Apple doesn’t compromise on the camera and video package for this phone. It’s just as capable as the Pro Max, which makes the iPhone 17 Pro a compact dynamo at capturing your content.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The phone has a triple 48MP Fusion camera system. You get a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 48MP telephoto camera with up to 4x true optical zoom. Each of these cameras blends 48MP and 12MP images to create 24MP photos. You can choose from several different file formats (HEIF, JPEG, DNG) and resolutions (24MP and 48MP).
You can take advantage of the Camera app’s simplified user interface to quickly shoot photos and record video, or dive into the settings tools to access photography styles, alternate shooting modes, or make adjustments to the app’s performance. I like that the Camera Control is a little more responsive than on the iPhone 16 Pro. It feels like it launches the camera quicker.
These three cameras give you the photographic equivalent of a 13mm to 200mm zoom range, which covers the vast bulk of scenes you might need to capture. I’m sure you’ll be delighted by the final results, which are sharp, have vibrant color, and provide just the right amount of detail in the shadows and highlights.
0.5x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
1x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
2x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
4x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
You also get nice close-up results using the automatic portrait and automatic macro modes, as revealed in these samples. I really like the color in these shots, which is 100% accurate to what my eyes saw in real life.
Macro mode (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Potrait mode (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Apple has introduced something new with the 17 Pro’s selfie camera. Called the Center Stage camera, the front-facing 18MP shooter ditches the standard 4:3 aspect ratio sensor for a square 1:1 aspect ratio. This allows the sensor to crop the image based on Apple’s programming, enabling you to take landscape or portrait-oriented photos regardless of how you’re holding the phone. It’s as simple as toggling an on-screen button. Combined with the zoomed and wide viewing angles, you can achieve results similar to the shots below without moving your hand.
Wide landscape (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Narrow landscape (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Wide portrait (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Narrow portrait (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Video is where the iPhone 17 Pro really excels. It carries an incredible amount of power for capturing video, whether that’s a child’s first birthday party in the backyard or a chase scene in your latest thriller.
You have a wide range of resolutions (720p to 4K) and frame rates (24fps to 120fps) to choose from, in addition to advanced modes like Action and Cinematic, which let you add character to your footage. You also have plenty of choices of formats, such as Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), Apple Log 2, Genlock (new this year), ProRes, and ProRes RAW. These give serious cinematographers lots of post-production options to tweak their results.
Whatever your video needs are, the 17 Pro can meet them time and again. The sample footage I shot looked simply fantastic. Anyone who’s serious about video can rely on the iPhone 17 Pro to be their always-available pocket camera and production studio.
