So, recently I sold my Canon 77D and my lenses,
and replaced them with a phone.
In this video, I'm going to review the iPhone 12 Pro Max
as a replacement for a DSLR.
I'm not only going to go in-depth
when it comes to pros and cons,
and discuss who should replace their camera with this phone,
but I'm also going to show you lots of photos and videos
I captured with it.
They say that the best camera is the one you have on you.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is relatively small and portable,
when compared to a DSLR, and it easily fits in your pocket.
I value minimalism,
and the ability to fit my entire life in a backpack,
so I'm happy to take a small demotion in terms of bokeh,
in order to achieve this.
When I used a DSLR, I had to carry a lot of gear.
Two camera bodies, multiple lenses, chargers,
spare batteries, SD cards, and so on.
My gear took up my entire backpack, and then some.
Now, I just need my phone, and a charging cable.
When shooting video,
I love to use my Beastgrip and Moment lenses on occasion,
but more on that later.
When it comes to losing SD cards,
or forgetting to back up great shots,
I tend to get a bit paranoid.
By using my phone,
I can have my photos sync to the cloud in the background.
If I want to quickly copy everything over,
I just connect my phone to my MacBook,
and I can immediately transfer everything.
Alternatively, you can use Airdrop,
but a wired connection is usually faster.
Even better,
if you don't want to carry your laptop with you,
just carry one of these.
This is the 256GB version of the SanDisk iXpand.
I bought it as it has two ends, lightning and type-C.
I just plug it into my phone,
and I can transfer files over to it.
When it comes to image quality,
when compared to my older Canon 77D DSLR,
the iPhone 12 Pro Max is better in some ways,
and worse in others.
I'm taking a hit in terms of bokeh,
but on this device, I can shoot at 4k 60fps,
or 120fps and 240fps at 1080p.
Even when in direct sunlight,
the phone can handle itself well,
and it preserves a lot of detail.
In fact, this footage looks even better now
that I look at it, compared to when I initially shot it.
When viewing it on my laptop,
way more detail was preserved than I expected.
With the help of Natalie,
I managed to take portrait photos in different locations,
and under different lightning conditions,
thus showcasing what the phone can do.
These photos were taken with the 58mm Moment lens,
link down below if you want to check it out.
We also did a shoot
using just the built-in lens of the iPhone 12 Pro Max,
and here are some of the results.
We managed to find a few neat places
around the old historic center of Sibiu, Romania,
once the sun was down.
These photos make use of the neon lights in a shop window.
As you might have noticed
from some of the footage I've shown you,
the bokeh is not as intense as if you were shooting
on a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens, for example.
On the other hand,
you're getting far better Image Stabilization,
compared to that lens specifically.
Even though I like bokeh,
I don't think losing out on some of it is a huge problem,
but it's one of the disadvantages of shooting on a phone.
At least so far, that is.
Whatever app you're using,
you're likely to have some level of manual control.
I use the Moment app for photos, and Filmic Pro for video.
Even though I absolutely recommend
learning how to shoot in manual,
I like to simplify my process as much as possible.
As a result, I use auto mode with the apps.
They both have a function
where they give you two circles or squares,
one for focus, and one for exposure.
You can then move them around,
thus indicating to the phone where to focus
and what to sample
in order to figure out the right exposure.
Not quite as handy as having physical knobs and buttons
on a DSLR body,
but it's much better than leaving it all to the phone.
When it comes to storage,
the model of iPhone 12 Pro Max that I use has 256 gigabytes.
Obviously a bit less once you take into account the OS,
and the fact that other apps use up some space,
but that's more than enough.
If in a pinch,
I can quickly transfer everything to my laptop,
or an external drive, and immediately make space.
You can buy the 512GB model if you wish,
but whether you truly need that much space
will mostly depend on your needs.
I'd wager that 256GB will probably be more than enough
for most people.
PS: Bear in mind that you can't upgrade
the phone's storage space with a microSD.
What you buy is what you're stuck with,
without taking into account cloud storage.
Also take into account that if you're shooting in 4K,
Apple ProRAW, or at high frame rates,
the files will be larger than usual.
In terms of accessories, I use the Beastgrip cage.
It allows me to hold the phone more like a DSLR,
and it adds weight to the setup,
which makes my movements smoother when shooting video.
I can also attach accessories to it if I wish,
like a microphone.
In addition to that, I also sometimes use two Moment lenses,
the 58mm Tele lense and the Wide.
I've covered the 58mm quite a bit in the video,
because that's the one that I go to most often.
I like to shoot portraits with it,
so I'm going to reach for it more than the wide.
One of the major cons of using a smartphone
instead of a camera is ease of control, or lack there of.
A DSLR is far more tactile,
it has wheels and buttons which I can instinctively operate
in order to change the settings.
With the phone, it's more or less all on the screen.
Because of the Beastgrip though,
it actually feels like I'm holding a DSLR.
In terms of durability, even though Apple
supposedly hardened the screen on the iPhone 12,
I'd still be careful with it.
If you can, apply a screen protector.
When it comes to choice of case, when using external lenses,
I use the Moment leather case
made specifically for this phone.
The case itself is by far the nicest case I've ever held,
and it adds protection,
whilst also having built-in mounts for Moment lenses.
When doing street photography, or vlogging in public,
you'll draw far less attention
than if you had a large DSLR setup.
This is great, as you can not only shoot video
in places where having a DSLR would get you in trouble,
like a supermarket,
but you'll attract less attention
from potential pickpockets.
Additionally, shooting in some areas
will get you in trouble if your camera
is perceived as Pro.
If you have a beefy DSLR, security might approach you
and ask what you're doing,
or if you're making money from this.
If you have a phone, which everyone does now,
it's highly unlikely anybody will bother you,
unless photography is expressly prohibited.
As the iPhone obviously does not have a swivel screen,
shooting at certain angles can be difficult.
That being said, there are loads of DSLRs
that do not have swivel screens anyway.
Theoretically, I could mount a small screen
on top of the Beastgrip cage, and connect it to the phone,
but even though I've considered doing it,
that would defeat the point of a minimalist setup.
In terms of battery life,
the iPhone 12 Pro Max is fantastic.
I can shoot for hours without worrying about battery life.
If it gets low, I can hook up my phone
to a portable battery, and charge it.
Over time, as the battery gets charged over and over,
its capacity will naturally diminish.
Still, as it stands now,
with the phone being nearly a year old,
I only need to charge it every 2-3 days, with normal use,
or usually once a day
if I'm doing a lot of photography and videography.
I always carry a power bank with me anyway,
so I can always plug my phone in and charge it if I need to.
So, who should buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max?
If you want a small device to shoot with wherever,
while still getting fantastic results,
I'd definitely recommend this.
This is especially if you're a bit more shy.
If you've always felt nervous about vlogging in public,
this is as good as it gets.
I love this phone,
and I'm glad I switched from a more pro setup.
It's minimal, whilst delivering similar quality to a DSLR,
and that's all that matters to me personally.
I still reserve the right to buy a pro DSLR in the future,
and test out other gear, but as things stand,
the iPhone 12 Pro Max does everything I need it to do.
If you have any questions about filming
or taking photos with the iPhone 12 Pro Max,
feel free to leave a comment down below,
and I'll do my best to get back to you.
If you're curious about what equipment I use,
or you want to see how much
this device costs in your country,
I have affiliate links to everything I've mentioned,
down below in the description.
Thank you very much for watching.
Don't forget to leave a like, subscribe, and hit that bell,
and I'll see you in the next one.
B-Bye!
(calm music)