iPhone 17: A Photographer's Review by Tyler Stalman

9/18/2025 ISO 1200 Magazine 1 Comments

The line between professional cameras and the devices in our pockets continues to blur. The new iPhone 17 series—including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air—brings significant updates that photographers and filmmakers need to know about. This review cuts to the chase, analyzing the most critical features and telling you exactly what matters from a creative perspective.

Key Upgrades for Photographers and Filmmakers

The iPhone 17 isn't just a minor refresh. Here are the standout features that caught our attention:

All-New Selfie Camera: All models now feature a new, larger 18-megapixel square sensor on the front-facing camera. This means better low-light performance and the ability to shoot vertical or horizontal content without awkward reorientation.
Simplified Camera App: The new iOS 26 brings a redesigned, more intuitive camera app interface. It's a cleaner, more streamlined experience that lets you focus on the shot.
iPhone 17 Pro’s New Telephoto Lens: The zoom lens on the Pro model has shifted from 5x to a more versatile 8x (100mm equivalent). This focal length is a favorite for portrait and street photography, offering a more natural compression.
Enhanced Video Features: For professionals, the iPhone 17 Pro introduces Genlock for multi-camera syncing and Apple Log 2 for greater dynamic range in post-production. These features solidify the iPhone as a serious tool for high-end video creators.

Should You Upgrade? A Quick Guide

Based on the video's insights, here’s our recommendation on who should consider the upgrade:

For Selfie Camera Enthusiasts: The improvements are so significant that it's a worthwhile upgrade if the front-facing camera is a key part of your workflow.
For iPhone 15 Pro Users (or older): The new models, specifically the Pro, offer the highly efficient lossy DNG RAW format. This provides great editing flexibility with smaller file sizes, a huge plus for storage management.
For Video Creators on iPhone 14: Upgrading to an iPhone 15 Pro or newer gives you access to Apple Log, a game-changing feature for video quality and color grading.

Images and video via Tyler Stalman