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

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only 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:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

Just sayin... Avatar
61 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
61 months ago
To see cell phones doing astrophotography just baffles my mind!
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TroyBoy30 Avatar
61 months ago
its all about screen size baby! max or bust
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SHKLMRE Avatar
61 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
61 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
61 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)