After iPhone 14 camera review for weeks in real-world conditions, I can tell you it’s a solid camera phone that won’t disappoint most people. The device packs a Primary 12MP sensor with a 1/9 inch size and f/1.5 aperture, plus an Ultra-wide 12MP camera with f/2.4 aperture. Both cameras feature 24mm equivalent focal length, PDAF autofocus, and the main camera includes OIS stabilization.
What makes this article special is that we put the phone through rigorous iRepair Mobiles Camera test suite to measure real performance in photo, video, and zoom scenarios from an end-user perspective.
The testing process was thorough – a team of engineers and technicians spent about a week putting this smartphone through its paces. They capture and evaluate over 2,600 test images and 2.5 hours of video in controlled lab environments and natural scenes.
The results show how the phone fared in a variety of tests and common use cases, intended to highlight the most important results with real captured data.
Table of Contents
iPhone 14 camera review – How We Test It
iRepair Mobiles Camera tests aren’t just random snapshots. These evaluations take place in laboratories and real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects.
The scores rely on objective tests where results are calculated directly by measurement software on laboratory setups, combined with perceptual tests using sophisticated metrics that allow a panel of image experts to compare aspects of image quality that require human judgment.
Here’s how the scoring works: Photo, Zoom, and Video quality are scored separately and then combined into an Overall score for comparison among cameras in different devices. Sub-scores and attributes are included in the calculations of the global score for the https://irepair-mobiles.co.uk/product/iphone-14-new-a-grade/
.
The use case scores indicate product performance in specific situations, though they’re not included in overall score calculations.
Real-World Testing Scenarios
We tested the iPhone 14 in three main conditions:
- Outdoor shooting: Photos and videos shot in bright light conditions (≥1000 lux) – think sunny days at the beach or park.
- Indoor photography: Photos and videos shot in good lighting conditions (≥100 lux) – like well-lit restaurants or your living room.
- Lowlight performance: Photos and videos shot in low lighting conditions (<100 lux) – evening gatherings or dimly lit bars.
We also focused on Friends & Family scenarios, testing Portrait and group photo & videos that most people actually take.
What the iPhone 14 Does Really Well
Let me start with the good stuff. This phone delivers Good exposure with nice color reproduction that looks natural and pleasing. The Fast and accurate autofocus locks onto subjects quickly, making it great for capturing moving kids or pets.
The Realistic bokeh effect in portrait mode creates that professional blurred background without looking fake.
One thing I love is how the Preview image stays close to the actual capture – what you see is what you get. No more surprises when you look at photos later. The video capabilities are where this phone really shines.
You get Good video exposure with a fairly wide dynamic range, meaning both bright and dark areas look detailed.
The Very effective video stabilization works amazingly well, even with intense camera motion. I tested this while walking, running, and even on bumpy car rides – the footage stays smooth.
The Good texture/noise trade-off in video means you get sharp details without too much grain. Plus, the Smooth video autofocus with fast convergence keeps subjects sharp as they move around.
Where It Falls Short
No phone is perfect, and the iPhone 14 camera review has some weaknesses. Luminance noise appears in low light, especially in areas of plain color like walls or sky. Highlight clipping happens in strongly backlit scenes – think someone standing in front of a bright window.
You’ll occasionally see Artifacts including ghosting, ringing, and hue shift in challenging lighting. The phone has No macro mode, so forget about extreme close-ups of flowers or insects. Video recording sometimes shows Orange white balance casts in low-light scenarios, giving footage a warm tint that might not be accurate.
Other issues include Occasional video exposure instabilities and slow exposure adaptation when lighting changes quickly. Lens flare, ringing, and color quantization in video become noticeable especially in low light conditions. Noise on moving elements in the scene during low light video recording can be distracting. (iPhone 14 camera review)
Deep Dive: Photo Quality Analysis
The photo protocol used for testing is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios such as portraits, family, and landscape photography.
The evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images against a reference of natural scenes and running objective measurements on images of charts captured in the lab under different lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.
In terms of still image quality, the iPhone 14 was overall quite close to last year’s 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, but with improved skin tones in difficult light conditions. However, image noise was slightly more intrusive on the iPhone 14 base model than on both last year’s 13 Pro models and the latest iPhone 14 Pro.
Understanding Exposure and Color
Exposure and color are the key attributes for technically good pictures. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject through various use cases such as landscape, portrait, or still life.
Other factors evaluated include contrast and dynamic range – the ability to render visible details in both bright and dark areas of the image.
Repeatability is important because it demonstrates the camera’s ability to provide the same rendering when shooting several images of the same scene. For color, the image quality attributes analyzed include skin-tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability.
The testing penalize unnatural colors but respect the manufacturer’s choice of color signature. (iPhone 14 camera review)
Autofocus Performance That Impresses
The iPhone 14‘s autofocus system is genuinely impressive, with minimal shutter lag. This capability is measured by tracking edge acutance versus shooting time on an AFHDR setup across a series of pictures.
