iPhone 7 Plus Low-Light Photo Capabilities Shown Off at U.S. Open

After sharing a collection of photographs taken with the iPhone 7 Plus at the Titans-Vikings game yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook this morning tweeted out another group of photos captured with Apple's new 5.5-inch iPhone, now providing a few examples of low-light photography.

2016 US Open
The new set of photos were taken by ESPN photographer Landon Nordeman during the U.S. Open. According to the publication, "the autofocus and exposure performed exceedingly well in various lighting conditions -- so that even with one hand, he could get the shot."

2016 US Open
Better low-light photography was emphasized by Apple in the new ad for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The improved conditions in low-light situations, as well as crisper and brighter photos, come at the hands of the iPhone 7's 28mm 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, a wider f/1.8 aperture 6-element lens, wide color capture, and a new Apple image signaling processor.

2016 US Open
The iPhone 7 Plus has all of these features, with the addition of a second 12-megapixel 56mm telephoto lens with an f/2.8 aperture, enabling a new and highly-detailed 2x optical zoom ability. Nordeman's style -- described as "surprising moments from unique perspectives, using color and composition without distracting his subjects" -- was enhanced thanks to the portability of the iPhone 7 Plus, which provides various DSLR-quality features without needing a cumbersome camera system.

2016 US Open
Yesterday, an enterprising Redditor used EXIF data from the photos shared by Sports Illustrated to derive the sizes of the main and secondary camera sensors on the iPhone 7 Plus, also using information known about the sensor on the iPhone 6s. According to the user, the main lenses on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are nearly identical in size to the one on the iPhone 6s.

The actual focal length of the main camera is 3.99mm, derived from one of the photos EXIF data. A 1/3in sensor has a crop factor of 7.21, and the iPhone 6S' sensor is 1/3in. The math is below:

iPhone 6S (1/3in sensor) = 4.15mm x 7.21 = 29.92mm for a 35mm equivalent lens.
iPhone 7 Plus main sensor = 3.99mm x (7.21?) = 28.7679mm, very close to Apple's claimed 28mm.
iPhone 7 Plus telephoto sensor = 6.6mm x (8.6?) = 56.8mm, very close to the claimed 56mm as well. For a 1/3.6in sensor, the crop factor is 8.6.

Edit: For context, a larger sensor size allows for shallower depth of field, or the use of bigger and/or more pixels. Generally, the smaller the sensor, the worse it performs; however, we all know Apple pushes out some quality components so this doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Example: The 6S cramming 4million more pixels, and its pixel size being reduced from 1.5microns to 1.22microns to retain the same 1/3in sensor size, yet, they kept image noise performance still similar to the 6, basically having more detail at almost no cost.

The first iPhone 7 pre-order customers have already begun receiving shipment notifications regarding their incoming orders, which are preparing to arrive this Friday, September 16. Also launching this Friday is the Apple Watch Series 2, which the company announced alongside the iPhone 7 last week in San Francisco.

Check out the full collection of photos taken with the iPhone 7 Plus at the US Open here.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
Future M5 Chip Devices

M5 Chip Rumored to Debut in These Five Apple Products Later This Year

Friday July 4, 2025 9:14 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation M5 chip is expected to debut in five new products later this year, including the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. M5 chips will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's latest third-generation 3nm process, which should result in slight performance and power efficiency improvements over M4 chips fabricated with its second-generation 3nm process. ...

Top Rated Comments

SMIDG3T Avatar
115 months ago
I'm all for Tim getting excited and spotlighting these photos (along with the NFL pics).

But Apple needs to quit comparing cell phone cameras to DSLR's. There is no comparison.
Phil said on-stage not to abandon DSLR's and that they're not a direct replacement.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
115 months ago
I'm all for Tim getting excited and spotlighting these photos (along with the NFL pics).

But Apple needs to quit comparing cell phone cameras to DSLR's. There is no comparison.
When you compare a camera in a phone to a professional DSLR, it's more to demonstrate how far the technology has come along. And you can't deny that the quality is getting better and better per generation.

Not for one minute are Apple or Phil suggesting that a phone could ever be a replacement for a DSLR; not now, and not in the next decade. That was one of the things explicitly stated in the keynote.

However the quality of some photographs against DSLRs really highlights just how impressive the camera is.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
115 months ago
Not an expert, but these look way more impressive than those in daylight to me! They just look great, no smartphone "look".

But again, I'm not a photographer.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike84 Avatar
115 months ago
These are great photos, but what really makes them great aside from the quality is the phone being in the right hands, i.e., composition.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sashimimi Avatar
115 months ago
None of these photos are in "low light condition". High contrast + good dynamic (+ presumably HDR) in order to slightly bring out shadows, OK, but not low light. I'd like to see how the sensor and phone behaves in low light with low contrast, thus maxing out ISO.

I'm not up to date in iphone / iOS technology : can iphone shoot raw ? if so, what the bitdepth of the raw info ? can an app like snapseed (if google ported it to iOS) do wonders?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike84 Avatar
115 months ago


One of my favorites from the selection. All of those expensive DSLRs and an iPhone 7+ hiding behind them all.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)