For photographers 28mm or a 35mm combined with a 50mm focal lengths are generally considered the most popular. Many of the best photographs of the 20th century were shot on prime lenses of these focal lengths.
A wide lens like a 28mm allows showing the broader context of a scene and also provides numerous opportunities for layering more elements and coming up with more complex frames. A portrait lens such as a 50mm is great for (wait for it…) portraits! But beyond that it’s also great for isolating certain elements of a scene to allow for a less busy frame.
iPhones have always adopted a 28mm equivalent focal length (give or take a few mm for some iPhones). For the better part 28mm has become the norm. In 2016, Apple introduced a 52mm equivalent lens to the iPhone 7 Plus. The additional lens allowed for a depth map to be created which in turn enabled Portrait Mode, digital depth of field to make it look like it was taken by a DSLR.
I’ll be honest, Portrait Mode is not very reliable in low light situations. iPhone telephoto lenses have gotten better over the years, but they still have a ways to go. However, the telephoto lens has its moments, especially in good lighting situations where it can produce beautiful photos. Its also very good for detailed close up shots like the ones of the tree and mosque tiles in the above photos.
However, the telephoto lens offers something more than just artificial bokeh. It’s often argued that the 50mm focal length is the closest to the human eye. Its not only great for portraits but for allowing for distractions to be cut out of the frame.
Having a more compressed frame also allows for a photograph to become more focused on the subject matter. There is less distortion and the photo feels more natural.
Apple seems to have taken the approach of adding a 13mm ultra wide lens along with the 26mm wide lens on the standard iPhone models. The ultra wide lens seems to be more popular for most people. Perhaps because it allows for more to be captured in a scene, but the current iteration of ultra wide lenses leave a lot to be desired in terms of sharpness. Ultra wide lenses by their very nature also distort photographs very heavily. The 52mm tele lens on the other hand, is sharper and there is significantly reduced distortion, with the 65mm lens on the 12 Pro Max, its even less.
Generally I prefer to get close without disturbing a scene and capture as much as possible with a 28mm, however sometimes its good to get a more narrower view. The iPhone’s telephoto lens is perfect for this and its perhaps why the iPhone Pro models have been dubbed “the photographers iPhone”,
