The iPhone 17 lineup, including the Standard, Pro, Pro Max, and the all-new Air model, marks one of Apple’s most exciting camera updates yet. With advancements in sensor design, low-light performance, and an evolved Tetraprism telephoto system, the iPhone 17 series pushes mobile photography to new heights.

In this article, we’ll break down the iPhone 17 Pro Max camera lenses, explore how the new telephoto system has advanced since its debut, and share expert shooting tips to help you get the most out of your device. At SANDMARC, we stay at the forefront of iPhone content creation, helping creators capture professional-quality results with every upgrade.

The iPhone 17 lineup introduces significant camera upgrades for Apple’s flagship phones, expanding what mobile photography can do. The standard iPhone 17 features a dual-lens system with a 48 MP Fusion Main camera and a 48 MP Fusion Ultra Wide lens, paired with an 18 MP front camera for sharper selfies and FaceTime video. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max build on this with a three-lens rear setup (Main, Ultra-Wide, and a Tetraprism Telephoto) and an 18 MP front camera with enhanced portrait and video features.

All models benefit from improved sensors, Apple’s next-gen Photonic Engine image-processing, and other optical enhancements for better low-light performance. The Air model adds portability with only one 48 MP camera lens. Finally, the upgraded telephoto zoom on the Pro models offers a notable leap in optical-quality zoom capability.

Apple first introduced its Tetraprism Telephoto system with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, marking the debut of a folded lens design that enabled 5x optical zoom, avoiding a large camera bump. This design was a breakthrough that brought professional telephoto capability to a compact smartphone.

With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple has advanced this technology even further. The new 48 MP Tetraprism Telephoto camera now offers up to 8x optical-quality zoom and a 200 mm equivalent focal length, providing greater reach and clarity for distant subjects. Improved stabilization, refined prism alignment, and Apple’s enhanced Photonic Engine help deliver sharper detail and more accurate color reproduction.

Complementing Apple’s innovation, third-party lenses like the SANDMARC Telephoto Tetraprism Lens extend that reach even further, maintaining full 48 MP resolution and detail integrity while giving creators more flexibility to compose cinematic, high-quality shots straight from their iPhone.

Each lens on the iPhone is crafted with precision, designed to serve a unique purpose. The iPhone seamlessly transitions between lenses as you choose which one to use, from the ultra-wide 0.5x to the powerful 8x zoom. Understanding how each lens works allows you to fully harness the iPhone’s camera system and better appreciate the role of attachable lenses in expanding your creative possibilities.

Front-Facing (Selfie) Camera 18 MP

The front-facing camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max features an 18 megapixel “Center Stage” module (ƒ/1.9 aperture, autofocus with Focus Pixels and hardware-enabled framing via Center Stage).

0.5x Ultra-Wide Lens

The 0.5x ultra-wide lens on the iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a 48 MP “Fusion Ultra-Wide” sensor (13 mm equivalent focal length, ƒ/2.2 aperture, 120° field of view).

1x Main Fusion Lens

The 1x main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max is built around Apple’s 48-megapixel “Fusion” sensor (approx. 24 mm full-frame equivalent, ƒ/1.78 aperture with sensor-shift optical image stabilization). This is the camera that the SANDMARC lenses and filters are built for, excluding the Telephoto Tetraprism lens.

4x/8x Telephoto (Tetraprism) Lens

The 4x/8x Telephoto camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max features Apple’s upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism sensor (≈100 mm equivalent, ƒ/2.8 aperture, with 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilization). This is the camera the SANDMARC Telephoto Tetraprism lens attaches to, while the other SANDMARC lenses and filters attach to the main camera.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max pushes mobile cinematography to new heights, offering up to 4K resolution at 60 fps across all lenses, with support for 8K recording through ProRes and Log profiles. The addition of ProRes Log gives filmmakers greater dynamic range and control in post-production, allowing for precise color grading and cinematic results comparable to high-end cameras.

New this year, Open Gate recording lets creators capture the entire sensor area for a taller frame and greater flexibility when reframing in post, a major advantage for social, cinematic, or vertical content.

For immersive storytelling, Apple introduces Spatial Video, which captures depth and dimension for playback on Apple Vision Pro, bringing moments to life in 3D. Lastly, Action Mode has been upgraded to deliver smoother, more stable footage even during fast movement.

The iPhone 17 Pro’s computational photography system combines four features: Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR, and Night Mode.

Together, these features dramatically elevate the Tetraprism Telephoto Lens, producing sharper, cleaner, and more vibrant images, even at 10x zoom.

At SANDMARC our goal is to always elevate your iPhone photography and filmmaking, so with the latest 48 MP Telephoto 8x zoom, we designed the Telephoto Tetraprism Lens to complement the tetraprism camera features of the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and now the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 lineup redefines what mobile photography can achieve, blending advanced optics with Apple’s most powerful computational features yet. From the upgraded Tetraprism telephoto system to refined Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion processing, every shot now carries greater depth and clarity.

At SANDMARC, we’re dedicated to helping creators push those capabilities even further. Our lenses and filters are designed to complement Apple’s latest technology, giving you the flexibility to shoot with professional level quality. With the iPhone 17 and the right gear, your next masterpiece is already in your pocket.