The mathematical equation of the iPhone 17 Pro's "3 equals 8" lens doesn't make sense. However, the secret to the phone's record-breaking zoom capacity doesn't rely on the lens itself, but rather on the sensor.
The iPhone 13 Pro, Apple's latest flagship device, has generated a buzz for its innovative camera system. Marketed as having "8 pro lenses in your pocket," the iPhone 13 Pro actually features a three-lens Pro Fusion system. This system includes a 48MP wide lens (f/1.78), an ultra-wide lens (f/2.2, 120°), and a telephoto lens (f/2.8). Apple's camera math mixes the physical lenses with the capabilities of the camera's sensors to multiply the camera's capabilities without physically adding more lenses. The Quad Bayer sensor, a key component of the iPhone 13 Pro's camera system, allows the device to take 48MP high-resolution shots or use those pixels in quads to take 12MP shots. This sensor also enables the iPhone 13 Pro's 8x "optical-quality" zoom. The 8x zoom is achieved by using digital zoom, or cropping, a 48MP camera with a 4x optical zoom lens, and then combining a 48MP image and a 12MP image to create a 24MP photo. The term "Fusion" refers to this process of combining a 48MP image and a 12MP image to create a 24MP photo on the iPhone 13 Pro. This method helps in maintaining image quality while offering high resolution. The iPhone 13 Pro's trio of rear cameras create the look of a 13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 48mm, 100mm and 200mm lens using digital zoom and the Quad Bayer sensor. On the other hand, the iPhone Air, a new model introduced in 2025, has a single camera that uses the different resolutions of the camera sensor to turn a 1x lens into a 2x "lens." DJI, a leading name in the drone industry, also uses Quad Bayer sensors. Hillary K. Grigonis, an experienced camera and technology journalist, leads the US coverage for Digital Camera World. Her work has appeared in multiple publications, including Business Insider, Digital Trends, Pocket-lint, Rangefinder, The Phoblographer, and more. She is a licensed drone pilot. It's important to note that while computational photography is used to improve the quality of images on the iPhone 13 Pro, the device's camera system still relies on physical components. The iPhone 13 Pro's image quality on a 48MP Quad Bayer Sensor isn't as good as a standard 48MP sensor due to the single color filter and processing stage. However, when grouping four pixels together on a Quad Bayer Sensor, using the lower resolution mode, colours will be more accurate, details less overly processed, and grain from low light lower. In conclusion, the iPhone 13 Pro's camera system, while not physically adding more lenses, uses a combination of physical lenses and computational photography to offer a versatile and high-quality camera experience.
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