Professional DSLR Photos Vs. iPhone Camera: What’s The Dif?

Smartphones give everyone the ability to take beautiful pictures that a few years ago were only achievable through DSLRs and professional cameras. In some strange magical way, a device that weighs less than five ounces is capable of battling a large camera that you have to lug around in a separate bag. No, I’m not bitter about it.

Smartphones are practical, and they’re the perfect partners for documenting everything. You may not have the best picture quality in the world, but you’ll still be able to take amazing images. With DSLRs you have more freedom. These cameras allow you to manipulate factors such as aperture and exposure, giving you more creativity and independence.

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With the release of iPhone 7 plus, Apple introduced their portrait feature, creating images that can really trick you and make you believe that they were taken with a proper camera. Apple’s improved the iPhone camera so much that it’s become one of the devices’ most appealing features.

Buzzfeed tried out all the iPhones, and compared their images to the ones taken by traditional DSLRs. Is it true that smartphones have finally achieved DSLR camera quality? The answer is complicated.

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On first look, the iPhone’s images look amazing, especially on the 8 and 8 plus. The photos are glossy, bright, and have the right amount of blur, making everything look photoshopped. The cracks start popping up on closer inspection though, making you realize that these images work best when used on Instagram and other social media apps. The photos are unnaturally saturated, which can be a hit or miss. You can also see the pixel details when you zoom in, which is never cool. Of course, we’re nitpicking here, but it explains why DSLRs need all that weight.

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Even though smartphone photography has freakishly improved over the years, DSLRs still produce better images, but it all really depends on you. If you’re interested in photographs for Instagram and social media, the iPhone 7, 8, X, and all the pluses are more than capable of doing the job. If you’re a professional photographer, then you might need to stick with your traditional camera. Although making movies on iPhones is the latest trend now, so our point is moot.