PSC Photography Show Notes
Show 26 - Thursday 24th September 2026
Variable Aperture on Phones
Ted Salmon hosts Ian Bundey, Charlie Winston and special guest Steve Litchfield
Rob Vandercamp, Ahmed Bebars and Chad Dixon on limiting factors on improving photography skills in relation to the last show, appreciation for the host, panel and images shared by community members, the benefit of photography courses, learning from the professionals and making the most of YouTube content on the topic - and thoughts on the PSC Photography podcast’s dabble into video presentation rather than just audio.
Theme - Variable Aperture (and sensor size) on Phones
Charlie led the discussion on the iPhone 18 Pro/Max’s Variable Aperture as to whether it’s really useful or merely a gimmick. Chat about the fact that Samsung, Xiaomi and Sony had previously introduced variable aperture phones and subsequently abandoned them. Thoughts were about it being more useful for video than stills. And then whether a larger sensor would be a better choice overall. It was noted that there had been big improvements to software in the camera app.
Ian wanted to suggest a video from Sam at Optical Wander
Steve recommended that people have a look at his video - Variable Aperture in the iPhone 18 Pro? Don't lose sleep over skipping it! - which actually covers much of what he went on to say, revealing that the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture is largely a gimmick for most daily users, offering little practical benefit over the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s fixed f/1.8 lens.
Nikon Z5 IIC a smaller and cheaper alternative to the Z5 II. Nikon removes the EVF, autofocus joystick and several traditional controls but retains a 24MP full-frame sensor.
Xiaomi 18 Pro/Pro Max - 102° ultra-wide FOV though surprisingly narrow compared with many flagship ultra-wides. LOFIC main sensor - hardware-based HDR that helps preserve highlights and increase dynamic range in a single exposure which could be particularly useful for moving subjects and video, reducing reliance on multi-exposure HDR.
Quick/Brief Panel Catchup
Ian covered Porsche Club GB Classics at the Castle on Sunday. It was an interesting event, in fact, the biggest in the UK - and it threw it down with rain! His brief was to have a 80/20 balance on atmosphere compared to images of cars. He’s also been building out a presentation for a talk next week on his journey to F1 and he’s gearing up for Singapore at the start of October!
PSC Photo of the Month Winner for August 2026
Total Eclipse by Adrian Brain using a Xiaomi 17 Ultra
PSC Photography Podcast Going Forward
The panel decided that there would be more content and interest, less pressure on busy people’s time, if the show was done monthly from now on instead of fortnightly. Suggest maybe the last Thursday of each month to fit with this one.
