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Can you tell the difference between $5,500 full frame vs iPhone XS photos?

by 9 Comments

We have seen all kinds of cameras and lenses compared: film vs. digital, full frame vs. crop, cheap vs. expensive. In this video, Tony and Chelsea Northrup compare photos taken with a $5,500 full frame camera + lens kit, a $600 APS-C kit, and a new iPhone XS. Can you tell the difference?

For the test, Chelsea took portraits with a Nikon D850 + Nikkor 24-70mm, a Nikon D3400 + Nikkor 50mm 1.8G, and iPhone XS. Tony was to guess which photo was taken with which camera, first by looking at them on a phone screen, and then printed. Tony was able to guess which photo was taken with which camera in both cases.

Chelsea has published the three photos on her Instagram page for you to try and guess which photo was taken with which camera. Before you watch the video, look at these and take your guess:

If I had to guess from zoomed in images, or printed large, I’d be able to guess as well. But only by looking at the photos on Instagram, on a small phone screen… I’m not so sure.

So, yeah, gear and resolution are important when you want to print large or when you’re doing client work. But for occasional snaps (and even some professional work)… Just shoot with what you’ve got, capture moments and don’t think so much about gear.

[Cheap vs Expensive Cameras: iPhone XS v. $5,500 v. $600 | Tony & Chelsea Northrup]

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  • Astro

    On a small screen, when you’re looking at an image that’s been reduced in size by a factor of several? Maybe not, but that’s not why people get larger SLRs. When looking at the image at anywhere close to native resolution, the differences are extremely obvious. I tested out my new XS against a Canon 5D Mk IV while at the Grand Tetons two weeks ago. I took a panorama with both, not zoomed in at all on the XS. The DIFFERENCE in the quality of the images is striking: I couldn’t make out any leaves on trees or water ripples at all on the iPhone image, whereas that detail was crystal clear in the 5D.

  • Tj Ó Seamállaigh

    Guys, stop comparing those types of cameras. Each one has completely different sensor size – size does matter here even when the smaller sensor of both have a larger “numerical” resolution. Needless to say the optical resolution and the optical flexibility; All those play a major role way out more than just printing a photo on A4 glossy paper for comparison.

  • Jimmy Harris

    The same people who love to pretend that their camera phones take just as good of a picture as an expensive digital camera are the same people who would freak out if they hired a professional photographer to shoot their wedding, and all they showed up with was an iPhone and a couple of clip on lenses.

    And the people who love to complain that cell phones are vastly inferior to expensive digital cameras are the same people who wouldn’t hesitate to pull out their camera phone to capture an image of bigfoot riding a unicorn if that’s all they had on them.

    • Jett Vitali

      I got a picture of Bigfoot riding a unicorn just last week, all I had on me was my flip phone.

  • Jran

    This is stupid to try to compare iPhone camera to DSLR cameras. iPhone have only small wide angle lens, and you really can’t freeze moving objects, like train, take panning shots, or take long exposure shots, or take good shots on street when you are walking and your object is moving too, or take macro shots, and so on.

    You can say that iPhone shots might be good on some circumstances, but when you really start photographing, then you can throw your iPhone away.

  • poetinsf

    D3400 must’ve used larger aperture and higher exposure. It wasn’t terribly low light, so D3400 could’ve taken as good a pic as D850 in right hands.

  • Fernando Adrian

    I think this kind of articles does not belongs to photography website

  • George P

    The correct camera depends on what the image will be used for. If it will be viewed on a cell phone screen then almost any camera will do. As the image size increases better sensor/lens combinations are required. But in all cases, the best camera is the one you have with you!!

  • jason bourne

    Stupid comparison. Like comparing a Porsche to a KIA.

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