This might help - I just did a test of 3 cameras in two different scenarios - Portrait and Landscape.
The iPhone images are straight from the phone with just the in-camera processing and the Canon & Sony images have been tweaked in Lightroom to improve the out-of-camera RAW look.
Camera size comparison
Thanks for the comparisons.
What is the likelihood,for the subject matter a £200 phone or compact might also be acceptable too?? Like I said I did a comparison a while back with some mates,and some 7X5" prints between a compact and a dSLR. I even downsized the number of MP on some of the photos sent for printing. For basic snapshots it really does not matter nowadays,with the big improvements in budget/mainstream phone cameras.
The problem is the phones don't do proper zooms yet(even though a Chinese company is making a folded optics one):
https://www.dpreview.com/news/30438...-module-with-85-170mm-equivalent-optical-zoom
It's taken years,but finally the technology from the 2002 Minolta Dimage X is arriving to phones. The existing implementations are fixed focal lengths.
The lack of zooms,and enough focal length options,makes all the images look the same,as the perspective is the same. This is why the fake bokeh looks rubbish as it does not make sense,when you see what the angle of view is doing to the facial features.
Also the Canon has a much better form factor too - phones are a PITA to hold,that thick grip actually helps,especially as the iPhone has a very limited focal length choice. So is the variable incidence display - when I was travelling recently,some of the interesting pictures I took wouldn't be capable with a phone,as I HAD to crouch downwards.
For instance,I can usually see in phone pictures,examined up close tend to have noticeable noise reduction artefacts,especially when you see areas of smoothing and then sharpening(basically edge detection plus a local contrast increase). You can see that in skin tones,grass,etc and when the light drops,or there is areas of variable high and low contrast,there is only so much the tiny 1/2.3" sensor does. Have I got some good photos out of my digital compacts...yep...so the same for a phone.
Also I found the files from my old D600 and the Fuji mirrorless cameras for the most part look fine out of the camera - I only use DxO if I need very good NR for certain scenarios.
I am also not that impressed by the iPhone XR(it was over £700 at launch IIRC),or many of these high end smartphones at all considering how much they cost,which is getting closer and closer to £1000.
I bought an XT20 and 16MM/F2.8 for under £450 from the Fuji refurb store,and a £100~200 phone. 4 years ago,I paid similar money for a XT10 and the standard dual lens kit and similar money(sold the XT10 body) as a travel camera. The lenses will last for years. The el cheapo phone is fine for basic photos.
This is why I find high end smartphones not cost effective. They lack flexibility,but also cost too much money,and I doubt most people will get more than a few years out of them. It's just a repeating cost,where you are essentially paying a massive premium for.
