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$33,000 Hasselblad vs iPhone comparison shows the importance of lighting over camera

Aug 27, 2021 by John Aldred 1 Comment

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We often see the “expensive camera vs smartphone” comparisons, but they’re not typically performed with this level of attention to detail. Especially when it comes to the lighting. But if you’re photographer Karl Taylor, the lighting is very important, especially when it comes to comparing images from one camera to another.

Karl recently photographed a custom Harley Davidson motorcycle in his studio using his 100-megapixel Hasselblad H6D-100c medium format camera. But with the lights already set up, he decided to give it a try with the iPhone, too, to see just how similar the images could look.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s no way Karl’s going to be ditching his $33,000 Hasselblad for an iPhone. The H6D-100c offers some obvious distinct advantages over the iPhone – or any phone. For a start, it’s shooting 100-megapixel 16-Bit raw images and he has access to the wide range of Hasselblad lenses. But that’s only really half the story.

If all you have to shoot with is a smartphone, is that really an excuse to shoot bad photography? Should you put any less thought into your images because the camera itself isn’t as advanced? Well, no. Karl’s video proves that no matter what you’re shooting, the most valuable asset you have as a photographer isn’t the camera. It’s the lighting.

Learning how to understand and manipulate light is a vital tool for photographers and one that you really need to learn if you want to get the best out of your camera – regardless of whether it’s a $30K+ Hasselblad or the one that lives in your pocket.

If you were just looking at these images on the web, without being told what they were shot on, could you really tell which was which?

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Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: inspiration, Karl Taylor, lighting, studio photography

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

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John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

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