The iPhone 15 and the iOS updates that come with it have brought new features to Apple’s smartphone ecosystem. That’s no surprise. The same thing happens every release cycle. And in every release cycle, people also post crazy comparisons.

The latest is from the team at tech startup Strada. They tried to make footage shot on the iPhone 15 look like it was created with an 8K RED Monstro. Did they succeed? Well, I’ll let you be the judge of that.

RED vs iPhone – Do they really compare?

For those who work with cameras like the RED Monstro 8K on a daily basis, there’s no comparison. Even though the iPhone can shoot ProRes footage now, it’s still not going to be as good as the RED. Image quality aside, it’s not even really capable of providing the same composition.

The iPhone’s tiny sensor puts almost the whole world in focus for a start. It also doesn’t have the dynamic range of a RED Monstro, nor are the colours quite as accurate. But the iPhone 15 does shoot ProRes video, opening up more options in post.

Thanks to tools like the Blackmagic Camera App, we can get a bit closer to a “real camera” when shooting video with the iPhone, but it’s still not perfect. There’s still that depth of field. This is where Blace AI steps in to generate depth maps of the scene. These can then be used to simulate a similar-looking depth of field.

What about Cinematic Mode?

You might be asking yourself at this point, “The iPhone has cinematic mode. Can’t we just use that?”. As well as comparing – and emulating – the RED Monstro, the team also compared their own final result with cinematic mode footage right out of the camera.

While cinematic mode might be a step up from not using it for some images and footage, it’s not great for all. The side-by-side difference between the iPhone’s built-in cinematic mode and a more careful approach in post is quite striking.

It’s easier to see the differences if you zoom in, but you can see that the blur on cinematic mode isn’t that realistic. Sure, it’s blurred, but it doesn’t look like an actual lens blur. It looks like a gaussian blur with a mask around the subject.

The footage processed with AI and the depth of field simulated in post allows for more control. This means it can much more closely match the RED Monstro. There are, obviously, still some dynamic range and slight colour issues in parts, but overall, they’re pretty close.

You’ll also need other hardware

The footage is only one part of the equation. The other is the tools bolted to the iPhone to make it work more like a cinema camera. Building a rig like this isn’t essential, although it will definitely make your life easier.

Of course, if you’re going to build a rig like this, you might as well just go with a larger sensor mirrorless camera. Older full-frame mirrorless cameras on the used market are available at extremely good prices. And while they may not shoot 8K or ProRes (although, you could get ProRes with an external recorder like a Ninja V), they will require less work in post than the iPhone.

The rig here is all about making it easier to shoot cinema-style footage. Even if the iPhone footage doesn’t look like a cinema camera, you still want to create similar moves. Rigs like this help that happen. Of course, if you’re more comfortable going handheld with a small gimbal, that can work, too, if you’re careful.

It’s a lot of work, but is it worth it?

If you have the option to shoot with RED rather than your iPhone, the choice is going to be pretty simple. 99 times out of 100, the answer is just “shoot with the RED”. Sure, it’s the more expensive option, and you’ll need a beefy computer to deal with the footage, but it will give you a better starting point.

But if you don’t have access to a RED Monstro, or similarly capable camera, your iPhone might be your only option. It’s definitely a lot of work to get iPhone footage looking like it was shot with a larger sensor camera, even with help from AI. But whether or not it’s worth it will be up to you.

The point here isn’t to replicate cinema cameras for the people who have them. It’s to provide cinematic characteristics for the people who don’t.

Michael Cioni

Not every shot needs a shallow depth of field to separate the subject from their environment. Sometimes, depth of field is the best tool to guide the view, especially if you want to transition from your subject to a part of the scene in the background for emphasis.

It’s an interesting workflow for those who don’t have access to a bunch of expensive camera gear. It’s certainly not going to replace that camera gear. But if it’s all you’ve got and you want to do something beyond the basics, this isn’t a bad place to start.