First photos taken with iPhone 6s

Just a few days before the new iPhone 6s hit Apple store shelves, photographer Benjamin Lowy walked around Coney Island with it and flew over Manhattan in a helicopter. The results were unexpected even for the photographer himself, who shares with us his pictures and impressions of using the camera.

(Total 16 photos)

1. New York, September 21, 2015.

For Lovi, the quality of the resulting photographs was quite impressive. “Especially for such a small matrix,” he says. They look very good when printed.

2. New York, September 21, 2015.

Both cameras are noticeably improved in the new iPhone. The matrix of the main camera has been increased to 12 megapixels (compared to 8 megapixels in the iPhone 6), and the front camera has been increased to 5 megapixels.

3. New York, September 21, 2015.

“Interestingly, the front camera now has the same sensor as the main camera on previous iPhones that I used in Afghanistan and Libya,” says the photojournalist.

4. New York, September 21, 2015.

Autofocus and tonal range also seem much better in every photo. “You don’t end up with overly sharp shots — you don’t get the hyper-realistic color feel that other smartphones give,” Lovi says.

5. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

Instead, iPhone photos now mimic the color scheme of RAW files, a big plus for professional photographers.

6. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

iPhone 6s is also introducing a new format from Apple called Live Photo, which combines photos with short videos to create Harry Potter-like action shots.

7. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

8. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

9. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

10. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

11. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

12. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

13. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

14. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

15. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

16. Coney Island, September 21, 2015.

Photo: Benjamin Lowy - Getty Images Reportage for TIME