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There are strong voices who want to take beautiful pictures even with a compact iPhone and share them on SNS, and want to keep daily records with vivid pictures. Therefore, the camera function of the iPhone 13 mini has steadily evolved from the previous model, and it is different from the iPhone SE (2nd generation), which has the same camera function as the iPhone 8.
Two lenses
The iPhone 13 mini is equipped with two lenses, a wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens, and the iPhone SE (2nd generation) is equipped with one wide-angle lens. Therefore, the 13 mini can shoot with a wider angle of view than the SE.
The above two pictures are taken with 13 mini wide-angle lens and ultra-wide-angle lens respectively. I shot from the same shooting location and at the same angle, but with an ultra-wide-angle lens, the range that can be shot is greatly expanded. Due to the shooting location, it was a disappointing photo that only the surrounding trees were reflected even when shooting with a super wide-angle lens, but the difference in angle of view greatly changes the impression of the photo even if it is shot from the same place.
By the way, the above picture was taken with SE. The range shown in the first shot of the 13 mini is not so different, but the focal length is slightly different (13 mini: 26mm, SE: 28mm), so the shooting range is slightly narrower in the SE. I am.
Photo brightness
The 13 mini lens (wide-angle) has an f-number of 1.6 and the SE has an f-number of 1.8, so the 13 mini can take brighter pictures. Also, even if you shoot under the same conditions, the ISO sensitivity that is automatically set differs between the 13 mini and SE. Perhaps because of these differences, the photos taken with the 13 mini and the photos taken with the SE will have subtle differences in the finished product even if they are taken with the same 12MP digital camera.
The above picture is the pizza taken with 13 mini on the top and the pizza taken with SE on the bottom. No editing has been done after shooting, but you can see subtle color differences. The pizza taken with the 13 mini vividly reproduces the yellow of the cone and the red of the ketchup, and the photo taken with the SE is slightly darker and has a slightly dull hue. It seems that the 13 mini can take more impressive pictures that are easily evaluated on SNS.
In addition, the Deep Fusion function, which was only available on the Pro model in the iPhone 12 series, is also included in the 13 mini, which plays a role in making photos even clearer. This point will also make a difference from the pictures taken with SE.
Difference in close-up
As mentioned above, the f-number of the lens differs between the 13 mini and SE, and this difference appears in the difference in the image when taking a picture when approaching the subject. The 13 mini lens with an f-number of 1.6 can shoot at a depth of field shallower than SE (f-number 1.8), and can be expected to have the effect of making a focused subject stand out from the surroundings.
The photo was taken close to a small flower, with the top 13 mini and the bottom SE. This is also a photo that has not been edited at all, but the colors are slightly different. And you can see that the bokeh of the flowers behind is also different.
If you enlarge the flower behind, you can see that the degree of blurring is stronger at 13 mini (left). The subtle differences between the 13 mini and SE lenses also make a clear difference in the finish of the pictures taken.
Night mode
13 mini supports night mode installed from iPhone 11. This mode is not supported by SE, and there is a big difference between the pictures taken in a dark environment with both models. In a dark place, the camera app automatically switches to night mode and shoots, but in night mode, you can take multiple photos with one shutter operation and automatically combine them to make bright and clear photos even at night. It is a mechanism that allows you to take pictures.
The top two photos were taken with the 13 mini, and the bottom two photos were taken with the SE. This is also unedited, but the difference is clear. Night mode clearly projects bright areas and reproduces dark areas without trying to force them to brighten. On the other hand, the photos taken with SE are blurred in both bright and dark places, probably because of noise processing. Since the shutter speed is slow when shooting at night, it is the same that you have to hold the iPhone firmly to reduce camera shake, but it is equipped with a night mode that allows you to take clear pictures even at night without the user being aware of it. It may be the merit of 13 mini.
There is a clear difference in performance even with compact models
Comparing the camera functions, the difference between iPhone 13 mini and iPhone SE (2nd generation) is clear.[Comparison of actual machines]As compared with the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone SE (2nd generation) -main unit specifications, the difference in specifications is also large. It is a fact that the difference is directly reflected in the price difference (12 mini: 86,800 yen, SE: 49,800 yen). The price of the main unit is a little high, but whether to fully enjoy the functions and performance of the latest model with the iPhone 13 mini, or to keep the purchase price down and thoroughly use the standard functions of the iPhone SE (2nd generation), this time I hope that the comparative article will help you make that choice.
(KAZ)
I want to read together iPhone 13 series related special feature
Source: iPhone Mania