Photographer Austin Mann Shares iPhone 12 Pro Max Camera Review

When it comes to testing the camera features in new iPhone models, photographer Austin Mann's detailed reviews are second to none. iPhone 12 Pro Max reviews went live this morning, and Mann's in-depth camera test is also now available.

austin mann iphone 12 pro max night shot
Mann's review a must-read review for anyone who is interested in the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ for its camera, because this is the first year in some time that Apple has introduced different cameras in the Pro and Pro Max models. The Pro Max has a larger sensor and larger pixels, plus a different telephoto lens.

Despite the improvements in the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ over the Pro, Mann said that in his testing, he could "barely see a difference" between the two iPhones in most lighting conditions. The exception was semi-low-light scenes, such as just after sunset or in a night urban scene.

austin mann iphone 12 pro camera comparison low light
In these situations, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro needed two seconds of Night Mode recording, while the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ needed just one second because of the larger amount of light let in by the sensor. That resulted in better photos from the Pro Max because there's less shake and subject movement.

Mann also saw improvements when shooting in very low light scenes in Night mode with a tripod and a 30-second exposure, and there's also, of course, the 5x optical zoom range enabled by the 2.5x optical zoom lens in the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌. The 12 Pro Max's telephoto lens has a longer focal length and a faster minimum shutter speed, so you can zoom in further.

austin mann iphone 12 pro max zoom
All in all, Mann said that while he came into the review expecting the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ to notably outperform the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, the differences between the two were limited to "very specific scenes." He enjoyed the extra telephoto length of the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ and the low light capabilities, but he wasn't a fan of the massive size that made it hard to operate as a single-handed camera.

Both models are a "massive jump in imaging capability" and Mann says that regardless of which model is selected, people will "thoroughly enjoy" shooting with the new camera.

Mann took a whole range of photos in all lighting conditions in Zion National Park in Utah, and it's well worth clicking over to his full review to see what the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ camera is capable of.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Regular iPhone 17's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter 30W USB-C Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

Apple Responds to U.S. Class Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features

Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation. The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false. In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...
maxresdefault

Review: A Week With the iPhone 17 Pro

Friday September 26, 2025 12:51 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 models have been out for a week now, so we thought we'd do a longer-term review of the flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now that we've been able to spend more time with them. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has a Silver iPhone 17 Pro and a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, and despite a lot of concern over...

Top Rated Comments

Just sayin... Avatar
64 months ago
Doesn’t Austin Mann rave about every iPhone camera that comes down the pike? Is he a part of Apple marketing?

http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-6s-camera-review-switzerland
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-7-camera-review-rwanda
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-8-camera-review-india
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-x-camera-review-guatemala
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-xs-camera-review-zanzibar
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-11-pro-review-china
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
64 months ago
To see cell phones doing astrophotography just baffles my mind!
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TroyBoy30 Avatar
64 months ago
its all about screen size baby! max or bust
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SHKLMRE Avatar
64 months ago
As a photographer, the larger pixels and extra image stabilization on the 12 pro max are doing exactly what they’re meant to do: offer extra performance in low light situations. I’m not sure what people were expecting beyond that, when the base camera operations are already best in class.

For me, the cameras could have been exactly the same as on the regular 12 pro and I’m still buying the pro max. You still get the larger screen size and extra battery life compared to smaller models.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sofila Avatar
64 months ago

Doesn’t Austin Mann rave about every iPhone camera that comes down the pike? Is he a part of Apple marketing?

http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-6s-camera-review-switzerland
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-7-camera-review-rwanda
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-8-camera-review-india
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-x-camera-review-guatemala
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-xs-camera-review-zanzibar
http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-11-pro-review-china
"Magical", "amazing", "amazing"...imagine that
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FooArk Avatar
64 months ago
All in all, Mann said that while he came into the review expecting the iPhone 12 Pro Max to notably outperform the iPhone 12 Pro, the differences between the two were limited to "very specific scenes.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)