Which Camera do you use? which lens shall I buy?
These possibly are the questions I get asked the most by people who want to start their journey with Food Photography!
So today, I decided to do a quick comparison between iPhone X (Apple's new flagship iPhone) and 5D Mark IV (Canon's most versatile DSLR) and just for the fun of it, I've also added images from iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S4.
Now that I ran out of phones to compare, I would like to note that this is not a technical post with specs and camera details, this is purely to compare the quality of photos and depth of field when photos are taken with different cameras shot in the same conditions and edited pretty much the same way!
All photos were taken with natural light (north facing window) and a reflector.
In Food Photography, there are three common angles to shoot from:
- Overhead (Flatlays)
- 45 degrees
- Straight-On
So let's take a look at how the photos compare:
OVERHEAD SHOT
Honestly, with an overhead shot it's pretty hard to notice the difference between these images at first glance!
45 DEGREES
The difference is a lot more noticeable with the 45 Degree angle, especially when it comes to Depth of Field (how blury is your background)
Now let's take a closer look at these images side by side:
In terms of "Depth of Field", the iPhone X with portrait mode is pretty great at mimicking the 5D Mark IV and achieving a shallow depth of field (Less things in focus), whereas iPhone 6 and Samsung S4 are pretty much the same and can only produce images with a deep depth of field (more things in focus).
STRAIGHT-ON
This is my famous "Chocolate and Banana Pancake Stack" and the photos taken with an iPhone X are pretty impressive when compared to 5D Mark IV.
Conclusion: Which is the best camera for Food Photography?
In the words of one of my favourite photographers, Chase Jarvis, the best camera is the one on you!
Now don't get me wrong, it's probably unfair to compare Canon's 5D Mark IV with any of these phones because it's definitely going to win in terms of everything, except size and price!
The point I am trying to make here is, Photography is about YOU "The Photographer", your vision, skill set and creativity. Great gear will definitely get you closer to where you want to go, but if you can't drive a car, buying a Porsche is not going to make you a better driver.
My personal advice is to master light & composition with whichever camera you have before you decide to upgrade.
You should also consider:
- Budget
- Needs in term of camera size and weight (DSLR vs. Mirrorless vs. Phone)
- Use of Photos (Print vs. Web)
- Whether you are starting a career in Food Photography or not.
If you want to know how to start your journey in Food Photography, check out my advice here.
Now it's your turn, what is your favourite camera when it comes to Food Photography?
Let me know in the comments below!
As always, feel free to hit me up with your questions, and I can't wait for next week and a new episode of #AskMahaMonday!
Love,
Maha
