“Amidst all the hoopla over the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and their motion processors, faster CPUs, and larger screens, it was also announced that Apple’s latest smartphones would have a much better camera,” Angela Watercutter reports for Wired. “And while that’s great news for those looking to take less-wack selfies at the bar, the new video features that come along with it mean something else: a high-quality camera filmmakers—and those who aspire to be—can keep in their pockets.”
“Not that they didn’t have that before. iPhones have been used to make shorts and other types of films before—there are even multiple iPhone film festivals—but what the iPhone 6 offers is what Apple’s Phil Schiller called “technology used by high-end DSLRs” during yesterday’s product announcement,” Watercutter reports. “Coupled with the ability to grab 1080p high-definition clips at 60 frames per second, take 240-fps slow-motion shots, provide cinematic video stabilization, and offer up to 128 gigabytes of storage, there’s more than enough oomph in the iPhone 6 for a few takes.”
Watercutter reports, “It’s the kind of power that could, like other developments in filmmaking technology, give rise to a whole new style of moviemaking.”
Read more in the full article here.
Reserving judgement til I try out the video capture on the 6. Still annoyed that optical image stabilization is only available on the larger 6+
Few film makers will be happy to use just one standard lens to shoot a movie. The iPhone 6 camera certainly offers impressive quality and versatility, but with a fixed lens, it’s not going to be replacing many movie cameras.
They can use the 3rd party (Sony?) attachable lens that are bound to be released for the iPhone 6 Plus.
Sony has an attachable camera, not an attachable lens. The 3rd party attachable lenses that do exist, while may be fun, are limited in use quality, especially in terms of movie making.
Oh, thanks. Shows how much I know about cameras…
Three major improvements will make the biggest difference:
The “Focus Pixels” processing (dramatically improving auto-focus during moving camera / moving subject videos)
Wide f2.2 aperture
Optical image stabilisation (working with the motion detectors and the gyroscope)
The sensor itself is still impossibly small, which makes comparison with DSLRs pointless, and the one feature that is most desireable for DSLRs (shallow depth of focus) is practically impossible to achieve with iPhone’s tiny sensor. Still, everything else makes this a formidable image- and video-capturing device.
It is interesting, though, how even though many cellphones of today shoot HD video of a quality not far behind the iPhone, only the iPhone has been considered as a usable device for filmmaking (recognised by the proliferation of all these iPhone film festivals out there).
Yeah, I wonder if a smartphone could ever seriously compete with a DSLR.
But this should be another huge nail in the coffin of point-and-shoot cameras. Quite frankly, I’m surprised they still sell those. It’s gotta be a narrow market: folks who won’t spend for a DSLR but still care enough about optical zoom to carry two devices?
——RM
Here’s an example of wanting a point-and-shoot camera over an iPhone: one of our sales guys is visiting a processing plant and wants to take photos and videos. He has an iPhone 4, but is one of these guys that holds in portrait orientation and is kinda shaky. A $175 Canon point-and-shoot (12MP, 1080p, awesome image stabilization) is the perfect solution for him.
You can still find VCR tapes.
I have several cameras. My iPhone is really just the camera I always have on me. It can’t compete when I have my Canon 7D or 5D. I also have a GoPro. I use that in situations that would destroy any other camera. And I also have a compact P&S, which is just as important in my lineup as anything else. There are places where I can’t bring my DSLR… either it’s too bulky or it’s not allowed. However, my compact P&S is a Canon SX700. It features an equivalent 25-750mm lens. The iPhone can’t come close to competing with that for zoomed in shots.
Can’t wait!
rumor has it, if the 5.5 iPhone does very well, it may kill the iPad mini!. I hope not but a 5.5 iPod touch may make me rethink getting an iPad mini. if they kill iPad mini then they will concentrate on adding to the iPad line with a pro model
Ah, no. Two totally different products.
I think it will definitely affect the line up. For me, I’ve upgraded every (iOS) device every year. I have an iPhone, iPad mini, full sized iPad, MacBook Air 11″, MacBook Pro 13″ and MacBook Pro 15″.
This past year, I realized that I really wasn’t using my full sized iPad, the same with my girlfriend. We’ve been preferring our iPad minis.
So now with an iPhone 5.5″, I’m not sure I’m going to want to carry the iPad mini with me. I’m definitely getting an Apple Watch, but I won’t be surprised if between the iPhone 5.5″ and the MacBook 11″, there’s no longer room for a device. If there is, it’s going to be for the full sized iPad.
Did you have the opportunity to hold the 6 plus? If so, did it feel pretty bulky? I’d think it is too big for my back pocket. I am looking to replace my 5, not my iPad, but could this do both?
I was only in the demo room for a short time and was more interested in seeing the Apple Watch, so I didn’t get hands on with the new iPhones.
You can check out the size of the iPhone 6 Plus yourself by taking a piece of cardboard and cutting it to 6.22″ X 3.06″. You might need to double up the cardboard to get the thickness (.28″). I did, and found that the iPhone 6 Plus fits everywhere I need it to.
For me the bigger issue on size is not whether it will fit in my pockets, but whether I can still sit with it in my pockets.
I’m not 100% sure it’s going to replace the need for an iPad for me… but keep in mind, I say this because there’s my MBA 11″, so it’s a question of having something squeezed between the two, and I don’t think it will be the iPad mini. If anything it would be the full sized iPad and I’ll be using it more for TV/movies.
Thanks! Very helpful info.
I’ve been on the fence which one I would like to get. Seeing how the Plus will have optical image stabilization and extra keys on the keyboard, I’m leaning now toward the Plus. Anyone else.
Me too, on the fence. Just have to do the pocket test with the Plus.
Think they’ll let us do the pocket test in the Apple store?
Since the 3gs, my upgrades have all been about the camera, and this looks to be more of the same. Much as I like my bigger pro-level cameras, the reality is that most of my shots these days are captured with my iP5s, and that includes gallery images for sale.