Apple launched the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus in India on October 7. That was also the day when we here at India Today Tech got the review unit. Incidentally, it was Friday and the day when I was travelling to Banaras, a city that is bustling with so many hues of life, in all their glories and grim realities, that it often offers travellers a chance to capture some unique snaps. My original plan was to travel to the city with a DSLR camera. But it changed. I decided to experiment.



Also Read: iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus quick review: Everything is better about new iPhones

Apple has pitched the iPhone 7 Plus as a phone that can capture great images with its unique camera - or rather cameras, because there are two rear cameras in the phone. So in went the iPhone 7 Plus and out was the DSLR camera. I still carried the DSLR - just didn't feel like travelling without it - but decided not to take it out of the backpack (and I didn't). Instead, all the shooting was done with the iPhone 7 Plus, including during the challenging scenes at the Ganga Aaarti in the late evening. So how did the iPhone 7 Plus held up? Did I miss my DSLR camera?

Now before I answer these questions, just one quick disclaimer: this is not exactly the camera review of the iPhone 7 Plus. The images that you see here have been edited to taste in Lightroom (although editing is fairly minor).

With that out, let's answer those two questions. I feel that the iPhone 7 Plus did an admirable job. And although I did miss the DSLR camera, it was more during the low-light shooting. In good light, the iPhone 7 Plus, as far as the image quality is concerned, did pretty well. Other than this fairly general observation, a few more points from my iPhone 7 Plus experience in Banaras.

-- The iPhone 7 Plus (and iPhone 7) captures great colours. This it does because it almost always gets the white balance right.

-- Even in low light, there is very little noise (grain) in the images.

-- In good light, the amount of detail that is captured is fantastic. In low light, the phones like the Huawei Nexus 6P do better (but not the Galaxy S7). This is because the Nexus 6P has a bigger image sensor that greatly helps it in low light.

-- Auto focus is fast. It is one of the fastest I have seen in a phone. And so is the shot-to-shot delay, which is virtually nonexistent.

-- The 2X optical zoom is great (more on this later)

-- Some of the software functionality is great. Example: switching between the normal angle and zoom lens is seamless. Also, the AE-AF lock with the long press is fantastic feature because it allows you to lock exposure, as well as track focus in non-extreme cases. It is very handy.

-- The iPhone 7 Plus holds up very well even when you are pushing it to limits. For example, during the 15 to 20 minutes Ganga Aarti I must have clicked over 400 photos. The phone did heat up a little but it didn't switch off the camera or crashed. There are very few phones that will hold up so well.

-- The image sensor in the iPhone 7 Plus could have been better. In low or dim light, the phone lacks the kind of detail that devices like the Nexus 6P can capture. It's not bad, but this is a weak spot for the iPhone 7 Plus camera.

-- The strength of the iPhone 7 Plus camera is good light photography. Also, it loves the subjects/objects when they are close to it, because that helps it capture great details. In challenging conditions, for example in a dimly lit shop, it does its best but that best is not enough.

-- The lens is another part that Apple can improve. Although it has six elements, the design has room for improvement. During the Aarti when I was clicking images in harsh and strong light coming from several directions, the lens almost always had ghosts. I did manage to hide these ghosts in the crowd or the bright light sources, but it was one big hassle dealing with this issue. Here is an example of the ghosts.

-- Yes, if I had used a DSLR camera, I would have clicked better images, especially with a prime lens. But the convenience of a camera that fits in your pocket is unmatched.

Now a few images. (If you want to see the bigger sizes, click on the thumbnails at the end of this piece).

Barber shop: great colours, shot in daylight, although I wish the detail could have been better. Barber shop: great colours, shot in daylight, although I wish the detail could have been better.

All doors are shut. All doors are shut.

Waiting for the Ganga Aarti: great sky in this image, also almost no noise despite low light. Waiting for the Ganga Aarti: great sky in this image, also almost no noise despite low light.

Not an easy shot, given the strong light sources. But iPhone 7 Plus did well. Not an easy shot, given the strong light sources. But iPhone 7 Plus did well.

Lassi with papaya at Bana Lassi. Shot in dim light, detail could have been better. Lassi with papaya at Bana Lassi. Shot in dim light, detail could have been better.

Varanasi is full of cheap joints that specialise in Israeli and Korean cuisine. Varanasi is full of cheap joints that specialise in Israeli and Korean cuisine.

Boy and his boat: Tough scene given the backlight and dynamic light. But iPhone 7 Plus gets it right. Boy and his boat: Tough scene given the backlight and dynamic light. But iPhone 7 Plus gets it right.

Two clicked in low light and one in good light. Two clicked in low light and one in good light.

Click on the images for the bigger size.

