Most people who spend the extra dollars on the Pro version of iPhones likely appreciate the extra camera features the devices offer for photography. The 17 Pro is no exception. It is sophisticated enough to serve as your only camera, or as a highly capable complement to your mirrorless.
In order to get the most out of this impressive image capture device, you'll want to make a few adjustments to its settings. Here's a look at the tweaks I recommend.
Configuring the iPhone 17 Pro for Photographers
Running iOS 26, there are some key settings that photographers will want to look at in order to get the best quality from their iPhones.
Configure the Camera Control Button
System Settings - Settings > Camera > Camera Control
This is where you can configure the physical Camera Control button that's located on the right side, down below the power switch. There's no "perfect configuration" because every photographer has his or her particular style. That being said, I will share my settings and explain why I chose them.
For Launch Camera, I chose Apple's Camera App. Even though I use other apps as well, such as Halide and Leica LUX, I still prefer Apple's app for the default. I turn off Require Screen On. This saves me a step for quick grab shots. All I have to do is single-click the Camera Control button, and I'm ready to shoot.
Under Controls (Settings > Camera > Camera Control > Controls), I do turn on Camera Adjustments. But for Customize (right below Camera Adjustments), I turn off everything except for Exposure, which is far and away the most common setting I use. With a light press on the Camera Control button, I can swipe to the left and right to tweak the exposure, then hard-press the button to take the shot. Simple and efficient. BTW: Exposure provides up to 2 EVs of compensation in either direction (-2.0 to +2.0 EV).
And finally, I do like Lock Focus and Exposure. So I turn that on as well.
Photographic Styles
App Settings - Photographic Styles - Settings > Camera > App Settings
These are presets that are configurable, allowing you to adjust the tone mapping to your personal preferences. The newest style, Bright, should be quite popular and is worth a look. Many photographers also like Amber.
The other styles include Standard, Gold, Rose Gold, Neutral, and Cool Rose. Regardless of which Style you choose, consider it a starting point. Then tap the Customize button and fine-tune the look to your taste. Once you're happy, tap the blue checkmark to save the setting.
File Formats
Formats Settings - Settings > Camera > Formats
Let's start at the top of the menu.
For Camera Capture, choose High Efficiency - The HEIF/HEVC format is fantastic for non-RAW photography. The quality is excellent, and the file sizes are compact. The other option, Most Compatible, is the JPEG format. Compatibility was once an issue when HEIF was new, but it is widely supported these days, and I highly recommend it.
Photo Capture - Choose 24MP. The other option, 12MP, only saves you 1MB per shot (2MB vs 3MB). Go with 24MP and capture all the information your camera is capable of recording.
ProRAW & Resolution Control - Turn it on and select JPEG-XL Lossy for the format. This combination provides top-notch RAW files with great-looking JPEG previews, but at a reasonable file size.
JPEG-XL Lossy is supported on iOS 17 and later, and macOS 14 and later. A 12MP file is only 11MB, and a 48MP file weighs in at 20MBs. Via your favorite image editor, you can override Apple's default processing and apply edits that better represent your style.
Preserve Settings - Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings
I turn on all of the settings (those I want preserved) except for Exposure Adjustment, Night Mode, and Action Mode. I want those three to return to default after I take a picture.
Composition and Photo Capture
Settings > Camera > Composition
There are five options here: Grid, Level, Mirror Front Camera, View Outside the Frame, and Indicators. Personally, I like Level and View Outside the Frame. Choose what works best for you.
Photo Capture - Settings > Camera > Photo Capture
This is where you can turn on the 28mm and 35mm Fusion Camera options. To be honest, I've gone back and forth on this. If you have them turned on, with the 24mm camera setting as the default, then you can access the 28mm and 35mm focal lengths by tapping on the 1X indicator on the viewing screen. Doing so cycles through the three focal lengths.
There is a drop in resolution when you use the 28mm and 35mm settings. For example, I get 48MP (8064x6048) at 24mm, but at 35mm the resolution is 24MP (5712x4284). If you like the 28mm or 35mm perspective, then you may want to turn one or both on. I like 35mm myself, and have that currently enabled to complement the 24mm angle of view.
Portraits in Photo Mode - Settings > Camera > Portraits in Photo Mode. I enable this setting because it automatically captures depth information for my portrait-styled compositions, allowing me to apply portrait effects later in post-processing.
Prioritize Faster Shooting - Settings > Camera > Prioritize Faster Shooting. Unless you're an action photographer, I recommend turning this setting off so that you get the best quality possible with every tap of the shutter button.
And Finally! Lens Correction, Macro Control, Lens Cleaning Hints, and Save Captures to Photo Library... turn them all on.
So, set up your iPhone, then get out there and take some great pictures!
