Apple iPhone 3G S

Auto Mode (4.0)

Just like most of the ultra-compact budget camcorders it resembles, the iPhone 3G S has no manual controls. Auto mode is really the only mode for recording video. Unfortunately, some of the phone's simplest auto controls are not very good. Let's discuss focus first. Before you start recording, the phone has an autofocus system engaged. Whenever you point the lens at a subject, the system attempts to autofocus based on whatever is at the centre of the LCD screen. We found the autofocus to be far too jumpy and quick—it didn't provide smooth transitions between focal distances and focusing often took too long. It felt more like the focus system you would find on a still camera than on a traditional camcorder.

Once recording begins, focus is locked and does not change for the duration of the clip. This means, if your subject moves, or if you move the phone, it is likely that the image will go out of focus and become soft. Before recording begins, you can also focus by tapping on the iPhone's screen in the area that you want to bring into focus. This is similar to the spot focus system found on numerous traditional camcorders that utilize a touch screen LCD. Unfortunately, the system doesn't work that well.

Once you move the phone just a little bit, the autofocus system seems to recalibrate immediately. So, in order to maintain the focus that you have selected, you have to start recording right away.

Auto exposure and auto white balance worked much better than focus. Yes, the phone did tend to blow-out bright portions of the image, but overall the system worked quite well. Even under fluorescent lights, which often give cheap camcorders trouble, the iPhone's white balance system worked well. The phone's excellent colour scores are also a testament to its good auto white balance system.

Low Light Modes
There are no low light modes on the iPhone 3G S.

Scene Modes
There are also no scene modes on the iPhone.

Zoom (0.0)

There is no optical zoom on the Apple iPhone 3G S. This isn't a significant disadvantage, since the vast majority of ultra compact camcorders are also missing this feature. The fact is, it's very difficult to fit a lens with any moving parts into a body as slim as the iPhone—or any similar device.

What most ultra compact camcorders offer is a meagre 2x digital zoom. The iPhone does not ship with this capability, but there are photography applications available for previous generations of the iPhone—apps that included digital zoom. We imagine that the 3G S will soon have both photo and video apps that give the user some level of digital zoom. Of course, digital zoom always degrades image quality, so we're content to go without.

If you really want to use the 3G S as rudimentary digital binoculars, you can use the double-tap feature that zooms in on the screen. You won't be able to take a photo that way, but you can get a slightly zoomed-in, pixelated view of… something.

Zoom Ratio (0.0)

Again, there is no optical or digital zoom on the iPhone 3G S. Future apps may make digital zoom possible, but this feature is not available straight out of the box.

Focus (0.5)

There is no manual focus available on the iPhone 3G S. Instead, you will have to rely on one of the two auto focus methods: standard auto focus and spot focus. Worse still, once you start recording, the focus is fixed; if your subject changes position, the camera will not compensate with a new autofocus. This is unheard of for a standard camcorder—even the ultra compact Flip cams and their competitors. It is, however, akin to the focus available on Digital SLR cameras: the Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i, which we reviewed earlier, maintained a fixed focus once recording began.

Spot Focus can be used while in Video or still mode.

Exposure (0.0)

There is no manual exposure control available on the iPhone 3G S. This is common for ultra compact camcorders, like the Flip UltraHD. Other cellphones, however, often have a rudimentary exposure control. The Samsung Omnia, for instance, offers nine exposure increments that can be used in either video or still photo mode.

Aperture (0.0)

Since the iPhone is equipped with a fixed lens, the aperture is constant at f/2.8. There is no way to manually alter the aperture. Cellphones and budget camcorders rarely offer manual aperture adjustment.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

Shutter speed is automatically adjusted by the iPhone. We expect the shutter speed range may be approximately 1/10 to 1/3500, but the phone does not actually provide the user with this information. You cannot manually adjust shutter speed, so be prepared for a slow shutter speed whenever you're shooting in low lighting conditions. Cellphones and budget camcorders rarely offer any control over shutter speed—or any way of knowing what shutter speed is being used.

White Balance (0.0)

White balance is entirely automatic on the iPhone 3G S. You'll find the same thing in most ultra compact camcorders, including the Flip series. Some cellphones, however, do allow basic control over white balance. The Samsung Omnia, for instance, has five white balance pre-sets: auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, and fluorescent. Like the iPhone, the Omnia does not have a manual white balance option.

Gain (0.0)

Having so few manual controls, it is hardly surprising that the iPhone 3G S does not have manual gain control. Very few consumer camcorders—least of all ultra compacts and cellphones—offer this feature. The iPhone will activate some digital gain boost in low light conditions, but it will not allow you to control the gain level manually.

Colour & Image Controls (0.0)

There are no additional controls on the iPhone. Most budget camcorders do not offer the kind of image controls you'll find on top-of-the-line high definition models. That means no colour depth, sharpness, soft skin detail, or contrast.

Other Manual Controls (0.0)

The iPhone lacks any of the additional bells and whistles that you find on some dedicated video cameras. Even the inexpensive Sony Webbie HD series has a live histogram and the Kodak Zi6 has a tele macro feature. More expensive camcorders will probably get you guide frames or even prosumer options like an ND filter or noise reduction. You won't find anything like this on the iPhone—nor on most cellphones.