One of the key features of the iPhone 7 Plus over the smaller iPhone 7 would be its dual lens camera, and also the Portrait Mode within its camera app that was launched with iOS 10.1. Basically by combining both lenses, it will allow the iPhone 7 Plus’ camera to achieve a similar bokeh-like effect that DSLRs can.
However the question is, how good is portrait mode? We’ve seen sample photos and so far they’re not too bad, but how about if we were to compare it side-by-side with a proper DSLR? This is what the folks at AppleInsider decided to do when they pit the iPhone 7 Plus’ Portrait Mode against an actual DSLR in the form of the Canon 5D Mark IV.
The end result? The depth of field on the iPhone 7 Plus is not as shallow compared to the DSLR which was equipped with a 50mm f/1.8 lens and that is pretty obvious when compared side-by-side. Instead Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus at medium distance is more or less equivalent to an f/4.0 on the DSLR, which is actually not that wide.
At the end of the day there are some obvious limitations to the iPhone 7 Plus’ Portrait Mode, which we have covered before in an earlier report. The good news is that because Portrait Mode is achieved completely via software, it also means that Apple can tweak the software over time and push it out via updates that will improve upon it.