{"id":14260,"date":"2017-04-13T15:03:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T20:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/?p=14260"},"modified":"2024-10-08T16:19:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T21:19:18","slug":"iphone-vs-dslr-product-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/blog\/iphone-vs-dslr-product-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"iPhone vs. DSLR: Shooting RAW Product Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An e-commerce seller on a budget can shoot their own product photos<\/a> with the right gear<\/a>, shots<\/a>, and touch-ups<\/a>. You might consider upgrading to a DSLR camera, but with recent technology updates, you could potentially get professional-quality images with the smartphone in your pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Contenders<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We’ve matched the iPhone 7 Plus<\/a> with a Canon EOS Rebel T5<\/a> to go head-to-head on product photography. The DSLR comes stock with the 18-55mm lens which sells for $399.99. We’re shooting with the iPhone 7 Plus with no add-on lenses, starting around $769.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, we’re shooting JPEG & RAW formats on both the iPhone and the Canon. To shoot RAW on the iPhone, we’ve downloaded the Adobe Lightroom App for iPhone<\/a>. All exposure and white-balance settings are set to automatic on both cameras. The photos are un-edited and straight from their respective devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Product Photography Test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

TEST: INDIVIDUAL SHOT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Here are some individual shots we took at each configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong> The obvious difference on this set of shots is the greater amount of light that the iPhone let in over the DSLR, which seems to be at a lower exposure. This however, isn’t always a plus as over-exposure can make your photo lose data that you can’t adjust in post. Overall, the iPhone photo in RAW format stands out as the sharpest and at just the right brightness, straight from the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TEST: DETAIL SHOT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We’ve taken a detail (close-up) shot on all four settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong> Although this one is a close call, the RAW photo from the iPhone does appear to have a more natural contrast and sharpness that makes certain colors distinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TEST: LIFESTYLE SHOT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We’ve taken a lifestyle-like shot on all four settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR JPG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"DSLR
DSLR RAW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/strong> We begin to see some key differences in the photos in this test. The colors from the iPhone are noticeably more saturated with a warm, orange skin tone in the hands. The greens are more vibrant in the iPhone photos, where in the center of the product it’s noticeably more seafoam green rather than the more flat mint color in the DSLR photos. Once again, the RAW photo from the iPhone appeared to set at a higher exposure on the automatic setting, but it appears to have blown-out the top-right edge of the product’s shiny outline. The DSLR appears to offer more natural colors that were truer to what we saw in-person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should I Take Product Photography with an iPhone or DSLR?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re on a budget to take your own product photography, it all boils down to one question… should you use the phone you might already own or invest in a DSLR camera? After each shot test it’s safe to conclude that there’s no clear winner in photo quality<\/strong>. The Canon camera offered all the features you love about a DSLR and consistently shot a great photo. The iPhone, however, boasted in ease of use and took a great photo as well. The capability to take a RAW photo from the phone is a really great new feature that makes it even harder to compare the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Product<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would recommend an iPhone to product photographers who:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n