Review: iPhone 6 cameras live up to the hype

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — Apple's new iPhones boast their best cameras ever, with many features that rival those found in $1,000-and-up DSLRs. So we were excited to spend the past few days shooting to see whether the results lived up to Apple's hype.

The verdict: Shooting on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is truly an improvement, the best iPhone photo/video experience yet.

But, get this: The marketing hype would have you believe that to get the ultimate iPhoneography experience, you'll need the iPhone 6 Plus, the larger and more expensive of the two models, starting at $299 with a two-year contract, because of one feature that isn't available on the easier to obtain iPhone 6.

But in my tests, the new feature didn't outright trump what I was getting on the plain iPhone 6. The improved camera is that good.

The new feature only available on the 6 Plus: optical image stabilization, for steadying the shot and getting sharper images in low light.

It's fantastic. But the image stabilization isn't so bad on the iPhone 6 either.

Let's dive in.

The new iSight camera has the same 8-megapixel sensor as the iPhone 5s, but Apple says the new camera has larger individual pixels. Additionally, the front-facing camera has been enhanced, and both can do a better job in low light.

We shot images in the near-dark while visiting the set of CBS' new TV series, Scorpion, and got acceptable — but noisy results. Back to back shots on a Sony point and shoot were superior.

The advancement that most consumers will enjoy is a new "Burst" mode for selfies. Hold your finger down on the shutter for as long as you like, and make multiple silly faces. I got 40 wacky selfies with Scorpion star Katharine McPhee and had lots of fun doing it. I did another test and quit after 175 shots — the camera showed no signs of letting go.

— Slo-Mo: This is a gimmick feature that everyone will use at least once. But it's so good, you'll want to come back for more. You can now get slower-than-ever motion, at 240 frames per second, up from the previous 120 frames per second, and it looks absolutely fantastic. Check out the accompanying video at tech.usatoday.com for an example.

— Time Lapse: This is the flip side of Slo Mo, where the world seems to fly by at the speed of sound. You've seen online time-lapse videos, or perhaps Instagram's popular new Hyperlapse app, watching sunsets zoom by or flowers bloom.

I like Time Lapse videos better on the iPhone than via the Hyperlapse app, because you can shoot for longer periods ("hours," according to Apple, vs. 45 minutes tops for the app.) To make a really good Time Lapse video, you have to be willing to let it roll for a long time – because two minutes of shooting will produce just an eight-second video. The Time Lapse looks so good, you'll want to see it run much longer.

And here's a tip: You can't shoot a Time Lapse video without a tripod. It's a must, because otherwise we'll see your hand movements.

— Focus Pixels: Apple promises double the pixel power for faster auto focusing. Example: you're in a room, shooting your aunt, and you quickly pan to your cousin, and then back to your aunt again. In the past, the camera would hunt around for a few seconds to get the focus right. Now, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, both relatives come immediately into focus.

We tested this feature at the Scorpion set, at lunch at Chipotle and in the #TalkingTech garage, where it worked as advertised. It's fantastic, one of the best new features.

— Exposure control. After years of shooting everything in 100% auto mode, Apple has finally added manual exposure control to your images — both before and after the shot.

Reader alert: Two of the iPhone 6 camera features are included in the update to Apple's iOS8 operating system — Time Lapse and Exposure Control — so if you can't get your hands on a new phone, you can get these features for free as a download.

It's great to see Apple put so much effort into improving the camera that's already replaced point-and-shoots as the No. 1 image-capture device in the world.

But as good as the iPhone cameras have gotten, it's still a smartphone camera that in most cases will never perform as well as a dedicated camera. I wouldn't dream of leaving my real camera, with a fine glass lens and true optical zoom, at home when I left for a vacation.

Would you?

Readers: How are you enjoying the camera features on the new iPhones? Let's chat about it on Twitter, where I'm @jeffersongraham.