iPad mini 3: Camera
iPad mini 3: Camera
The iPad mini 3’s camera is solid. It remains 5-megapixel like its predecessor, and the test shots we took were almost identical – unsurprising considering they use the exact same sensor.
What
we did find in our comparison between the iPad mini 3 camera and the
iPad Air 2's is that the former provides slightly better colour
in well-lit conditions. The sunny London skyline is brighter and the
palette more vivid in the photos taken on the iPad mini.
The colours on the iPad mini 3 (middle) are better than on the Air 2 (left). The pictures are almost identical between it and the mini 2 (right)
In lower light the iPad Air 2 performs slightly better, although the iPad mini 3 still does a decent job. Pictures are a little noisier and colours a little washed out, but it’s still better than most tablets we’ve tested.
Aside
from some detail and low-light performance, the main feature you miss
out on with the iPad mini 3 is slo-mo video. On the iPad Air 2 this
provides excellent 1080p video at 120fps, leading to some
slick-looking action videos.
The iPad mini 3 still has one of the best cameras you can get on an 8-inch tablet – although we’ve not yet tested the Nexus 9. It’s just a shame that it’s not any better than its predecessor. Considering the emphasis Apple put on the camera of the iPad Air 2 when it was announced, it seems odd that the same care wasn’t taken over the iPad mini 3's. In fact, the improvements to the camera of the iPad Air 2 would be of even more benefit on a smaller, more manageable tablet.
There’s a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera that deals with FaceTime and Skype calling. That’s not a very high resolution, but it does a decent enough job with video calling. It doesn’t perform as well in low light as the new front camera on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, but most people will be happy with it.
The iPad mini 3 still has one of the best cameras you can get on an 8-inch tablet – although we’ve not yet tested the Nexus 9. It’s just a shame that it’s not any better than its predecessor. Considering the emphasis Apple put on the camera of the iPad Air 2 when it was announced, it seems odd that the same care wasn’t taken over the iPad mini 3's. In fact, the improvements to the camera of the iPad Air 2 would be of even more benefit on a smaller, more manageable tablet.
There’s a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera that deals with FaceTime and Skype calling. That’s not a very high resolution, but it does a decent enough job with video calling. It doesn’t perform as well in low light as the new front camera on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, but most people will be happy with it.
