I ditched my camera setup to use a iPhone instead. (Part 5: comparison to the Nex-7)

One of the main reasons that I cited for why I ended up liking my iPhone 7 Plus over the Sony NEX-7 had to do with Optical Image Stabilization. If you don’t know, OIS is a camera sensor feature that dynamically moves the physical sensor in the frame in order to compensate for shaky footage. I have a incredibly bad shooting hand and OIS is a lifesaver when I used it in action. It has been a year since I last shoot any video, and my phone situation has changed during that time as well. I now have a iPhone 8, which does not have OIS. I have some projects to record, so now a couple questions arise: can I have a similar experience without OIS given my shaky hand and can it hold me over until I can afford a upgrade? 

The answer is yes and no. 

The great thing about iPhone camera quality is that with every single year, they made slight alterations to get the best possible hardware/software solution and there is a small albeit noticeable change going from a 7 plus to a 8. This goes for even Android with the Google Pixel series making large leaps in image processing with each new version of android. This has been a upgrade to my 7 plus experience in quality and I have no complaints with that. 

OIS is still a dealbreaker though….for me

Without OIS, I would surely need to either obtain a massive amount of focus or purchase a gimbal to compensate. But think about what I said. Basically, the only thing that separates the cameras is whether or not you use a gimbal or not! When I started this series, this would be a pretty hard choice to make as you would either have to pay more and get a bigger phone with. OIS, or pay less and get no OIS. With the release of the iPhone XR, Apple has made OIS standard on all of its phones, with the higher end models having OIS on both of their rear cameras. With all of these options to choose from, it is very important that you identify your own needs and choose the phone that fits your needs. I will be making a buyers guide as the final part of this series to help pick what works for you. Until then, In the next post I will detail my mobile workflow I’ve made, which uses iCloud storage as the glue that allows me to move media seamlessly between devices and keep working on a project no matter where I am. 

I ditched my camera setup to use a iPhone instead. (Part 1: why I did it)

As time goes on, the powerful camera in our pocket is starting to become our smartphones. Every year, there seems to be new heights that are achieved by smartphone cameras and they inch closer and closer to DSLR quality. Combined with portability that even the lightest, smallest mirrorless cameras cant match, This makes smartphones a great alternative for the normal consumer to a point and shoot. But how about for the semi-pro/pro photographer?  In the past, I have felt that the cameras and the software were not up to the task of handling workloads such as shooting music videos or just simple documentaries. I can now say as of 2017, this is starting to change. I have decided to capitalize on this change and challenge myself to ditch my Sony NEX-7 mirrorless camera in order to switch to a iPhone 7 Plus as my primary camera for Cozy Productions. This series will highlight the conversion as well as my thoughts on the differences between the two. It will consist of four parts:

1. Rationale behind why I am switching (this post)
2. The Scenari-Mount™ system
3. Getting the gear
4. Comparison between DSLR and final thoughts

 This will either be a great success, or a failure that I will come to regret deeply. Lets find out.

Should you buy the Sony NEX-7 (TL;DR: depends on your needs)

Should you buy is a series that will focus on whether a specific item is worth the investment of your money. This will be based solely on my personal experiences and is ultimately just my opinion. In this post, I will discuss if the Sony NEX-7 is worth the money. The NEX-7 is a 24-megapixel mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. This means that it does not have the multiple mirrors that allow a normal DSLR camera to function. It is also able to be used with multiple lenses ranging from Sony branded ones or third party lenses with an adaptor. The lack of mirrors means that the camera is very small compared to a normal DSLR and therefore extremely portable. It has both a mic input as well as mini HDMI for external monitors. It is also incredibly cheap and can be had for anywhere from 300 to 500 bucks, depending on where you look. The camera is great for recording video due to its size, portability, and the ability to record at 1080P at 60FPS. The only real issue with it is that it will not record at 4k. This is mostly because the camera is dated at this point (the NEX-7 was released in late 2011) and since that time, its bigger brother Sony A7 has been released with many iterations that address this issue. Regardless, I believe that you should buy this camera as its size and price compared to much bigger DSLR’s in the same price range make it perfect for people starting out with photo or video work. You can go buy this camera here.