In this video I teamed up with Tyler from Fanny Pack Photographers to put the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera up against the iPhone 11 Pro and answer the big question: is it a massive upgrade? First impression—this phone is giant. I’ve always preferred the smaller form factor for pocketability and one-handed use, but Apple basically forced the Pro Max if you want the extra camera features, specifically the new sensor-shift stabilization (stabilizing the sensor instead of just the lens). The biggest real-world difference I saw was in low light. Indoors and under artificial lighting, the 12 Pro Max looks more natural with better color correction, and I’m seeing less noise in the shadows—especially on the standard 1x lens, where Apple clearly put in the work. Wide and tele improve too, but the zoom lens is still the weakest in really dark scenes. For video, Dolby Vision 10-bit HDR looks phenomenal, but if you edit in Final Cut Pro you’ll need to set your library/project for HDR or the footage can look blown out. Bottom line: the 11 Pro is still excellent, so if you’re on a budget, don’t upgrade just for the camera. But if you were thinking about buying a point-and-shoot, I’d seriously consider putting that money toward the 12 Pro Max instead.