Apple iPhone 4

With apps, a new camera, HD video and an improved display, the iPhone 4 looks like an ideal device for nature photographers

The Editors

Updated July 1, 2016

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As we go to press, Apple just introduced the iPhone 4, which is a significant update to the game-changing device, with features that nature photographers will find immensely useful. As a photography magazine, the first new feature to capture our attention is the built-in, improved 5-megapixel camera that now can shoot 720p/30 HD video. OP columnist Dewitt Jones and professional shooter Chase Jarvis are just two of the many photographers who have become enamored of the iPhone’s camera, and the new advancements in the fourth-generation model are sure to spark the creativity of even more nature photographers.

Cell phone cameras, which were once thought of as little more than gimmicks, have made great strides in image quality. Of course, we’re not suggesting that the iPhone camera replaces your Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung or Sony DSLR. But the fact is that the image quality is catching up to the ease of use and portability of the iPhone’s built-in camera. The new iPhone also has an LED flash.

One of the features we’re particularly interested in is the video capability. The newest iPhone can capture 720p/30 HD video. There has been a lot of interest and hype about HD video in DSLRs over the past two years. A lot of nature photographers have been reluctant to upgrade to an HD video DSLR because of the added expense. The iPhone’s new HD video capture gives you a convenient way to experiment with video and start to use it in custom multimedia “slide” shows. The iPhone allows for some reasonably sophisticated editing right on the phone as well.

While the camera is sure to be a hit for many nature photographers who, like Jones and Jarvis, enjoy the ability to experiment with images, that’s not necessarily the iPhone 4’s most useful feature. We’ve written about the benefits of iPhone apps many times in OP and we continue to be proponents of these highly targeted and incredibly useful bits of software. As the iPhone 4 makes its debut, we’re eager to see how app developers take advantage of the new capabilities within the iPhone.

Contact: Apple, www.apple.com/iphone.