Apple has released a video showing off the camera and related features on the new iPhone 5S. This is perhaps one of the biggest selling points of the device (which now also comes in gold).

“Any digital camera is only as good as its sensor,” explains Dan Riccio, Apple SVP, Hardware Engineering. “While more pixels produce a bigger picture, we prefer bigger pixels because they mean an even better picture. With iPhone 5S we started with a wider f2.2 aperture. That combined with our new state of the art 8 megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that is fifteen percent larger than before means each 1.5 micron pixel can convert thirty-three percent more light into image data. This is all processed by the new A7 chip with 64-bit desktop class architecture.”

“That’s a lot of numbers that basically mean the pictures you take will have greater dynamic range with more details in highlights and shadows and less overall noise in the image,” he adds.

Craig Federighi, SVP Software Engineering, says, “A really great sensor is only the beginning of how iPhone 5S takes really amazing photos and video.”

“In low light, iPhone 5S uses the new auto image stabilization,” he says. “When you press the shutter, it imperceptibly takes up to four very quick photos, intelligently merging them to reduce blurring from camera shake and subject motion. And in really low light, it uses the all new True Tone flash. iPhone 5S measures the color temperature of the available light, then fires the white and amber flashes together in just the right ratio to create a balanced image. The colors in your photos will look truer your skin tones more natural.”

It also has photo burst mode, which captures ten images in a second when you hold down the shutter. Algorithms then help select the individual photos or sequence of photos you might like best.

There’s also a new slow motion feature, which lets you shoot HD video in slow motion. It will let you select a specific section you want played back at a quarter speed.

This is all in addition to the new photo-taking features offered on iOS 7, which will come on the device, and be available for other iOS devices starting on September 18th.

Image: Apple (YouTube)