Gigs – Vaughton Photography

Trawling through my Apple Photos library and like everyone else, it’s obvious that taking photos a gigs is high on the list of things people use a mobile phone for. Consequently, it’s also a good way to highlight how the technology buried in the handset has evolved and improved over the years.

Looking through the data stored with the images and its obvious I was an “S” year buyer for a good few years, not replacing my iPhone every year meant I got the S version update the following year. There’s a larger gap between 6S and 12 Pro, largely down to few gigs due to Covid whilst I used an XR, I also kept the 6S longer than any other iPhone I’ve had for some reason.

As well as increases in sensor pixel count, behind the scenes improvements to the computational software used in the iPhone and all other brands has provided improved image quality from what is a really small sensor. What size sensor its actually possible to shoehorn into a device intended to slip in your pocket is down to some fairly basic physics, you can’t increase the physical size of the sensor too much, as you have to be able to focus incoming light on it and that means a bigger lens, even if it does use periscopes etc. Apple’s annual iPhone launch event always makes the latest and greatest look good, but now usually says “filmed entirely on iPhone”. That’s as maybe, but they use pro level stabilised gimbals, multiple cameras and heaven knows how much post shoot editing in Final Cut Pro.

Normal services have been resumed and I’ll add some more photos later this year using the 17 Pro Max, as that benefits from having the same 48mp sensor across all lenses when compared to the 15 Pro Max, plus the telephoto lens is now the equivalent of 100mm or 8x zoom (so they say!).

iPhone 4S – 2012

Concert photo looking at the stage from the right hand side. — iPhone 4S, 50 ISO. Whitesnake at Sheffield Arena. No lens information stored from the 4S, but low light and the image is pretty soft.

Concert with stage front crowd and spotlights — iPhone 4S, 200 ISO. Train at Manchester. Not too bad in the foreground, but rather soft in the background due to the phone using a f2.4 aperture.

iPhone 5S – 2014/15

Concert image of big screen from a distance — iPhone 5S, ISO 40. Noel Gallagher at Sheffield Arena. Black background and plenty of white light. Looks sharp until you zoom in.

iPhone 6S – 2016 –

Photo from a concert, largely red, with some spotlights — iPhone 6S, no zoom. Mumford and Sons. 200 ISO and 28mm lens. Focus isn’t too sharp and there’s still noise even at 200 ISO.

Convert photo, two vertical beams of light in the middle of an arena — iPhone 6S. Mumford and Sons. 640 ISO and 29mm lens setting. Quite soft in focus and quite noisy, but looks OK as the background is predominantly black.

Concert photo from the side of the stage — iPhone 6S, 100 ISO 29mm. Whitesnake at Sheffield Arena, compare it to the earlier shots at the same venue, with the iPhone 4S.

Outdoor concert photo, with daylight. — What a difference daylight makes! iPhone 6S, 25 ISO. The Rolling Stones at Old Trafford, more light and the image seems reasonably sharp.

Outdoor concert photo, with no daylight. — iPhone 6S, 25 ISO. The Rolling Stones at Old Trafford, later on, no daylight, the image seems reasonably sharp, yet 25 ISO has been maintained even with lower light levels, but it’s largely a B&W photo.

Concert image, lots of neon signs on a back drop — iPhone 6S, 25 ISO, 2x zoom. Def Leppard at Sheffield Arena. The ISO has been kept down, but the image is soft as its digital zoom.

iPhone XR – 2020

Singer sat on the stage front facing the audience. — iPhone XR, 400 ISO. Beth Hart, Sheffield City Hall. One way to start a gig, sit on the front of the stage with a single spotlight. Last gig before Covid stopped the world. Some digital zoom, but not too bad.

Singer at a piano with spotlights — iPhone XR, 250ISO. Beth Hart, Sheffield City Hall. Better for lower ISO, but digital zoom does nothing for sharpness.

iPhone 12 Pro – 2022

Concert image, a band onstage from fairly close up. — Hello iPhone 12 Pro! 125 ISO. Kira Mac at Holmefirth Picturedrome. No need for zoom, close enough without, but what a difference between this and the sensor on say the 6S!

Closeup concert photo, — iPhone 12 Pro, wide lens 125 ISO. Kira Mac at Holmefirth Picturedrome. Close enough to use the wide angle lens which arrived on the 12 Pro.

Big screens at a concert — iPhone 12 Pro, wide lens, ISO 64. Def Leppard at Bramall Lane. A photograph of “Photograph”. Even with a 12 Pro, plenty of black and white light makes the image look sharper.

Guitarist in hazy fog with spotlights — iPhone 12 Pro, 50 ISO, Telephoto lens. Dare at Holmefirth Picturedrome. Vinny Burns surrounded by dry ice.

B&W image of a bass guitarist. — iPhone 12 Pro, normal lens 160 ISO. Dare at Holmefirth Picturedrome. Conversion to B&W seems to remove an awful lot of glaring attributes even on a 12 Pro.

iPhone 15 Pro Max – 2024

Singer on a stage at a gig — iPhone 15 Pro Max, 400 ISO, telephoto lens. Europe at Salford Quays. What a difference a dedicated zoom lens makes. The 120mm equivalent is vastly better than digital zoom.

Guitarist at a gig — iPhone 15 Pro Max, 100 ISO, standard lens. Dare at Holmefirth Picturedrome. There’s still no substitute for being closer to the stage when you only have a digital camera.

Horns! — iPhone 15 Pro Max, 640 ISO, Telephoto lens. Stone Broken at Venue 23. Once again how B&W can make an impact. Had to wait a while to get the shot I wanted, but I knew the chap in front would oblige eventually.

Singer under an overhead light — iPhone 15 Pro Max, 2000 ISO, Telephoto lens. Midge Ure at Sheffield City Hall. Midge set the scene and the iPhone pulled it out of the bag. Even pushed to 2000 ISO, the improvement in sensor ability over the years is amazing.