I ditched my camera setup to use a iPhone instead. (Part 4: comparison to the Nex-7)

Using an iPhone as my camera has been an interesting experience, to say the least. Right off the jump, the default camera app is hot garbage. Very few options make for a lackluster experience (outside of portrait mode, more on that later). I did some research and I decided on using the Mavis Pro app for my video needs. It allows for fine-tuning of focus,  ISO, and other functions that a camera guy would fawn over. This allows me to retain the manual adjustments that I love so much. In addition to this, you can disable the cameras built-in stabilizer, which will be essential when purchasing a gimbal. Speaking of the stabilizers, the Optical Stabilizer in the iPhone 7 Plus is phenomenal for shooting and Its really hard to take an awkward shot with that camera. 

One thing that I did not expect to be such a big plus is the phone screen itself. The NEX-7 has a 2.5 inch, non-touch display for the viewfinder, and an Electronic View Finder (EVF). The EVF is pretty awesome for setting up the shot, but this is a video comparison so let’s talk about the display. The display sucks for monitoring footage. It sucks even more for reviewing footage. I usually just pop out my SD card and review the footage on the spot if I want to see how it will turn out. This experience is topped off by the annoying AVCHD format that is used when using 1080p footage, but this is more of a "this camera is old as hell" Issue. By comparison, the iPhone 7 Plus is a 5.5 inch, 1080p touchscreen display, which makes it a joy to see stuff as it’s happening and even better when reviewing the footage. 

Other pieces of comparison

- The iPhone 7 Plus records at 4k 30 FPS, but I don’t care about that cause I think 4k is still pointless. 

- The NEX-7 is pretty heavy when compared to the iPhone 7. This was the most surprising part for me cause I moved to the NEX-7 from the Canon Rebel t3i due to the difference of weight between those cameras and the hand fatigue that the T3i caused. 

- Using my iPhone allows for a completely wireless workflow, reducing the need for tedious connections and waiting for items to transfer off my phone. I will go into detail about my new wireless workflow here

- It’s going to be hard getting used to shooting in landscape mode to avoid the infamous bars of doom (just kidding, don’t record in a portrait please, it’s the dumbest thing ever in any circumstance.

- Portrait mode works pretty well most of the time. Not as well as a camera but it makes for some pretty dope effects

- Screw you, apple for removing the headphone jack. It makes life hard.

Overall, this has been a fun experiment. You can't help but appreciate how close smartphones are getting to dedicated camera quality. Apples advertising with the iPhone 6S, 7, and now 8/X has shifted the focus of the smartphone camera from a tool that is used to get good shots with friends or family to one of the iPhone being a creative tool that is more than equipped to handle all the rigors of professional cinematography and photography. I think that it also opens the doors for potential creators to build a workflow for creating content using the phone they already use every day for everything else, which saves a ton of cost that would be used to invest in a good camera. So whether you are a semi-pro looking to lose a couple pounds of hand strain, or someone with many different ideas with a very low budget for equipment, perhaps your next camera for creation will be what you're using to read this right now. 

Below I will give a full list of everything that I used during the duration of this project, including the computer that I use. There will also be links to buy (most) of the stuff on Amazon. 

**update**

From the time of originally writing this, I upgraded to an iPhone X, which I then eventually got rid of as I was on a hiatus from shooting video for about a year since writing this. The iPhone X is a beast of a camera and is definitely one of the better options, even today with the iPhone 11 series and its tri-lens setup. I am currently using an iPhone 8 to record, but it is nearing the end of its usable life for me. I plan to either buy an iPhone 11 Pro and base all of my efforts around that system for the next two years or save up for an actual camera and end my iPhone camera experiment. With the large volume of projects I am working on, I will probably lean towards getting an 11 Pro as it is easier to obtain than my dream camera with lenses.

I ditched my camera setup to use a iPhone instead. (Part 3: Smartphone camera gear is cool)

Now, this is the fun part. I've done a lot of research into what attachments I can get in order to be able to viably use the iPhone 7 as a quasi-pro-level video-making machine. Out of that research (and some jerry-rigging), I have assembled this:

This is a collection of multiple attachments and grips. Starting from the bottom, We have this hand grip from Fantaseal

This has helped me get the best shots possible and reducing fatigue (yes, even with something this small and light, I still get hand fatigue, sue me). Next is a smartphone holder with a cold shoe mount, from Ulanzi:

To finish off the ghettopod, I have also bought a ball head (also from Ulanzi) l head, which allows for a lot of options for how you want to position your phone for optimal angles. Combined with the hand grip, it makes for a killer combo. If you need Some more length (like a selfie stick), You can buy an attachment to put on the bottom of the holder. The smartphone holder I bought happened to come with such an extension:

Extension (Left) and ball mount (Right)

In the future,  I will ditch this and move strictly to a gimbal setup, but I'm poor, so that may be awhile. (Do note that If you attempt to emulate what I do, DO NOT BUY A SMARTPHONE GIMBAL. They cannot handle the weight of the iPhone 7, let alone the 7 Plus with all sorts of crap attached to the back of it. You must buy a DSLR level gimbal that can hold at least 1000+ grams In order to make that work).

Another great addition is the Microphone,from Boya. I would recommend getting an adapter for both lightning and headphone cables so you are not stuck with just one or the other (and perhaps you might want to attach it to the back of the phone, perhaps)? UPDATE: This microphone is straight garbage and I have since returned it prior to publishing this article. I will purchase a better one in the future. Ideally, you should try to go for a microphone that will give you options to control the sensitivity and other options as you will not really be able to control any settings on the phone itself.

Gotta have a tripod, too (I reused the holder from the monopod in order to mount it as well as raise the phone up a couple inches):

If you don’t have a high capacity iPhone already, perhaps investing a lightning to SD card reader would be worthwhile for holding your footage cheaply. I will go more into detail about the storage workflow that I use in part 4, As I am still working out the kinks of transferring content off of my phone in an efficient manner. 

Lastly, We have the Moment camera case, which I talked more in depth about in part 2. It allows me to attach many different types of lenses to the back to extend the functionality of the already pretty versatile dual camera setup of the iPhone 7 Plus.

If you want to use any of the items listed, please consider buying them using the Amazon links in the post. In the next and final part of this series, I will go over my experiences using this new setup compared to my trusty NEX-7.

Cozy Productions is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Use the link below the next time you need camera equipment: http://amzn.to/2F4Pn83

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.