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iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3Gs camera comparison

5 August 2009 2,905 views 16 Comments
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Last weekend, I attended a wedding and had the opportunity to use 2 iPhones simultaneously to capture photos. @warrentan had just picked up his iPhone 3Gs the night before and it was still brand spankin’ new! Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how the photos turned out from both phones.

For the iPhone 3Gs, I did use the tap-to-focus on the subject feature. All photos are not touched up, and are saved at the highest quality after adding the watermark in Photoshop.

Initial observations are that the tap-to-focus on the iPhone 3Gs also is for metering, and in certain cases, can over or underexpose images depending on where you tap. Overall, the images from the iPhone 3G pale in comparison, as the iPhone 3Gs adds vibrance and a certain warmth to the images. Gone too is the milky film that overlays the iPhone 3G images.

iphone3g-01

iphone3gs-01

iphone3g-02

iphone3gs-02

iphone3g-05

iphone3gs-05

iphone3v-03

iphone3v-06

iphone3g-04

iphone3gs-04

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16 Comments »

  • robinng (Robin Ng Photography) said:

    Twitter Comment


    excellent review…. RT @TheBackpackr: New blog post: iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3Gs camera comparison [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

    # 5 August 2009 at 4:45 pm
  • Danny Foo said:

    When I saw the iphone 3gs video ad, I thought there’d be some bokeh with the new model. However, I was quite disappointed when I tested this during the PC Fair.

    But, good to know photos are now more vibrant. How’s the video? :)

    # 5 August 2009 at 4:51 pm
  • Mark said:

    Wow the main difference I can see is that they have increased the contrast for the 3Gs photos. So far from the photos, most of them were already taken from a distance so it is hard to see the difference between the focusing mode. Perhaps try out the macro mode function for the 3Gs? :)

    # 5 August 2009 at 4:51 pm
  • r47z said:

    From the looks of the picture comparison, it’s just a tweak of curve (brightness & contrast). Not very impressive IMHO

    # 6 August 2009 at 12:22 am
  • carolyn said:

    Good stuff :) been waiting for someone to do this comparison.

    Agree with Mark. There’s certainly a contrast increase but without a level adjustment some areas have become too dark. Thank goodness, levels can be adjusted with software so what’s important would be picture sharpness. Would be good if you can take any of the above shots and do a zoom – like details on the guitar.

    # 6 August 2009 at 12:29 am
  • thechannelc (Carolyn Chan) said:

    Twitter Comment


    @ben_israel that you on the guitar in @TheBackpackr ’s iphone camera review

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

    # 6 August 2009 at 12:39 am
  • llemongrass (lyrical lemongrass) said:

    Twitter Comment


    @TheBackpackr *sob* the 3GS looks far superior. Love the colour saturation.

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

    # 6 August 2009 at 1:50 am
  • satkuru said:

    wooooo finally a side by side comparison for the camera. nicely done :D

    # 17 August 2009 at 3:36 pm
  • Martha said:

    the iPhone 3G looks very cool and feature packed. i will be saving some of my allowance to buy that phone.

    # 24 August 2009 at 3:57 pm
  • Ruth66Queen (Ruth V. Queen) said:

    Twitter Comment


    For those who missed it, I did a comparison between photos from the iPhone 3G vs 3Gs. [link to post] :-P

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

    # 26 August 2009 at 4:04 pm
  • arthritistreatment_techguy said:

    Iphone 3G is so packed of features and it really looks cool too. I own one iPhone 3G and i am planning to buy another one for my girlfriend.

    # 3 September 2009 at 6:11 pm
  • Acne88 said:

    iPhone 3G is best phone ever released. it has great styling and has nice cool features that is why i like it so much.

    # 12 September 2009 at 11:18 am
  • Sherrilyn said:

    I got an iPhone 3G as a gift from my best friend. This phone is the best phone that i ever had, great style and great features. I luv my iPhone 3G.
    *.

    # 22 December 2009 at 9:53 am
  • cesar chile said:

    hey guys, good comparison of pics.

    I like the 3G pics more. they are more detailed and have slightly more zoom. then u add a contrast tweak on photoshop and the pic will be better than the 3GS.

    I mean, the 3GS has better contrast, but its a softer and more blurr pic, with a little more wide. the contrast always can be fixed on pics editor.

    # 25 December 2009 at 11:18 pm
  • Jaime said:

    iPhone 3G is simply the best phone that i have owned. It is very stylish and its nice features. I also own an N97 but i like the iphone.

    # 31 December 2009 at 12:58 pm
  • Eugenio said:

    the first batch of iPhone 3G was a bit pricey but now the price is more affordable than before. I bought two units of iPhone 3g and i am amazed of this phone.

    # 10 January 2010 at 2:44 pm

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