Smartphones, notably the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, are photographic miracles. They can see in the dark and rise to nearly all photographic challenges. If you’re within 10-15 feet of your subject, the newest smartphones are almost infallible in their ability to provide a bright, sharp photo—even if you make no adjustments and press the red button on the screen. When you are this close to your subject, smartphones can rival larger, dedicated cameras in their ability to generate beautiful images—if you don’t enlarge them too much.

Smartphones are not at their best when shooting people or animals that are further away. The “telephoto lens” on the new Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is only the equivalent of a 65mm lens, which doesn’t even qualify as…