Comparing a mirrorless camera and an iPhone for long exposures

Skutz Falls near Duncan, BC.  I used both an iPhone and a mirrorless camera to photograph them.

Making a long exposure with an iPhone's default camera involves using the Live Photo app and converting the 1.5 second video into a long exposure format through software.  The result is often pleasing, but I don't like the fact that I can't do this in iPhone's raw format (DNG) and transferring the emulated image is a pain.  Mirrorless cameras allow you to pick an aperture and shutter speed to create a long exposure image without software intervention.

The bright day limited my mirrorless camera to a shutter speed of 1/5th of a second even with a polarizer and an ISO of 64.  The longer exposure, even though simulated, of the iPhone rendered a more attractive image.  However, the fact that wasn't in a raw format limited the dynamic range and ability to extract details from the shadows.  Even if I could have managed to somehow shoot in raw format, the fact is that iPhone's DNG raw is not nearly as good as Nikon's NEF raw, in my opinion.

Then there is the actual number of pixels captured.  The iPhone 15 Pro is capable of making a 48 mp image when using the 1x camera, that drops to 12 mp for the other cameras and is further reduced to 9 mp when shooting in Live Photo mode.  Many people will tell you that 9 mp is still quite significant but I find that resolution is affected when cropping or making an enlargement.  Sure, an 8x10 is usually not a problem, but add cropping or make it larger than that and you may have one.

I am impressed by iPhone's ability to stabalize the camera, however.  It is no easy feat to hold a camera still for 1.5 seconds by hand and not get any camera shake issues.  Yet Apple has managed to do it.  I could not achieve the same result with my mirrorless camera, even if the shutter speed was faster.  In fact, I had to use a tripod to achieve an image without issues from camera shake.  

And when it comes right down to it, the iPhone is VERY convenient when travelling.  It fits in your pocket, allows you to make phone calls, gives you directions, answers your questions, and even entertains you while my mirrorless camera only takes pictures.  The iPhone weighs only a few ounces while my camera system fits into a backpack that must weigh 30 pounds when fully equipped.  

However, you may have noticed that I use both.  The iPhone is very convenient and does a good job in many circumstances while the mirrorless system is able to meet specific needs to a very high level.  For me, I love what my mirrorless and DSLR camera can do and they regularly out perfom the image capturing ability of my iPhone.  But they don't keep me entertained, keep me from getting lost, or answer my questions.  

Clearly, they both come out as winners.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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