Photographer Tyler Stalman returns with his yearly assessment of the iPhone camera. This time, he shares his thoughts on the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture, Photographic Styles, Apple Reference Image, and other new features.
Stalman examines the iPhone 18 Pro’s adjustable camera aperture
The iPhone 18 Pro arrives with numerous upgrades, such as the 2nm A20 Pro chip, a vapor chamber, and a more compact Dynamic Island. Even so, its variable-aperture system stands out as the most significant camera enhancement.
Apple has also improved Cinematic mode, expanded Photographic Styles with additional texture controls, introduced Apple Reference Image, and further refined the Camera app’s professional controls.
Stalman published his review of the iPhone 18 Pro’s complete set of new hardware and software features today. It joins the flood of reviews released when the embargo ended, including Digitio’s.
He notes that he liked the Cosmic Orange finish on last year’s iPhone 17 Pro, but it could show up in reflections when he photographed subjects through windows. Because of that, he suggests professional photographers consider Burgundy or Black, which are less likely to introduce unwanted color casts into photos or videos.
He also makes clear from the start that his camera comparison pits the iPhone 18 Pro against the iPhone 15 Pro, although nearly the entire review video was recorded with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Discussing the headline camera change—the variable aperture—Stalman describes it as another step toward turning the iPhone into a genuinely serious camera.
He explains that the wider f/1.48 aperture allows more light to hit the sensor. That can keep ISO levels lower in dim environments and reduce reliance on Night mode.
This section features several impressive views of the iris opening and shutting. Stalman observes that Apple’s design is somewhat unconventional because its aperture blades sit above the primary lens element instead of farther inside the lens, where they are normally located in traditional camera optics.
Stalman also praises the iPhone 18 Pro’s 4x zoom, which was already available on last year’s model, as a welcome change from the iPhone 16 Pro’s 5x setting that could sometimes feel overly restrictive.
He then briefly addresses the new AI-driven editing features—Clean Up, Extend, and Reframe. While acknowledging that they are technically remarkable and produce persuasive results, he cautions that their edits can be so extensive that the final image may no longer feel completely faithful to the original photograph.
For the new texture choices—Soft Skin, Glow, and Film—Stalman shows each effect with its intensity adjusted from 0 to 100. He says Soft Skin gently reduces visible skin detail without merely blurring it, while Glow creates a diffused highlight reminiscent of a black mist filter.
The Film effect’s grain and halation also impress him, although he would like Apple to provide greater control over the grain level.
The review additionally covers Apple Reference Image, Cinematic mode, and the new Apple Log 2. Stalman maintains that Apple Log remains his recommendation for footage intended to look truly cinematic, and the piece includes plenty of photo and video comparisons between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro.
The video is available below:
After watching, be sure to read Digitio’s own iPhone 18 Pro review, which features several photo comparisons between the new model and the iPhone 17 Pro.
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