Photographer and videographer Tyler Stalman joins this week's episode of The MacRumors Show to examine whether the iPhone 18 Pro's camera is a compelling reason to upgrade, how its new features affect everyday shooting, and what photographers gain or give up with the iPhone Duo.

The iPhone 18 Pro's Main camera combines a new 48-megapixel sensor, a faster variable-aperture lens, and updated image processing. The variable aperture offers settings of ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0. The iPhone 17 Pro has a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, so the new lens's widest setting admits about 45% more light, or just over half an exposure stop. Apple claims around 50% better low-light performance for the complete Main camera system.

The Pro Controls add manual aperture, shutter speed, and white balance adjustments, plus a live histogram. Users can pin their most-used settings to the top of the viewfinder. Photographic Styles 3 adds Soft Skin, Glow, and Film textures, with grain. Tyler has tested the film look against a film SLR loaded with Kodak Portra 400.

Reference Image signs data from the sensor at capture, creating a secure digital negative. The iPhone Duo has a 48-megapixel Main camera with a fixed ƒ/1.6 aperture, lacking a Telephoto lens, variable aperture, Pro Controls, and Reference Image. Its folding design offers Smart Take and Kid Cue features.