professional photographer? Get real.
    Yes, my OPINION is that the quality and composition of his photography (not just here but in his portfolio) is more in line with an amateur. As I stated in my original comment, it seems the benchmark these days for being considered "professional" is if you have sold your work, and not on the quality of the content. There are now apps that let any schmuck sell a picture to their local news station or as a stock photo. So I guess whoever does that is a "professional photographer". 

    Sorry if my opinion runs counter to yours. 
    SpamSandwichsingularitybaconstang[Deleted User]
  • Reply 4 of 38
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    If you're aware of what an f-stop is, then you should also realize you're not going to get a very shallow depth of field out of the lilliputiann optics in smartphone or point-and-shoot camera. Apple are having to simulate the effects of a shallow depth of field using two tiny cameras and a software update that won't be available until later this year.
    calitmayjony0
  • Reply 5 of 38
    The photos look good, but I have to say that they look a tad flat. (I pre-ordered the 7+ only because of the camera).
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 6 of 38
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is.
    An eye for what shot to take and when takes a unique and rare talent. It seems like you misunderstand the job of the photographer. Just like filmmaking. An iPhone 5s didn't make the film Tangerine, a good director did—even if it's not his best film. Show us your photos. You've a decent camera on your iPhone, now I want to see if you have an eye for photography.
    edited September 2016 pscooter63calitmayzroger73nolamacguyjony0
  • Reply 7 of 38
    larz2112 said:
    nhughes said:
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    Nordeman has shot for ESPN, Time, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Vogue, to name a few. Are you really suggesting that he shouldn't be called a professional photographer? Get real.
    Yes, my OPINION is that the quality and composition of his photography (not just here but in his portfolio) is more in line with an amateur. As I stated in my original comment, it seems the benchmark these days for being considered "professional" is if you have sold your work, and not on the quality of the content. There are now apps that let any schmuck sell a picture to their local news station or as a stock photo. So I guess whoever does that is a "professional photographer". 

    Sorry if my opinion runs counter to yours. 
    Just because you don't like someone's style of photography does not mean they are not a professional photographer. I may not be a big fan of Zack Snyder films, but that doesn't mean his status as a professional filmmaker is up for debate. Landon Nordeman is a professional photographer — that's an indisputable fact, and is obviously the reason that both ESPN and Apple decided to trust him with an iPhone 7 Plus prior to launch. Your "OPINION" that you don't like his photographs is fine.
    edited September 2016 pscooter63calizroger73tmaynolamacguybaconstangjony0
  • Reply 8 of 38
    Count me among those unimpressed with the composition and general lack of creativity with these shots, even though the quality of the image (thanks to the iPhone) seems to be quite nice.
    edited September 2016 [Deleted User]
  • Reply 9 of 38
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    Count me among those unimpressed with the composition and general lack of creativity with these shots, even though the quality of the image (thanks to the iPhone) seems to be quite nice.
    You should follow the link to ESPN in the article. There are several shots much more interesting there and many show the quality of the camera more clearly. I obviously have not had a chance to test the camera, but I'm seeing much better quality in the close ups using the wide angle lens than with the telephoto lens... but telephoto, even if optical, is tricky without a tripod.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 10 of 38
    volcan said:
    Count me among those unimpressed with the composition and general lack of creativity with these shots, even though the quality of the image (thanks to the iPhone) seems to be quite nice.
    You should follow the link to ESPN in the article. There are several shots much more interesting there and many show the quality of the camera more clearly. I obviously have not had a chance to test the camera, but I'm seeing much better quality in the close ups using the wide angle lens than with the telephoto lens.
    I wish they were the real photos and not compressed shots. I don't think any of these photos show off how good the camera is.
  • Reply 11 of 38
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    volcan said:
    I wish they were the real photos and not compressed shots. I don't think any of these photos show off how good the camera is.
    Perhaps not for resolution, but the contrast, depth of field, low light capabilities and color accuracy are only minimally affected by compression, so you can make some decisions about the quality of the camera, just not so much about the actual sharpness of a full resolution image.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 12 of 38
    nhughes said:
    Just because you don't like someone's style of photography does not mean they are not a professional photographer. I may not be a big fan of Zack Snyder films, but that doesn't mean his status as a professional filmmaker is up for debate. Landon Nordeman is a professional photographer — that's an indisputable fact, and is obviously the reason that both ESPN and Apple decided to trust him with an iPhone 7 Plus prior to launch. Your "OPINION" that you don't like his photographs is fine.
    It has nothing to do with liking his style. There a lot of photography, art, music, etc., that I don't like regarding the style, but I appreciate, and even study, because I can see or hear the craftmanship that went into it. The vast majority of his photography looks fairly pedestrian and looks no different than what any other person would produce if you stuck a camera in their hand. That has nothing to do with style, unless that is his style.

