There are a lot of technical ways to judge how good a smartphone’s camera is. You could read a list of specs from the supplier. You could read reviews from tech websites. You could also make your decision based on the quality of footage a camera is able to capture at a Taylor Swift concert.
It’s a strange metric, I know. But bear with me here.
I’ve found myself on Taylor Swift TikTok a lot of late. The combination of my Spotify history and Taylor embarking on her Eras stadium tour in the US has sent me down a rabbit hole of videos from her concerts.
Some of my favourite clips to come out of this are the camera comparisons.
Taylor’s concerts are so massive in size and scope that while you may be lucky enough to score a ticket, whether you can actually see her performing on stage from the nosebleeds is another story.
A few fans have decided to put their smartphone cameras to the test, and the results are actually pretty impressive.
This video from @taytaymichay compares the zoom on the iPhone 13 and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, with the latter well and truly coming out on top with that maximum zoom.
@taytaymichay I’m truly an Apple girly for life but rented the S23 Ultra for Eras and I’m so glad I did! #tstherastour #erastour #taylorswift #swifttok #swiftie #theerastour #tstheerastourhouston #taylornation #taylorsversion
Another ringing endorsement for the S23 camera comes from @birdie009, who managed to take some professional photographer-level stills on their phone.
@birdie009 S23 Ultra zoom capability is 🤯 #atlantanightthree #erastour #taylorswift #s23ultra #android
All hope isn’t lost for Apple, however, with @bluecheeseisfoul showing the wild zoom capabilities that are capable on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
@bluecheeseisfoul Wait for me to zoom out lmao tbh this should be an ad for @apple ???? #fyp #iphone14promax #taylorswift #erastour #phillyerastour #phillyerastournight2
You can also see a jump in quality between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro video quality thanks to the latter’s Action Mode (via @jillteee).
@jillteee That “action mode” really makes it so smooth! Was it worth it for the phone upgrade?! ((Our seats were in lower bowl and this is max zoom)) #taylornation #tampatstheerastour #houstontstheerastour #tstheerastour #iphone14promax #vegaststheerastour #taylorswift #iphoneactionmode
The Google Pixel 7 also manages to capture some very impressive camera footage, according to @Neri_HP’s experience, albeit at a lesser distance than some of these others.
@nere_hp3 It’s been a long time coming 🥲 I want to go back #erastour #taylorswift #eras #taylorsversion
Lastly, if you want some tips on how to get better concert footage on your iPhone camera, @katherinlll0 explains how changing the exposure settings on your phone can give you some truly killer photos and videos.
@katherinelll0 How to take much higher quality videos with your iphone at concerts 🤷🏼♀️ #taylorswift #erastour #glendale #greenscreenvideo
Did I ever think I’d be using Taylor Swift as a means of testing smartphone camera quality? No, but I’m ok with it. After all, not everyone knows the meaning behind specifications like ProRAW, aperture or MP. But the ability to get a quality photo while far away at a concert? Everyone can understand that.
Rest assured that if/when I ever get tickets to the Eras tour in Australia, I will report back on the accuracy of these claims.
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