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South Korea PM Urges Thorough Readiness for Security Threats at Ulchi Exercise ReviewStudy: North Korea's 2017 nuclear test may have triggered more than 1,300 earthquakesReport Outlines Health Data Paths for AI AgentsiPhone 18 Pro Goes on Sale as Apple Adds Sensor-Signed Photo Verification to iOS 27Waymo Announces Singapore Expansion, Targets Public Rides in 2028At AI Infra Summit, Tech Executives Push Faster AI Infrastructure as Memory Wall Looms
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Austin Mann Reviews iPhone 18 Pro Camera Upgrades, Highlights Variable Aperture and Manual Focus

Photographer Austin Mann published an in-depth review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max camera upgrades, focusing on variable aperture, manual focus, Pro controls, and Photographic Styles 3.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-18 16:50

The variable aperture is a central part of the review. Mann recommends leaving the aperture in Auto. He says the camera is very, very good at picking the best aperture for the scene and is usually better at it than he is. Inside at dinner, the camera auto-selects f/1.48, he writes. Outside with plenty of light and depth, it picks a higher f-stop to keep everything in focus. Mann shares examples of the iPhone 18 Pro's new wider aperture capturing the Colorado sky at night.

Mann was especially excited about Manual Focus, one of the new Pro controls exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. He says separating exposure and focus has been one of the most-asked-for features by photographers. With the new control, users set focus manually, with focus peaking that Mann says works quite well, and then tap where they want to expose.

In covering Photographic Styles 3, other reviewers such as Tyler Stalman have highlighted the ability to create a film-like look with photos. Mann echoes that view and offers tips for the best film effect. He recommends shooting dark, around -1.0, and shooting wide open at f/1.48, then using manual focus, which will make the image slightly softer. He also recommends shooting HEIF so Photographic Styles can be applied. In post, he says, users can put the dot on the D-Pad in the very lower right, which reduces the tone-mapping, or HDR look, and crunches shadows and blows highlights. He adds that the Film effect can be dialed back to reduce halation, which sometimes goes a bit overboard.

Mann's full review also covers Focus Tracking, Apple Reference Image, 4K time-lapse, and more, according to 9to5Mac. The report points readers to Mann's complete iPhone 18 Pro camera review.