All pictures were taken at 1000 Lux with Daylight illuminant, 500ms after defocus. The edge acutance is measured on four edges of the Dead Leaves chart, with shooting time measured using the LED Universal Timer.
Texture and Fine Detail Analysis
Texture tests analyze the level of details and surface texture of subjects in images taken in the lab as well as real-life scenarios. For natural shots, particular attention is paid to detail level in bright and dark areas of the image.
Objective measurements are performed on chart images taken in various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different kinds of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary iRepair Mobiles chart (DMC) and Dead Leaves chart.
Noise Performance in Different Lighting
Noise tests analyze various attributes including intensity, chromaticity, grain, and structure on real-life images and lab charts. For natural images, particular attention is paid to noise on faces and landscapes, but also in dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is evaluated on natural images.
Objective measurements use charts taken in various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The standardized measurement includes Visual Noise derived from ISO 15739 standards. (iPhone 14 camera review)
Common Image Artifacts
The artifacts evaluation looks at lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometrical distortion, edges ringing, halos, ghosting, quantization, and unexpected color hue shifts – basically any unnatural effects on photos.
The more severe and frequent the artifact, the higher the point deduction from the score. The main artifacts observed and corresponding point loss are listed in detailed reports.
Preview Quality Matters
Preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app’s preview, with attention paid to the difference between capture and preview, especially regarding dynamic range and bokeh effect application. The smoothness of exposure, color, and focus adaptation when zooming from minimal to maximal zoom factor is evaluated. Preview frame rate is measured using the LED Universal Timer.
Zoom Capabilities: Good But Limited
iRepair Mobiles engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled lab environments and outdoor, indoor, and low-light natural scenes using default settings and pinch zoom at various zoom factors from ultra wide to very long-range.
The evaluation includes visually inspecting images against a reference and running objective measurements of chart images captured under different conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.
For a device without a dedicated tele lens, the iPhone 14 offered pretty decent image quality across the entire zoom range. The ultra-wide results were similar to the older iPhone 13. The 13mm lens offered a wide field of view and good quality but slightly less detail and more noise than the 14 Pro.
When using tele zoom at close and medium range, images showed significant improvements over the iPhone 13.
Wide-Angle Performance
The ultra-wide camera performance is analyzed at several focal lengths from 12 mm to 20 mm. All image quality attributes are evaluated, with particular attention paid to artifacts like chromatic aberrations, lens softness, and distortion. Test pictures are an extract of real tested scenes.
Telephoto Range Testing
Image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 40 mm to 300 mm, focusing on texture and detail. The score is derived from objective measurements in the lab and perceptual analysis of real-life images.
The frame equivalent focal length charts show how the x-axis represents equivalent focal length measured for each shooting distance, while the y-axis represents maximum details preservation metric score – higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to zoom ratio available in the user interface of the camera application.
Video Recording Excellence
Video tests were performed at 4K resolution and 30 frames per second with Dolby Vision activated. The camera offered overall excellent video quality and showed improvements over the 13 Pro and Pro Max in most video test attributes, bringing it quite close to the latest flagships iPhone 14 and 14 Pro Max.
The evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural videos taken in various conditions and running objective measurements on videos of charts recorded in the lab under different conditions from 1 to 1000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.
Please note: YouTube only displays the original HDR rendering if videos are watched on a compatible HDR screen. Otherwise, a compressed SDR video is displayed. The system handles temporal aspects such as speed, smoothness, and stability of exposure, white balance, and autofocus transitions.
Stabilization That Actually Works
Stabilization evaluation tests the ability of the device to stabilize footage thanks to software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any other means.
The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, jellow artifacts, and residual motion blur in walk and run use cases across various lighting conditions. Test video extract from one of the tested scenes shows real-world performance.
Video Artifacts to Watch For
Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on SFR charts in the lab and frame-rate measurements using the LED Universal Timer. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and hue shift.
The more severe and frequent the artifact, the higher the point deduction from the score. Main artifacts and corresponding point loss are listed in comprehensive reports.
Bottom Line: Should You Buy It?
After extensive testing and analysis, the iPhone 14 proves itself as a reliable camera phone that delivers consistent quality across different shooting scenarios. While it lacks some advanced features found in Pro models, it offers excellent value for users seeking quality mobile photography.
The combination of hardware and software optimization makes it a compelling choice for both amateur and serious photographers who demand consistent results in various conditions.
The phone excels in good lighting and delivers solid video performance with excellent stabilization. If you’re upgrading from an older iPhone or switching from Android, you’ll appreciate the improved skin tones and natural color rendering. Just keep in mind the limitations in low light and the lack of macro capabilities if those are important to you.
