On the fence about moving from iPhone 13 Pro to mirrorless?

[Fravin]

Yes the 13 pro sensor is quite amazing for the size of it.

I futzed with the contrast and saturation on this a bit, just in Photos app on the ipad, but it shows what it's capable of:

View attachment 1967499

Gorgeous.

Have you tried shooting in RAW? Apple’s Pro RAW is so revealing as it should be.

Shooting in RAW and editing in Capture One turn this phone a great gear. The image above was printed in 1,6 x 2,2 mts.

My client doesn’t seem to notice any difference between that and other prints I have sold him before witch was shot in Fujifilm XT3.

 

[Danfango]

Gorgeous.

Have you tried shooting in RAW? Apple’s Pro RAW is so revealing as it should be.

Shooting in RAW and editing in Capture One turn this phone a great gear. The image above was printed in 1,6 x 2,2 mts.

My client doesn’t seem to notice any difference between that and other prints I have sold him before.

Quite impressive you can get a print that size!

I actually only shot a couple of RAWs on the day I got it on a night walk but didn't bother after that a I was too busy. I really should do more. Currently working out the workflow for it on and off and writing up notes. A relative decided to buy a Lightroom sub for me recently so I'm working out if I can be bothered with that at the moment but I don't think I need anything past my usual tools which are the default Photos app (on Mac) and Pixelmator Pro.

These are the only two raws I shot! Look better on the 14" MBP not in Safari though.

Local house.

Some brickwork.

 

[Fravin]

Shooting RAW files means complex workflow. That’s mandatory.

You should rethink what applications would be more convenient. You should bear in mind that RAW files are bigger and requires more processing power.

Having said that, you will be able to output more detailed, and bigger, images. Mind that interpolation of RAW files provides cleaner results.

And, as a result, you will be able to print that large.

PS: I don’t know why, but Apple’s Photo App isn’t good to read this files.

 

[Danfango]

Yes exactly. I want to get the workflow right if I’m going down that route.

At the same time I don’t want to become my father who spends his entire time in Photoshop and Lightroom and never goes anywhere to take any photos. Part of the interest is walking around with my eyes open trying to notice things people walk straight past.

Completely off topic but I was digging in the cupboard earlier I found two boxes of 8x10” prints I shot on 35mm Ilford on a crappy Practika MTL5B back in the day. Will have to scan them. I really miss that camera but not the workflow. I had to develop and print that myself in the cupboard under the stairs 🤣

 

[r.harris1]

I went the other direction from using dSLRs and mirrorless cams to now (for the last five years or so) shooting only with my phone. It's very liberating.

And excellent images, I have to say!

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I think that's why I'm still on the fence as well.

I do a lot of outdoor photography and it's not much fun lugging a camera 10 miles out into the middle of nowhere on foot in the pissing rain. I did that many years ago and it was unpleasant to say the least. The liberation comes also from not having to deal with rats nests of proprietary chargers and SD cards all the time. I take a photo on the phone and it's on my mac when I get home ready for futzing with.

I have the potential of needing to carry a child or a crashed bicycle for substantial distances at times, so I have a similar low-weight requirement. There are bodies and lenses that are really not a burden to carry at all. I’m talking sub-2 lbs, which, when over a shoulder with a decent strap, you forget is even there. I can actually find a smartphone in my front pocket can be more cumbersome, as big as they can be. I almost want to leave it at home.

 

[Fravin]

Yes exactly. I want to get the workflow right if I’m going down that route.

At the same time I don’t want to become my father who spends his entire time in Photoshop and Lightroom and never goes anywhere to take any photos.

People who spend a lot of time manipulating pictures aren’t good photographers. A photographer is prone to explore and to find the right angle and wait for the better time to press the shutter button.

If you fail to do so, photoshop will be waiting for you. 😀

As an advice I would point that the right software will provide the better workflow.

In my opinion Adobe’s Lightroom is not a viable alternative. It has lost its guts in the middle of the trip. It raised as a full toolbox for photographers, but today people uses two of its tools and have to deal with the burden of a massive software footprint.

I like CaptureOne. It is a sleek piece of software that tackles my files nicely, no matter if it’s a Canon, Fuji or Apple Raw.

Affinity Photo is another great software. In the Mac it is fast and tackle the job fine. But it really shines on the iPad. Affinity Photo for iPad is a good choice, I think.

It works integrated with Apple Photos. So while shooting in RAW with the iPhone you don’t have to mind how to handle the files. Just open the Photos app choose the picture tap on Open With and choose Affinity Photo. It will pop with the develop window where you can make the initial adjustments (as shooting ins raw demands) and export it back to Photos. Where the two files will be stored. The RAW original and the edited JPEG.


You can delete the RAW or keep it on iCloud. Job done.

 

[Danfango]

Back on this again finally. Turned out the minor injury was actually caused by a faulty walking boot which has been sent back to the manufacturer with a gift of cow excrement all over it. Couple of weeks in some trainers (sneakers for the Americans) and I'm good as new.

Thanks again for all the replies. They have been digested and sorry, engineer hat on, poked into a Kepner Tregoe decision analysis model. I researched and weighted all variables across weight, mass, battery life, lens quality, lens selection, resolution, dynamic range, usability, workflow, storage extensibility, weatherproofing, ownership risk, video support, photo support, optical zoom, image stabilisation and printability.

iPhone 13 Pro clear strengths: weight, mass, battery life, weatherproofing, ownership risk

Z50 clear strengths: lens quality and selection, resolution, dynamic range, usability, storage extensibility, optical zoom

Ranked accordingly, the Z50 scores 277 whereas the iPhone 13 Pro scores 240.