    Anyway, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, which should be about the new camera.
  • Reply 13 of 38
    zroger73 said:
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    If you're aware of what an f-stop is, then you should also realize you're not going to get a very shallow depth of field out of the lilliputiann optics in smartphone or point-and-shoot camera. Apple are having to simulate the effects of a shallow depth of field using two tiny cameras and a software update that won't be available until later this year.
    Yes, I'm aware of that. I did not know that the simulated DOF was not working yet. I realize it will involve a bit of trickery, but I'm hoping that it will at least be somewhat passable.
  • Reply 14 of 38
    Has digital photo capture quality finally reached its pinnacle? Those photos are amazing, hard to imagine improving on them further. Where to now?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 38
    Count me among those unimpressed with the composition and general lack of creativity with these shots, even though the quality of the image (thanks to the iPhone) seems to be quite nice.
    Let's see your shots.
  • Reply 16 of 38
    ireland said:
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is.
    An eye for what shot to take and when takes a unique and rare talent. It seems like you misunderstand the job of the photographer. Just like filmmaking. An iPhone 5s didn't make the film Tangerine, a good director did—even if it's not his best film. Show us your photos. You've a decent camera on your iPhone, now I want to see if you have an eye for photography.
    Actually, I very much understand the job of a photographer. First of all, I don't consider myself a professional photographer, even though I studied it in high school and college (no, my major was graphic design), and for 6-7 years shot and retouched product photography that was used on packaging and in catalogs, ads, and marketing materials. While I probably know significantly more than the average person about photography, and have made money off of my photography, I don't consider myself a professional photographer. That would be an insult to those who truly are professional photographers.

    Secondly, your "Oh yeah? Let's see if you can do better!" response is very cliché.

    Thirdly, if I didn't have better things to do with my time, and actually cared enough, I would spend the time to comb through my photos and upload a sampling. But my self worth isn't hinged to the approval of strangers on a message board, and I have better things to do with my time.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is. Regarding the new camera, I don't really see much depth of field in the sample photos. I was hoping it would be a little more prominent. I'm waiting until next year to upgrade my 5S, so hopefully the camera will be even better in a year.
    I guess I am a professional as well, back in the day of film and my 35mm Nikon, I took some pictures on vacation in a national park and sent the film to the photo processing lab. When I got the picture back they ask me if they could blow up some of my photos and enter them in to a photo contest and I let them and one of my pictures of Devil's Towner in Wyoming won and I got paid for it and they also gave me the enlargements of those pictures which are still in my house today. I would also agree this guys is not doing anything special with his photos, but I am not sure what all he does either. But today most people do not really need to understand how a camera, lighting and stuff works to take a good picture.
  • Reply 18 of 38
    larz2112 said:
    ireland said:
    larz2112 said:
    Haha! It's funny to see what people consider "professional photography" these days.  "Nordeman was able to execute his signature style -- surprising moments from unique perspectives" That's a pretty common "style", even for many amateurs. Nothing unique about it. I guess if you have ever received payment for even one photo you are considered a "professional photographer", even if you have no clue what an f-stop is.
    An eye for what shot to take and when takes a unique and rare talent. It seems like you misunderstand the job of the photographer. Just like filmmaking. An iPhone 5s didn't make the film Tangerine, a good director did—even if it's not his best film. Show us your photos. You've a decent camera on your iPhone, now I want to see if you have an eye for photography.
    Actually, I very much understand the job of a photographer. First of all, I don't consider myself a professional photographer, even though I studied it in high school and college (no, my major was graphic design), and for 6-7 years shot and retouched product photography that was used on packaging and in catalogs, ads, and marketing materials. While I probably know significantly more than the average person about photography, and have made money off of my photography, I don't consider myself a professional photographer. That would be an insult to those who truly are professional photographers.

    Secondly, your "Oh yeah? Let's see if you can do better!" response is very cliché.

    Thirdly, if I didn't have better things to do with my time, and actually cared enough, I would spend the time to comb through my photos and upload a sampling. But my self worth isn't hinged to the approval of strangers on a message board, and I have better things to do with my time.
    if you dont care what we think of *your* work, then why the F do you think anyone here should care about your personal opinion of this guy's work? what possible relevance could your opinion of his work hold for me or anyone else here?

    please explain your position, because at this point you seem like just another random hypocrite.
    edited September 2016 irelandfrac
  • Reply 19 of 38
    dougddougd Posts: 292member
    As usual a bunch of arm chair experts commenting
    frac
  • Reply 20 of 38
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Has digital photo capture quality finally reached its pinnacle?
    These photos here are excellent from a smartphone, but we're in the early stages at this point. As far as we are concerned, it will improve more or less indefinitely. The cameras in your smartphone in 2050 will blow the crap out of today's technology. 
    edited September 2016
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