Photography Life

PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels

  • Lens Reviews
  • Camera Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • Compare Cameras
  • Forum
    • Sign Up
    • Login
  • About
  • Search
Home → Reviews → Cameras and Lenses

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Camera Review

The camera future is here, and it is only going to get better...

By Nasim Mansurov 62 Comments
Last Updated On April 11, 2020

«»

The iPhone 11 Pro is the latest generation iPhone from Apple. Released in September of 2019, it was designed to appeal to creative photographers and videographers, looking for a versatile, yet compact tool with excellent features and decent image quality. In this review, we will take a look at the iPhone 11 Pro / Pro Max, and assess its potential as a camera for photography needs. In particular, we will take a look at the performance of the three cameras on these phones.

iPhone 11 Pro

Before we talk about the triple cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro and what they are capable of, let’s check out the specifications for both iPhones.

Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park
Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park
iPhone 11 Pro Max @ 1.54mm, ISO 200, 1/120, f/2.4

iPhone 11 Pro / Pro Max Specifications

  • Cameras: Triple 12 MP Ultra-Wide, Wide, and Telephoto
  • Sensor Size: 1/2.55″ (Wide), 1/3.6″ (Ultra-Wide and Telephoto)
  • Ultra-Wide Camera: 1.54mm f/2.4 (13mm FF equivalent)
  • Ultra-Wide Camera Lens Elements: 5
  • Wide Camera: 4.25mm f/1.8 (26mm FF equivalent)
  • Wide Camera Lens Elements: 6
  • Telephoto Camera: 6mm f/2.0 (52mm FF equivalent)
  • Telephoto Camera Lens Elements: 6
  • Image Stabilization: Dual optical image stabilization (Wide and Telephoto)
  • Built-in Camera Features: Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Panorama, Night Mode, Smart HDR, Live Photos, Advanced Red‑Eye Correction, Photo Geotagging, Burst Mode
  • Image Formats: HEIF and JPEG
  • Video Recording: Up to 4K @ Up to 60 FPS
  • Optical Image Stabilization for Video: Wide and Telephoto Cameras
  • Slow Motion: 1080p at 120 FPS or 240 FPS
  • Video Formats: HEVC and H.264
  • Processor: A13 Bionic Chip
  • Display: 5.8″ OLED (iPhone 11 Pro), 6.5″ OLED (iPhone 11 Pro Max)
  • Weather Sealing: Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant, Rated IP68
  • Capacity: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
  • Weight: 188 grams (iPhone 11 Pro), 226 grams (iPhone 11 Pro Max)
  • Dimensions: 144.0×8.1×71.4mm (iPhone 11 Pro), 158.0×8.1×77.8mm (iPhone 11 Pro Max)
  • Finish: Gold, Space Gray, Silver, Midnight Green
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
iPhone 11 Pro Max @ 4.25mm, ISO 32, 1/1900, f/1.8

Although the iPhone 11 Pro / Pro Max have three different cameras, each of them has its own unique features and limitations. The 1.54mm lens on the new ultra-wide angle camera (13mm full-frame equivalent) has a relatively slow maximum aperture of f/2.4, has five elements and the sensor behind it is fairly small at 1/3.6″. The 4.25mm wide angle lens (26mm FF equivalent) has the best features, with its maximum aperture f/1.8, six elements, and the sensor size is 1/2.55″. The 6mm telephoto lens (52mm FF equivalent) has a maximum aperture of f/2.0, six total elements, and its sensor is similar in size to the ultra-wide angle lens at 1/3.6″. Out of the three, only the wide-angle and the telephoto cameras are image stabilized.

Badwater Salt Flats, Death Valley National Park
Badwater Salt Flats, Death Valley National Park
iPhone 11 Pro Max @ 1.54mm, ISO 250, 1/120, f/2.4

While both iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max have the new “Night Mode”, only the main wide-angle lens is able to take advantage of it. The Night Mode is disabled when using the ultra-wide angle lens, and when using the telephoto lens, it switches to 2x digital zoom. These are important limitations to be aware of when shooting with the iPhone 11 Pro in the field. Let’s dive deeper into the three cameras of the camera.

Santa Maria Delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
iPhone 11 Pro Max @ 1.54mm, ISO 32, 1/120, f/2.4

Table of Contents

  • iPhone 11 Pro Overview
  • Triple Cameras
  • Other Features
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
«»
Looking for even more exclusive content?

On Photography Life, you already get world-class articles with no advertising every day for free. As a Member, you'll get even more:

Silver ($5/mo)
  • Exclusive articles
  • Monthly Q&A chat
  • Early lens test results
  • "Creative Landscape Photography" eBook
Gold ($12/mo)
  • All that, PLUS:
  • Online workshops
  • Monthly photo critiques
  • Vote on our next lens reviews
 
Click Here to Join Today
 

Related Articles

  • iPhone 5 Camera
    Apple iPhone 5 Camera Review
  • iPhone 6 Plus Camera Image Sample (12)
    Apple iPhone 6 Plus Camera Review
  • iPhone 7 Plus Image Sample Large #7
    Apple iPhone 7 Plus Camera Review
  • iPhone X
    Apple iPhone X Camera Review
  • Apple 16 Inch MacBook Pro 2019
    Apple Announces a Powerful 16" MacBook Pro
  • Contents that will fit in a Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Roller Bag
    Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Review
Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options
Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Apple, Apple iPhone, Gear Reviews

About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

Learn

  • Beginner Photography
  • Landscape Photography
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Portraiture
  • Post-Processing
  • Advanced Tutorials
Photography Life on Patreon

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews
  • Best Cameras and Lenses

Photography Tutorials

Photography Basics
Landscape Photography
Wildlife Photography
Macro Photography
Composition & Creativity
Black & White Photography
Night Sky Photography
Portrait Photography
Street Photography
Photography Videos

Unique Gift Ideas

Best Gifts for Photographers

Subscribe via Email

If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below:

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Beginner Photography
  • Lens Database
  • Lens Index
  • Photo Spots
  • Search
  • Forum

Reviews

  • Reviews Archive
  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

More

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Workshops
  • Support Us
  • Submit Content

Copyright © 2025 · Photography Life

You are going to send email to

Move Comment