In that case the Z50 has a roughly 15% rank gain for an expenditure of approximately £1100 (16-50 kit + 64gb card is fine for my requirements). But looking at the key strengths, the compromises are very very very much in favour of the Z50 being a very good camera and the iPhone being a very small and efficient camera.

I have ordered an A3 sized print and a couple of 10x8" prints of stuff I've posted in here and will see how they come out. This will shape the final outcome.

Of course the moment I make a decision, everyone will instantly have sold out of the damn things ?

 

[Hughmac]

Well, whatever you decide, good luck with your choice.
You already have the iPhone so to buy a Z 50 will be an extra outlay, and having started using it you may want to expand your lens collection to add something like the 50-250mm. I believe the camera and two lenses are also sold as a kit, which would give better savings in the long run over buying individually - worth considering?

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Danfango]

Good advice. Will look into that.

I found the 16-50 kit for 769 GBP and the two lens kit for 1099 here with some shopping around. Not sure if they are UK spec or grey imports though so need to check that out first.

 

[Clix Pix]

For me, a longer lens is invaluable because I live on a small lake where there are a lot of opportunities to shoot wildlife (mostly birds on the water). My iPhone just doesn't fit the bill -- it really can't -- when it comes to that kind of situation, and for me, yes, a mirrorless ILC (interchangeable lens camera) absolutely works a treat. I agree with Hugh -- whether it be right now when first buying the camera or a little later, definitely consider the wealth of shooting possibilities which come with a flexible zoom lens in a wide range that gives you lots of reach.

 

[Danfango]

Ok so I pulled the trigger. I now own a Z50 and 16-50 + 50-250 kit.

First outing today. Not much content generated yet as I was too busy nattering but have some cows on the South Downs.

Thanks all for the encouragement and advice - genuinely appreciated!

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Congratulations. Now all that is left is to join us in the photo of the day thread.

 

[ivanwi11iams]

Ok so I pulled the trigger. I now own a Z50 and 16-50 + 50-250 kit.

First outing today. Not much content generated yet as I was too busy nattering but have some cows on the South Downs.

Thanks all for the encouragement and advice - genuinely appreciated!

View attachment 1982153

Honestly, I loved the way you thought through the process, prior to making a purchase.
Good luck with everything...

 

[ericgtr12]

I personally use both, for the most part I plan my shoots and for that I always use my professional gear but for general run around shooting I'll often use my iPhone (still on an 11 here) and it produces excellent photos.

What matters most is what you want to do, the iPhone will always be limited with glass and considering the internet is saturated with photos with the same limitations (mobile devices) a good lens is the only thing that will set you apart. But if just general point and shoot is what one is after the iPhone is more than adequate.

 

[jwolf6589]

Wrote a large diatribe that no one will care about so deleted it and started again.

Basically I think I got better photos out of my old D3100 9 years ago than I get out of my 13 Pro now because of the lump of glass in front of it, greater control, less processing. I am using Halide on the 13 Pro for ref.

Advantages of the 13 pro is that it's light, rugged, waterproof, tiny and also has a fully functioning computer attached to it ?

Thus I'm thinking about blowing this year's bonus on a mirrorless (Edit: or an entry level/mid range DSLR). Thoughts?

Examples with zero processing.

D3100 in 2013 - good colour balance, good contrast, nice DoF relation / bokeh in the background.

View attachment 1963756

iPhone 13 Pro in 2021 - oversharpened, colour saturation slightly too high, contrast slightly too high, no depth.

View attachment 1963757

Not feeling the 13 Pro. It's fine for casual shots but if I want to do something nice it's really not there.

I take photos with my iPhone 12 and my Powershot. I use them both. Taking a trip to the Golden gate later this month and plan to use both for photography.

 

[jwolf6589]

I'd recommend both your phone and a camera of your choice . The more tools the better. We're conditioned to think that what we should value is unobtrusiveness and lightweight as primary features of consideration. While worthy things to think about, there's also the fun of photography itself, flexibility with lenses and a lot of control over the final output that you have with a dedicated camera. Both tools have their uses, for sure. Having both is a great thing. And honestly, it's not hard to pick up and carry a dedicated camera so it's "the one you have with you". And best of all, you don't get phone calls and texts on them .

You also can’t instantly upload to the internet without the aide of a phone.

 

[mollyc]

You also can’t instantly upload to the internet without the aide of a phone.

i thought that not being connected to the internet was a plus for you.

What features most attract you?

When you bought your camera what features most attracted you? I can say for me the ability to instantly share to social media is NOT an attractive or necessary feature. For my Powershot I like the HDMI port which I use sometimes, the powerful zoom feature, the ability to shoot in HD,FHD, OR 4K...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[r.harris1]

You also can’t instantly upload to the internet without the aide of a phone.

This is true. For me personally, I want to instantly upload to the internet roughly 0% of the time but I get that this is a feature a lot of people need/want.

 

[jwolf6589]

i thought that not being connected to the internet was a plus for you.

What features most attract you?

When you bought your camera what features most attracted you? I can say for me the ability to instantly share to social media is NOT an attractive or necessary feature. For my Powershot I like the HDMI port which I use sometimes, the powerful zoom feature, the ability to shoot in HD,FHD, OR 4K...

forums.macrumors.com

I don’t want all my photos on Facebook no.

 

[MacNut]

You also can’t instantly upload to the internet without the aide of a phone.

Unless I am doing a run and gun throw away Facebook or Instagram shot I never post instantly without editing it first.

 

[Clix Pix]

I don’t want all my photos on Facebook no.

What? I would assume that the photographer would have some control over what is sent to FB or some other social media site....