I put my iPhone 17 Pro vs. $1,900 Olympus mirrorless camera through a zoom test — and the results surprised me
Publish Date: 2026-06-06 07:00:00
Source Domain: www.tomsguide.com
Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen phone makers dial down the optical zoom range of their telephoto cameras. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are no exception to this radical change, as they ditch the 5x optical zoom of their predecessors for a 4x lens.
The average person will automatically think it’s a downgrade, but there’s more to it than just hardware zoom. That’s because the iPhone 17 Pro pairs that 4x optical zoom with a much larger 48MP sensor — up from the 12MP sensor on the previous iPhone 16 Pro. On top of that, the latest iPhones benefit heavily from new advancements in computational photography.
That’s why I wanted to see how the iPhone 17 Pro’s zoom performs against a modern mirrorless camera to see exactly which one delivers the best results. For this test, I’m specifically going to look at how the iPhone 17 Pro compares at 16x because it better illustrates the enhancements that Apple’s making. Here’s what I found.
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(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom’s Guide)
First, let’s talk about the $1,099 cost of the iPhone 17 Pro. That’s up $100 over its predecessor, but it’s one of the best camera phones around with good reason. Its triple-camera setup consists of a 48MP main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom.
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By contrast, the Olympus E-M10 Mark IV I’m using packs a 20.3MP Four-Thirds sensor — but the ridiculous telephoto lens I’m pairing it with is what makes the setup just as versatile. I’m using the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm lens, which covers practically every focal length. While the E-M10 Mark IV is largely considered a budget model with a starting price of $799, the lens tacks on a whopping $1,099 to the bottom line. When you add them up, the Olympus kit comes out to $1,898 before any discounts — giving the iPhone 17 Pro a clear initial price advantage.
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