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iPhone4 vs Leica M9

kallisti

kallisti

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 22, 2003
1,751
6,670
Was going through some teaching files. Not really a fair comparison, but had two images taken of a ventilator on a critically ill patient. One shot with an iPhone4, one taken when I elected to bring in a "good" camera to capture the ventilator tracings for teaching purposes (a Leica M9). Shot a year apart though in the same room under the similar lighting. Both hand-held. Again, not a totally fair comparison for several reasons (the Leica image allowed me some freedom in tweaking that the iPhone image didn't), but this comparison can serve as an example of how gear can actually matter in an image (as much as it pains me to say this). I would not be comfortable using the iPhone image in a presentation, I would be comfortable using the Leica image (and in fact I am using it for teaching at Brown).

6662401097_096ca218c2_b.jpg

iPhone4

6662401259_d384552ea4_b.jpg

Leica M9, 35mm f/2 lens
 
Last edited:
Some details seem to have been lost due to glare/compensation in the iPhone shot (towards the bottom, mostly), but it holds up reasonably well to some minor tweaking.

ventx.jpg
 
El Cabong said:
Some details seem to have been lost due to glare/compensation in the iPhone shot (towards the bottom, mostly), but it holds up reasonably well to some minor tweaking.
Click to expand...

His reflection was the best part, and you've removed it.
 
Hi, Doc. Good to hear from you again..:)

You have the Leica, so go with it for shots like this. If I was taking medical classes at Brown University, I would expect the slides to be maxed out quality.

Dale
 
In other news... I have a Mini Cooper S and a Ferrari 458. I did a comparison of both and determine that you should always drive the 458 because it's faster 0-60, tighter turning and feels tighter when you drive it. In comparison with the Ferrari, the Mini was slower and smaller. Thus, the Mini is crap.

When you don't do fair comparisons, you don't get fair results..
 
RdeCourtney said:
In other news... I have a Mini Cooper S and a Ferrari 458. I did a comparison of both and determine that you should always drive the 458 because it's faster 0-60, tighter turning and feels tighter when you drive it. In comparison with the Ferrari, the Mini was slower and smaller. Thus, the Mini is crap.

When you don't do fair comparisons, you don't get fair results..
Click to expand...

My neighbor has a Ferrari and a Porche. The Ferrari never gets out of the garage because it is so prone to mechanical problems. I've never seen his Harley out of the garage, either. His "daily driver" is a Ford F-150.:)

None of this is made up, by the way.

Dale
 
Ok so the guy's point was more about the fact that gear does matter. I don't know if anyone would ever be so bold as to claim that when compared, a shot with a high end camera would provide a better if not comparable image to an iPhone. If someone does actually believe that then I have a ocean-front real estate to sell you in Wyoming. I firmly believe that when you're looking for a quality shot, low noise (with digital) and accurate color (straight from camera) that gear matters. Great art can be made with an iPhone photo though.

More to the post then the actual point, I think the delivery was what struck some as odd. The original post reads as though this notion should surprise anyone; I'm wondering if that is why the responses are as they are.

The better way of putting this is to ask if gear matters and if you ask me, I think in many ways it does. I also believe that I can take my Nikon D70 and a Nikon D3s and produce very very similar images if I use the same professional-grade glass despite the obvious differences between a D70 and a D3s.
 
I agree that it shouldn't be a surprise that the Leica beat the iPhone4.

But while gear does matter to an extent, if you know how to compose well and aren't afraid to do some post processing, you can get great shots from an iPhone.

There was a video that showed a professional photo shoot done on a 3GS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOoGjtSy7xY

There were some criticisms about the fancy lighting gear, models, etc on that video so someone did another one outdoors with an iPhone4, few reflectors, and photoshop (though I actually prefer the unedited shoots more):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o063wC_SNxo

So it can be done. Gear matters but I still think technique still is more important.
 
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