So welcome to the ultimate camera comparison between three generations of iPhone – 12 Pro, 13 Pro, and 14 Pro. Without further ado, let's begin!

Okay, so starting with the first picture, I tried to focus on this Saab taillight. As a result,

the iPhone 14 Pro managed to do it best, I think. Apart from that, the rest of the scene was captured in a very similar manner on every generation.

Moving to the first ultra-wide angle shot, I can spot a slight difference in exposure. Again,

the 14 Pro wins, even if not by much, providing overall the most balanced result. The 12

Pro is very close, but keep in mind that with more exposure, the noise will increase, and you will notice that by looking very closely. The 13 Pro is just a bit too dark here.

The mentioned difference is rather negligible in the wide-angle mode now. Almost the same processing algorithms, it seems.

...so most of the time the overall color science and HDR are very solid, although again rather indistinguishable. Both in the ultra-wide angle and standard wide-angle mode.

...but indeed, on rare occasions, you will encounter that bit brighter, more exposed result from the 12 Pro and a tad darker coming from the 13 Pro.

...Though, like I've said, most of the time they are practically the same, but I can accept that because throughout those years,

Apple seemed to tune this color science and HDR to be in fact quite pleasing. Looking at the telephoto abilities, you have 2x native zoom on the 12 Pro and 3x on the 13 Pro.

What's interesting is that the newest generation is actually equipped with both of those options. So there you go – 2x zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro...importantly, it is still native because

it actually uses some of the pixels from the larger resolution main sensor, and on top of that,

you still have a 3x telephoto module to use, just like in the 13 Pro. The quality seems comparable.

...but I was curious to put this very new type of 2x zoom against the dedicated

iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto, and going into the magnification, it reveals no downgrade in the image quality whatsoever. The 14 Pro actually performs even better, I think. However, one thing I personally consider a serious step backward from the iPhone 12 Pro

is the bigger focusing distance of the main lens on the two other iPhones. To compensate,

the camera in the 13 and 14 Pro automatically switches to the ultra-wide angle module to

capture macro. That way, the focusing distance is in fact even shorter, but please remember the quality gets worse and is nothing like that from the main lens. Just look at the bokeh alone,

you won’t get those dramatic results, so for me it’s a clear win for the 12 Pro.

This year Apple made some big claims about the increase in the sensor size, so I am hoping to see at least some difference in the level of detail.

Moving to the first close-up. Notice a more shallow depth of field coming from the 13 (faster aperture) and 14 (bigger sensor). The colors on both are the same,

that is slightly warmer than in the 12 Pro. Getting into the crop, I am

however, not able to say there is any difference in the level of detail. ...Now, let’s zoom in on this statue. Finally, the 14 Pro appears to be a bit sharper... but is

it only the sharpening, or is the amount of detail per se really that superior? Cropping onto this BMW wheel – again,

is it just me, or does the level of detail stay more or less the same? Anyway, final verification, this lock – my favorite subject to test how a given

camera reproduces textures and nuances… and I guess we have one more proof that this new amazing sensor was probably a bit exaggerated at the Apple conference.

Briefly commenting on the video quality differences, the 13 and 14 Pro are very

close, and I think noticeably improved compared to the 12 Pro. Even though, at first glance all of them look similar, if you look closely it somewhat feels like the bitrate

is higher on other models because the footage is most often sharper when you pause the video...

Also, the stabilization is better, without those annoying exposure jumps found on the 12 Pro,

especially the newest iPhone appears to really excel at that, with improved stabilization features that you can turn on in the settings.

By the way, video-quality-wise, I made a separate comparison, so you can fully evaluate the maxed-out format, HEVC 4K in Dolby Vision HDR. Both in daylight and at night.

When you switch to the ultra-wide angle mode, you will appreciate an even bigger difference in details and sharpness on both mentioned models in comparison with the 12 Pro. I am happy to

see that because videography abilities in the ultra-wide angle are, sadly, often overlooked.

Dimming the lights a bit... In this scene, the 13 Pro actually came out the darkest.

Although the difference between all of them may not be groundbreaking, to be expected, the 14 Pro's picture is probably the most appealing.

When it comes to the 12 Pro, the level of noise and artifacts is a bit concerning.

In the ultra-wide angle mode, it looks like the 13 and 14 Pro were both sharper and brighter,

with the 14 Pro having some edge over the older models. Switching to the standard wide angle, very solid results on all of them and

overall, I still cannot believe how close they are... but to be fair,

looking closely, the 14 Pro is the brightest and sharpest.

...but I am thinking, if somebody were to ask me which phone is the best bang for the buck,

I probably have no other option than to say the 12 Pro. Don't get me wrong, I love the results, but at the same time,

I am slightly disappointed with the 14 Pro. Hearing all of those claims about this so new,

Large sensor. I expected a bit more improvement, especially regarding night mode and overall detail. Still, it's a small step in the right direction.

All in all, I think I'd be fine with the 12 Pro – it's the most affordable,

thinnest, and lightest. Additionally, I prefer its macro capabilities. My only concern would be the video quality, because this is probably

where the biggest difference between the older phone and the 13 and 14 Pro is.

The 13 Pro would probably be a sweet spot because I think it provides 95% of the 14 Pro's camera abilities.

So, the question is, when will I learn to distance myself from the hype about changes in camera sensors?

But really, let me know what you think about the differences between all of them?

Thank you for watching and consider subscribing for upcoming trustworthy camera comparisons and reviews! See you in the next one! Peace!

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 13 Pro vs. 14 Pro Camera Comparison!

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