Last week I had a new client who’d tried to make DIY videos using their phone without much success, before coming to Clips That Sell. It’s prompted me to put this video together, comparing what you get from a phone versus a proper camera. Just comparing the footage, never mind the editing.
I will confess, when planning this clip I did wonder “what if the phone footage looks as good as my other cameras”, it didn’t.
More-over, it shows it’s not just what gear you’ve got, but what you do with it that matters. A videographer has the experience to know what works and what will make you look good. After all, you put effort into creating a brand image and surely you want that to carry through to the videos you make.
That aside, for the uninitiated here’s a more detailed list of the differences between your phone versus a more professional camera:
- Bigger sensor = greater dynamic range (see video), accurate colours
- Bigger sensor and fast lenses = you can choose where to focus, better in low light
- Better lenses = clearer, less warped image (eg curving or blur at the edge). Able to zoom
- Bigger bit depth and bit rate = more information to colour-correct and grade later
- Not over-sharpened. The mobile phone uses software to ‘sharpen’ the image. It is too much.
- Able to control everything like focus, exposure, white balance, picture profiles, versus the phone which is all automatic.
- Better sound with better pre-amps and microphone connectors in a real camera
- Stabilization, all sorts of input / output connectors and mounting points.
I’m sure there’s a bunch more. The holy-grail is a more “cinematic” look and of course the better the camera, the closer it gets to this nebulous ideal.
If this has been useful, please send me a reply email and say hello. (It’s lonely in lockdown 🙂
Keith Rhodes
