Neglected in the past, iPad cameras have had big updates recently
W hile the iPad can’t quite match the Hollywood ambitions of the iPhone 13 Pro, with its three cameras and telephoto lens, it’s no slouch when it comes to high-quality video and photography.
The cinematic baby of the group is the ninth-gen iPad, whose rear camera provides a relatively modest 8-megapixel (MP) resolution, which only allows it to record 1080p HD video at 25-30 frames per second (fps).
However, all other iPad models can now record 4K video, with the iPad Air and iPad mini providing wide-angle 12MP rear cameras that can record super-smooth video at up to 60fps. The two iPad Pro models go one step further, providing two rear cameras – a 12MP wide-angle camera and a 10MP ultra-wide camera that provides 122° field of view. The iPad Pro also offers 2x optical zoom, while other iPads are limited to less effective digital zoom only.
The front camera on the iPad has been a little underpowered in the past – it took Apple ages to ditch the ageing 720p cameras used on many Macs and iPads – but it has had a number of improvements recently. This reflects the ‘new normal’, which sees many people now working from home a
