Best iPhone for photography and video: every model ranked by camera

Zoom. A telephoto lens is the single biggest difference between a Pro and a standard iPhone. Without one, zooming is a crop of the main sensor; detail falls apart past 2×. The 13 Pro and 14 Pro have a 3× lens, the 15 Pro keeps 3×, and the 15 Pro Max, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have a 5× lens that changes what you can photograph: a child on a stage, a bird, a speaker at a conference.

The main sensor. The 14 Pro introduced the 48 MP main camera; the 15 and 16 standard models have it too. It gives a sharper 24 MP default photo, a usable 2× crop, and 48 MP files when you want them. The 13 and 14 standard models have the older 12 MP sensor, which is still very good in daylight and visibly softer at night.

The ultra wide. All the models we sell have one. The 16 Pro upgrades it to 48 MP, which mostly matters for macro shots and large prints.

Every model here records 4K at up to 60 fps with excellent stabilisation, and the 13 generation onward has Cinematic mode. Action mode, the extra-stable mode for running and sport, arrived with the 14. The Pro models from the 15 Pro onward add ProRes and Log recording and, with USB 3 over USB-C, can record straight to an external drive; the 16 Pro adds 4K at 120 fps for slow motion. If you edit video seriously, a 15 Pro or 16 Pro is the floor. If you film family and holidays, any model from the 14 up will look superb.

Camera modules do not wear out, but lens glass scratches and sapphire covers crack. Look at the rear glass in raking light, then take a photo of a plain bright surface with each lens and look for haze or a soft spot. Check that the telephoto actually switches in (the 3× or 5× button should snap to a different lens, not just crop) and that focus is quick. Our inspection shoots a real capture on every lens and the front camera before a phone is listed, so on a QDN Certified phone these are already done.