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The iPhone DSLR Camera: The Beginning of the End or the Start of Something New?

The iPhone DSLR Camera: The Beginning of the End or the Start of Something New?

Take a long hard look at that picture above. Is that the extreme low point for film snobs or the high point for DSLR enthusiasts? It's not like an iPhone hasn't been used for film production before, but never has it been the camera body of choice for serious filmmakers. However, now that the iPhone 4 can shoot HD (and even edit on the fly) should we expect to see iPhone filmmaking take off in the same way DSLR's have?

by Evan Luzi | Cameras | July 19, 2010 | Comments: 2

I doubt it. For one, there’s the stigma of shooting on a phone and on shooting on something so incredibly tiny that has little weight. That is going to be a big hurdle to jump for a lot of people. But also, if you follow the image’s advice and visit iphonedslr.com you will see a test video at the top that struggles to keep subjects in focus (likely due to the iPhone’s autofocusing lens) as well as suffers from a bit of vignetting. Not to mention the hurdle of storage and backups.

But who knows? If this is just the beginning, there could be some marked improvements in both the technology of the adapters and the iPhone itself. Will one day the phone upgrade to 1080p? Will the adapters be able to find a fix for the focus and vignetting issues?

I have a few friends who lament the DSLR revolution because they love the look of film so much. And while I’m not exactly sure where I stand, I don’t see either taking over in the near  future. There are severe disadvantages to every medium of choice for film production. And if digital is going to take over, it’s going to happen first with the Arri Alexa or RED line of cameras – not an iPhone. Plus, aren’t the phones already behind the times without 3D capabilities?

Yet, what this iPhone adapter means is that we are getting closer and closer to each and every person accessing fairly good loking images for only a few hundred dollars. The talent to get those images may not be there – I think were a ways off from seeing iPhone films make this list – but the technology IS getting there and that’s half the battle. With access to this kind of visual capability, will this be the beginning of the end of what makes filmmaking sacred or the start of a wonderful revolution? It’s hard to say for now.

Head on over to iPhoneDSLR.com to view the rig.

About the AuthorEvan Luzi

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Creator of The Black and Blue. Freelance camera assistant and camera operator for over a decade. He also runs a lot. Learn more about Evan here.

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Read Next

Useful Cinematography iPhone Apps to Have on Set

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A couple of months ago, I did a post that featured three useful cinematography/camera assisting iPhone apps to have on set. In my introduction, I stated that "the Apple iPhone is undoubtedly one of the most powerful phones out on the market today" and that "there are plenty of apps to help you become more efficient on set and make the iPhone one of your essential tools."

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The Ultimate Guide to a Camera Assistant's Toolkit

Every camera assistant will have different tools depending on how they work. That’s why it’s important to peak into what other camera assistants have to offer. So I’m going to show you what I have in my toolkit today and also give you advice on what I think you should have in yours.

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