lifestyle

The iPhone 7 Plus

I get a lot of questions about blogging, naturally. One of the questions I get asked is what camera I use for blog photos and Instagram. To be honest, I think the camera is the last part of the equation. You can get away with using just a simple point and shoot (or a phone camera) as long as you have good lighting, a good idea for photos, and a good attitude to capture the moment.

The lighting thing is 90% of the equation. I try to avoid harsh, midday light and anything after sunset is generally a no-go. I use the app Lumy to discover when “golden hour” is and try to schedule my shoots around that time. (Easier in the summer when it’s 7 pm versus the winter when it’s 3 pm though haha…)

Camera settings freak me out, and I struggle with operating a big DSLR. It’s a goal of mine for the new year to get better about it, but right now, I’m hopeless. I wouldn’t invest in an expensive DSLR until you know you want to stick with blogging (or photography) for a while. Plus, you can get an incredible photo with your iPhone.

Phone cameras have gotten better and better over the years. I remember when I got my first digital camera: a Nikon Coolpix with a whopping 3 megapixels. I had to carry it around with me everywhere (and we did in middle and high school!). Now we have a camera with 4x the megapixels sitting in our pockets… and it’s also essentially a computer which means we are basically Zenon right now.

I just got the iPhone 7 Plus, and it’s even MORE of a game changer. When I watched the keynote presentation for the new iPhones, I honestly wasn’t that impressed. It seemed like an unnecessary improvement. I only upgraded mine because I felt like the new iOS was slowing my phone down (significantly) so I was playing Apple’s game of having to upgrade the hardware to match the software. I was annoyed. UNTIL… I discovered the “portrait” setting on the camera. The photo below was the first photo I took with the portrait setting and let me just say; I was SO IMPRESSED. I showed it to everyone in the room, and we all couldn’t stop talking about how cool it was.

hydrangeasThis is only available on the 7 Plus because it has dual cameras. With the dual cameras, you’re able to digitally mimic the depth effect of a DSLR. And it does it automatically. You don’t have to worry about exposure or ISO or aperture. It just does its thing. This, in my opinion, makes the phone 200% worth it. I can leave my big camera at home with no stress now. If I see something I want to capture, I know I’m covered with my phone. I’m including animated examples below.  None of these photos have been edited at all! (Some of the quality is lost from the GIF format, but as you can see above, it works.)

starbucks-cup

pinkys-tampa iphone-portrait-photo iphone-7-plus-portrait

It’s not perfect but my goodness it’s pretty close. You need a lot of light, and the subject shouldn’t move that much. The dogs are hard to capture, but not impossible.

Convinced yet?! I highly recommend the upgrade. As I mentioned before, I was on the fence about it, but this makes it so worth it.

(Right now Apple has a pretty good program for the iPhones. I typically like to buy my phones with cash upfront, so I own it, but the deal right now is too good to pass up. It’s 0% financing– the key– and every year you can upgrade your phone, and it comes with Apple Care, which is usually about $100. I make a small monthly payment to have, it and I even traded in my old phone, which I owned, for about a $200 credit. Go to the Apple Store to have them talk you through it to see if it makes sense for you personally.)

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23 Comments

Lauren

I am so so glad that you did a post on this! I am getting the 7 plus for Christmas and I am so happy to hear that the camera is actually worth it! Right now my phone battery is dying on me multiple times a day…I can’t wait!
xo Lauren
http://www.loveandlauren.com

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carly

I have only had two instances where the jack has been a problem since I got the phone. I keep the little dongle in the case with my headphones (plugged into my headphones actually) so I always have it… The ONLY time it’s a problem is when I also need to charge the phone, which has only happened twice!

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Catherine

Wow that’s so crazy! I hadn’t heard about the depth of field! I will say that I love using my DSLR and love more that I can use SD cards and not run out of space. But it is such a hassle to lug around. I need a new phone badly, so this is a great excuse!
xoxo,
Catherine
http://www.classiccatherine.com

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Caitlin

I had no idea about these photo upgrades with the new iPhone! I just bought the 6S this past spring but now I feel so left out without that great camera! It sounds incredible!

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Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

I’m always so annoyed when Apple makes newer versions of the same product. I always hold onto my iPhone for as long as I can. And then if I need a new phone, I’ll be the second-newest one, because it’ll be cheaper than the newest one. But I have to say. I LOVE photography, so the improvements with the camera for the iPhone 7 do intrigue me and I am tempted (awesome GIFs, thank you!)… I’ll probably still hold onto my iPhone 6 for as long as I can and use my DSLR meanwhile (and the iPhone 6 camera isn’t that mad either 😛 ) -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

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Lizzie

How do you cope with the 7plus being SOOO massive? I have decidedly average-sized hands and I find that sometimes my 6s is a tiny bit bigger than I’d like when I’m using it with one hand. I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to use a 7plus with one hand, but that camera might make it worth it…

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carly

It took about two days to adjust to the size (I got the 6 plus when it came out). I actually love how big it is now… so much easier to get a lot of work done/edit photos.

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Hannah

I know people are such fanatics of apple, but the samsung galaxy s7 actually has a much better camera than the iPhone 7!

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Meg

I love that you posted this! I’ve wanted to be able to take really nice pictures, but without any lessons I feel like I would be hopeless with a DSLR and haven’t wanted to make the splurge. Thankfully I am due for an upgrade and will probably be getting the 7+! (I was on the fence because of the size as well.) I do have one question though- have you printed any pictures from your iPhone yet? I find that with my current 6s that if I print a picture it doesn’t have good quality. Thanks!

xoxo,
Meg

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Lauren

Wow, that’s the best phone camera I’ve ever seen! I’m already debating upgrading to the plus for the larger screen size (although I feel like it’s a little too big; I’d miss being able to carry my phone around in my pocket), and this is going to make that decision even harder.

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Nicole

Right?! I wasn’t sure if it was worth upgrading from the 6 either, but I knew if my mom upgraded to the 7 plus then I’ll upgrade to the plus too (because of your last review). You’re so right about the screen size, it’s amazing! Another thing I am SUPER impressed with, aside from the camera upgrade, is the battery on the 7!

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Mackenzie

Wow! How cool is this?! I’m fully impressed with the quality. Can’t believe that’s on an iPhone. I sometimes hate having to drag around a heavier DSLR. SO good to know that this is an option. I wish it was available in the regular sized iPhone 7! I’m not crazy about the size of the “plus” options.

http://www.brunchonsunday.com

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