My new iPhone 17 Pro Max arrived just after our Cape Cod Magic workshop, so my first chance to test it came during our Calabria adventure in October — and it didn’t disappoint!

When I returned from Italy, I went out for some fall color in my home state of Indiana, and played some more. 

I made the blog banner photo of the barn along the forest last week by stitching 10 48mp photos made with the 4x camera on the iPhone 17 ProMax. I processed each image in Lightroom Mobile to get the most from the RAW data, saving them back to the iPhone camera roll as JPEGs. Then, I stitched these 10 images using the iPhone app, BimoStitch. I then processed that resulting pano in SnapSeed  3.6.0 and finished by using Touch-Retouch to remove a few telephone lines at the far right of the image.

The final stitched image is a 72 mp panorama. (Best viewed horizontally on the iPhone or better yet, on a desktop monitor to fully appreciate the image.)

The image below is one of the photos made in Calabria with the 17 Pro Max and the 1x cameara.

Taormina, Sicily, on the Tyrrhenian Coast

Stunning 48MP Camera Performance

The highlight for me is the 48MP capability now available on the 0.5x, 1x, and 4x cameras. In bright light, these lenses deliver crisp, detailed 48MP RAW or HEIC files. In dimmer conditions, the 4x sometimes drops to 12MP, but in good light, the results are consistently excellent.

A Smarter Telephoto Setup

The 17 Pro Max improves on the 16’s telephoto configuration. It offers 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x lenses, with the 0.5x, 1x, and 4x producing full 48MP files. The 4x (100mm) lens is perfect for portraits, while the 8x (200mm) delivers impressive reach for landscapes and distant subjects. I recommend using a tripod with the 8x lens for best results.

Dual Capture: Two Views at Once

A fun and practical new feature is Dual Capture in video mode, which records with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously—ideal for tutorials, demos, or narrated travel videos.

Video tutorial frame using new Dual Capture feature on 17 Pro Max

See my short video on iOS 26's imact on the iPhone's camera interface here. 

The New iOS 26: What to Expect

The 17 series ships with iOS 26, Apple’s first year-based operating system. Instead of iOS 19, it’s now iOS 26—aligning Apple’s systems (iOS, macOS, iPadOS, etc.) with the calendar year, much like car model naming.

iOS 26 runs on iPhone 11 and newer models and features a redesigned camera interface that’s more intuitive, organized, and easy to navigate.

Embrace the Change

Change can be uncomfortable, but this one feels smart and user-friendly. I recommend updating now—you’ll need to eventually, and once you explore the new camera tools, you may find, like I did, that you actually enjoy the upgrade. (Note: I've only focused on the iOS 26 changes that photographers care about. In fact, there are many other features that come with iOS 26. This video from Proper Honest Tech does a nice job of describing the other features.)

 

Mastering the iPhone 17 Pro Max Camera:

What Fusion Cameras Really Do

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max brings some of the biggest upgrades ever to iPhone photography — three 48-megapixel “Fusion” cameras, massive zoom power, and smarter image processing that makes pro-quality photos easier for anyone to capture.

Our iPhones have always been technological wonders, but they have moved into a new realm. I'm not that technically oriented and I admit that I don't care about many of these under-the-hood details, but I think it helps to understand a little of how are devices are working. So I've been digging, reading and learning.

Here’s some of what I've discoverd about what it all means and how to use it in the real world.

 

The Hardware in Plain English

The phone has three lenses, each with a powerful 48 MP sensor:

   •   Main (Wide) – Your everyday lens (24 mm equivalent). Great for portraits, landscapes, and low-light shots.

   •   Ultra-Wide – Captures much more of the scene (13 mm). Ideal for travel, architecture, and group shots.

   •   Telephoto (4×) – Gives crisp zoom up to 4× (100 mm) and “optical-quality” results up to 8×.

Every camera is part of Apple’s Fusion System, which blends hardware and computational processing. Instead of just snapping one image, the iPhone instantly merges multiple exposures and sensor data to create a single, detail-rich photo — even in low light.

 

Why Some Photos Are 48 MP and Others Aren’t

All three cameras can shoot 48 MP images, but not every shot uses that full power. By default, the phone often saves 24 MP or 12 MP photos to balance image quality with speed and file size.

Here’s the "hocus pocus": the iPhone uses something called "pixel-binning," where four smaller pixels combine into one larger “super pixel.” This helps in darker scenes by reducing noise and brightening shadows — though it lowers the resolution.

 

When you’ll get 48 MP:

   •   Bright daylight or good lighting

   •   Using the Main or Ultra-Wide lens

   •   Shooting in ProRAW or “High-Resolution” mode

 When you won’t:

   •   Low light or Night mode

   •   Heavy zoom (especially 8× or more)

   •   If you are not using the 4:3 aspect ratio

 

Practical Shooting Tips

1. Enable High-Res Mode

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats → Photo Resolution Control and turn on 48 MP (ProRAW or HEIF). This unlocks full-resolution shooting.

2. Use the Right Lens for the Job

      •   0.5× (Ultra-Wide) – Tight spaces or creative perspectives.

      •   1× (Main) – Best quality and full resolution.

      •   2× – Quick zoom, but often 12 MP cropped from the main sensor.

      •   4× (Telephoto) – Full 48 MP detail; perfect for portraits and distant subjects.

      •   8×+ – “Optical-quality,” but limited to 12 MP. Good for sharing, not printing.

3. Light Is Key

The iPhone’s smart processing does wonders, but good lighting still matters. Bright natural light will give you the cleanest, sharpest 48 MP photos.

4. Edit Smartly to Get the Most from RAW and HEIC 48mp Files

If you shoot in ProRAW, use a RAW editor like the Photos app, SnapSeed 3.6.0, or Lightroom Mobile to adjust exposure and color without losing detail.

 

The Bottom Line

The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Fusion cameras bring high-grade imaging capability to your pocket.

Whether you’re recording everyday moments, or making portraits, landscapes, or fine art images, remember:

   •   Use high-resolution modes when you want maximum detail.

   •   Trust the Fusion processing in low light — it’s designed to give you balanced, noise-free images.

   •   Choose your zoom level wisely for the best resolution.

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In the meantime, keep on creating!

Best,

Rad