Anybody else disappointed with the iPhone 8 camera?

[iMore Question]

Positives -

* It's faster... it focuses a bit faster and the shutter is a bit faster.

* In general (though not always), medium to low-light shots are improved.

Negatives, or just uncertainties -

* Ooverly processed photos - they're muddy and unnaturally sharpened.

* Unrealistic colors - they've clearly taken a page from Samsung and increased the warmth and "pop" to a level that is somewhat unnatural... not as bad as Samsung, but still not great.

Honestly to me, the image quality seems like a step backwards. The 7 was headed this direction (IMHO the 6S was the best/most natural with minimal post-processing), but the 8 took it to another level in terms of processing and sharpening.

Am I alone in my thinking here?

 

[Rob Phillips]

So this is the thing...The average consumer isn’t exactly looking for the most color accurate photo. They aren’t looking for something so oversaturated that it looks unnatural either though. I think most users are looking for photos that simply look good and that they enjoy looking at and if turning up the saturation dial a bit accomplishes that then so be it. Apple is definitely trying to strike a balance, and I’m perfectly fine with it.

By the way, this is a great topic. I might recommend joining the forum so you can take part in ongoing discussion!

 

[TripleOne]

Of course not!
I’m quiet impressed with it.

 

[tnt4]

So this is the thing...The average consumer isn’t exactly looking for the most color accurate photo. They aren’t looking for something so oversaturated that it looks unnatural either though. I think most users are looking for photos that simply look good and that they enjoy looking at and if turning up the saturation dial a bit accomplishes that then so be it. Apple is definitely trying to strike a balance, and I’m perfectly fine with it.

By the way, this is a great topic. I might recommend joining the forum so you can take part in ongoing discussion!

I'm actually a member already - I just didn't realize I wasn't logged in when I posted that.

And I guess you're right - and that's one reason Samsung is so successful. I'm just so used to the natural photos from my 6S and (albeit less-so) 7, these don't feel great to me so far. I'm sure over time my eyes will adjust and it will be fine, it just doesn't feel like an improvement to me in general.

 

[Sherry_B]

Coming from the 6s, I am floored and extremely happy with the image quality of the photos coming from my 8 Plus. Of course, I'm viewing them from gaming monitors on a computer, so color and image quality is really nice.

 

[Just_Me_D]

I’m thoroughly satisfied with the camera on my iPhone 8.

 

[tnt4]

I ended up exchanging for an 8 Plus - wanted the extra battery life and additional camera features. It's growing on me. It's so strong in some situations, just seems a bit inconsistent at times, which will likely smooth out over time.

 

[TripleOne]

I ended up exchanging for an 8 Plus - wanted the extra battery life and additional camera features. It's growing on me. It's so strong in some situations, just seems a bit inconsistent at times, which will likely smooth out over time.

Congrats!
I love the Plus for its battery life as well as the dual camera system.

 

[tr1ad]

I'm ok with the camera except for the compression ratio.. previous OS versions did it better