CNET puts the upgraded iPhone 3GS camera to the test. Check out our slideshow for a gallery of shots.
Kent German
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
The iPhone 3GS' camera is in its usual position on its rear side. We still don't get a flash or a self-portrait mirror.
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Indoors
On the whole, we noticed improved photo quality over the previous two versions of the iPhone. Interior shots with natural light showed bright colors and little image noise.
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Still life
Indoor shots under artificial light show little improvement, however. Objects were somewhat fuzzy and colors were a tad muted.
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Daylight
The iPhone 3GS does perform better on cloudy bright days. Distant buildings were less likely to blend into the background.
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Sunny days
The iPhone 3GS takes satisfying shots on those rare sunny summer days in San Francisco.
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Dusk
Shots at twilight were quite decent as well.
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At night
Night shots looked marginally better. Bright objects were still washed out, but the camera was more able to pick up faint points of light.
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Motion
Like with prior iPhones, moving objects become a blur.
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Tap to Focus
The Tap to Focus feature is one of the iPhone 3GS camera's best features. When we focused on this light in a dark room, we got a clear picture.
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Tap to Focus
But when we didn't focus on the light, the photo was completely blown out.
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More Tap to Focus
We also used the Tap to Focus feature to produce this crisp image of a lighted sign at night.
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Macro shots
On the other hand, the promised automatic macro setting didn't seem to have much of an effect. This close-up photo was blurry.
