The iPhone 4S with its new and highly regarded backside-illuminated 8-megapixel camera is a powerful piece of technology. Apple has improved the speed of the shutter and the tap-to-focus. It takes seconds to snap a beautiful and crisp photo! Using the tap to focus feature becomes very useful to get the shallow depth of field effect. It'll not match your DSLR but it's quite impressive for a smart phone camera. In some of the images below, you will notice different focus points. Apple went ahead and added the grid, which lets you compose better aligned shots. We've got full 1080p videos and an un-retouched photo gallery testing the iPhone 4S' well equipped back shooter waiting for you right after the break!

Another handy feature that was added, using volume controls on the iPhone 4S and pressing the volume up on any compatible headset featured headphones and in-ear headphones to control the shutter. This feature comes in use when wanting to get really steady shots using a tripod giving you more flexibility and control.

Also, HDR is still present and it can be easily turned on through the on screen settings in the camera. The addition of simple onboard photo editing features such as: cropping, enchantment, red-eye remover, and rotation is great as well. Overall, the iPhone 4S' 8-megapixel camera stood up to its hype. Using the tools and features provided, you can achieve beautiful and high quality results. In the near future, smart phone cameras will begin to replace our beloved point and shoot cameras. We wont have to carry an extra camera around because it will be built in on one multifunctional device.

Apple has improved the video on the iPhone 4S as well. The aperture is much larger at f/2.4 resulting in more blurry background when focus on a subject up close, and it lets more light in than the iPhone 4's back facing camera. With the improved camera, you are able to shoot stunning videos in 1080p HD at 30 frames per second. The video quality looks amazing, it makes you want to keep shooting. The tap-to-focus feature really comes in use in the video as well. It is easy, smooth, and almost instant. With the improved video stabilization, the videos come out to be less shaky and pleasant to watch. The camera on the iPhone 4S adjusts quickly to movement and the colors appear to be more natural. In the low lighting, the video looks less grainy and with the use of flash it comes out great. After you are finished, the built in trim option is great. With the use of iMovie for iPhone, the video can be improved even more. 

The iPhone 4S Camera came out to be great as promised by Apple. It is phenomenal what a camera on a smart phone can do. With the improved photo and video shooting, the iPhone 4S Camera is top quality. The only thing could still use improvement would be the HDR feature. Comparing it to the speed of other functions on the iPhone 4S, it is still a bit slow. Overall, we are very pleased with the 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 4S. For some, this camera might actually play a big role in the decision to upgrade to the iPhone 4S.