The ultrawide lens.
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Here’s an index of the iPhone 11 Pro pieces:
Part I – The revolution realized
Part II – Upgrading
Part III – The ultrawide lens
Part IV – The Normal lens
Part V – The Telephoto lens
Part VI – The Focos app
Part VII – Quirks and anomalies
Part VIII – HDR and the Night Mode
Part IX – The digital zoom function
Part X – A lens correction profile for the ultrawide optic
The ultrawide lens – available in both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro – is thrilling. There’s no other way to say it. Apple claims the 1.54mm focal length (1.54mm!) figures to 13mm Full Frame Equivalent and comparing it to defished images from the 7.5mm Rokinon fisheye on MFT, which computes to 12mm FFE, I can confirm that’s pretty accurate. It’s very wide indeed. It’s also very fast at f/2.4 – faster than anything for FF or MFT at that focal length.
Such limitations as exist are unimportant in use. It’s fixed focus, which is fine because at 1.54mm everything is sharp all the time. It does not work in Night Mode and I have to think it’s a matter of time before Apple fixes that. The 2x Telephoto does not work in Night Mode either, the camera using digital zooming to fool you into thinking that the 2x lens is being used. Apple does not correct barrel distortion, unlike with the other two lenses, in camera. It’s easily done in post processing if it matters, and on straight lines near the edge of the frame the distortion is serious. The ultrawide does not work in Portrait mode – the one which blurs backgrounds – but that’s hardly important to have.
Uncorrected:
Corrected in Lightroom:
Lightroom settings for best correction:
You can see that the simple spherical correction in LR does not quite cut it, leaving vestiges of ‘mustache’ type non-linearity; accordingly I have created a custom lens correction profile using Adobe’s tools. This does it right and you can read about it and see results here.
I have had no problems with fingers intruding into the frame. Here’s how the lens assembly looks in my credit card case, which not only protects the lenses but also materially enhances the poor handling ergonomics of the iPhone:
The shutter button (the volume ‘Up’ key) is on the other side of the lens assembly, which moves your fingers out of the way.
Here are some images snapped yesterday using the ultrawide lens.
Straight into the sun. Minimal flare, no ghosting.
The ultrawide is a thriller – it’s really, really wide.
Barrel distortion removed in LR here. You can find Apple Store sales clerks here during their spare time.
Barrel distortion removed in LR here.
Barrel distortion removed in LR here.
Straight out of camera.
Straight out of camera.
Straight out of camera.
Center definition is everything you could ever wish for. Extreme edges compare favorably with those from the Panny GX7/Rokinon fish-eye, which is to say they are very good indeed.
The superb ultrawide lens in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro is reason enough, right there, to buy the device. Scummy realtors who charge 6% to show buyers the bathroom will be lining up for it. “Look at the huge open spaces” (sucker).
Notice that Apple has finally toned down its formerly aggressive azure skies, which now look far more natural.