Apple is really pushing the new camera in the iPhone 4s and without a doubt it is a great camera for a cell phone, but what does the video footage look like when compared to video shot with a Canon 5D Mark II? Take a look at the video above and see for yourself. In some cases the iPhone 4s look better than the 5D.
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Ben Revzin in News/Blog
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it seems pretty interesting, but what about the elements you dont see, like white balance or progressive scan on the low frequency video screen???
Interesting. You should try some low light tests. I don't think it'll be as close.
I recently shot outdoor footage in Times Square and some inside footage for a client. I used both a $5,000 Canon HDV XLH1A and an iPhone. For the NYC shoot I had my old 3Gs for the inside shoot I had the 4s. In the previous instance the 3Gs stood up well to the Canon, but wasn't great. In the second instance the iPhone rendered far better color, detail, lighting, etc. The biggest downfall was that the sound was tinny. I'm considering an add-on audio solution to capture better audio but I don't think I'll be using the Canon anymore. I've already got a tripod adaptor for my iPhone, I'm trying to rig it so that I can use my iPad as a teleprompter or as a larger monitor. The former will cost about $200, the later I already solved with the Camera A/B app.
It's an odd comparison, isn't it? A mini-computer that makes snap cameras and camcorders obsolete, compared to a 5D. Are DSLRs the next closest competition for the iPhone? Would a GoPro2 do as well? (Probably.)
One thing that is notable about the video is it is designed to highlight the similarities, shooting the kinds of shots the iPHone does best and the 5D does worst.
I recently organised a library of images from pros and amateurs and was surprised to find the amateurs had so many amazing shots. They were all wide angle landscape shots, which is something snap cameras and their tiny sensors could excel at.