SHIFTCAM Pro Grip very much changes the way I hold the iPhone in camera mode. It's built-in battery pack keeps the phone charged all day (3 days actually)😉
Happy New Year Brian! Thanks for the first video of 2024! I’ve taken the opposite (less is more) approach to mobile photography. I started 50 years ago with a Canon AT-1 then gradually migrated to a DSLR then a Sony mirrorless. I always found myself having to “relearn” the camera functions when time permitted me to go out and shoot. The iPhone put the joy of photography back for me! I’m a hobbyist photographer that didn’t have the time that I needed to shoot as much as I wanted to. However, having the iPhone in my pocket all the time has made me a better photographer. The thought of adding a grip makes me cringe. Some of my best photos have been when I least expected to see a composition and having my iPhone with me to capture the scene. BTW… I took your advice and culled through my library in LR. I’m down to less than 900 images. One-third are gems the remaining two-thirds are candidates for further editing. Have a great 2024!
Hahahahahahaha!!! I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t been eyeing the x100 V hard! But at this point, I’d rather wait for the VI. And happy new year to you, too, Randy!
I'd recommend the Fjordan grip. I've use Polar Pro before and liked it, but I too had shutter issues. Lastly, they used to accept Moment lenses, now I believe, they only accept their own lenses.
I think with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, photography changes. That said most iPhone photography leans towards landscape and street photography. Portrait photography less so, or more specifically off camera flash portraiture. I’ve not managed to find a workable solution so will probably need to lean on natural light (unreliable in the UK) or continuous light that I know little about. I’d love to see a day where I photograph a client in a studio hire in London and all I take with me is my…phone. Really enjoying your channel. Jon
I have often gotten caught up in “either/or” thinking, which has cost me a lot of wasted time, energy, and money switching camera systems. While I suppose the iPhone *could* be my primary camera, but there is no reason why it *should* be. I would consider it a capable enough backup - not a true backup, but one you could use to get decent enough pictures with if, say, your primary system fell into a lake. I enjoy the process and muscle memory of using a dedicated camera, with a viewfinder and all the buttons and dials. It might be interesting to try out the shutter button accessory you showed. Thanks for the video!
How did the battery hold up? I’ve tried using my phone as primary and found that using it as a main camera, really chews through the battery. And of course, I can’t carry a spare. I would also miss being able to control f stop, shutter speed, iso, and especially exposure compensation with dials. And you already mentioned the view finder. I use that almost entirely. One more advantage you didn’t mention might be a lens hood. We have taken several bus tours where some great shots present themselves through a bus window. I struggle with the phone to get clean images without reflections. It would be a lot easier if I could put a rubber lens hood on and cut out the reflections. Putting the phone right up against the the glass works, but comes with a set of its own problems. How about an Arca Swiss tripod attachment?
The battery is definitely an important variable that requires paying attention. My iPhone is still very new and holds a full charge. Despite that, it did burn through the battery at a decent clip. That’s why I kept two Anker battery packs handy. One is small and can easily top off the iPhone. The other is much more substantial and can fast charging capabilities, so it can get me from 30% to 80% very quickly. I often kept it charging while walking around. I basically just had a usb-c cable dangling out of my bag. That might make for a good video, though. As for exposure controls, you do have basic shutter speed and ISO controls, but I get that it isn’t as responsive as a camera. You also have exposure compensation with most pro camera apps. I hadn’t considered the need for a lens hood, but I can see why you’d want one based on the example you gave. And as for an arca Swiss mount, I did attach a plate to the bottom of the grip to mount onto my tripod. There should be some quick b-roll clips in this video that shows the phone on my tripod.
@@brianmatiash I did see your phone mounted on a tripod, but didn’t make out exactly how it was done. Thanks for the clarification. Doesn’t adding all this stuff to your phone, and plugging in a charger, kind of defeat the purpose? Also I have found that when I’m shooting on a phone, the shooting process can be interrupted by messages, notifications, etc, coming from the phone, which obviously wouldn’t happen with a camera. I think this might be a cool setup for wildlife photography, especially using the burst mode as kind of a poor mans pre shot buffer.
I don't see how the case and grip could defeat the purpose of using the phone as a camera. It just makes it feel more intuitive for that purpose. I use a case with my phone all the time, so that didn't change. And adding the grip literally takes two seconds. As for the filters and tripod, they're certainly not necessary but I enjoy seeing how far I can push the capabilities of this device. As for notifications - I put my phone in do not disturb mode whenever I'm out shooting. In fact, I have a dedicated Focus mode built for photography. It only allows notifications from my wife to come through.
@@brianmatiash I guess I should have been more clear. I would use the phone as it’s more convenient . But with the lens mount, and grip I wouldn’t be able to put it in my pocket, nor are there any mounts for a strap. I’d basically need to have a camera bag. Good tip on the Focus Mode!!! I should have thought of that. Might be a good idea for a follow up video.
Thanks for the video. I'm looking into extending my iPhone skills. I went for the Fjorden grip, system case & some lenses. I have the grip which works with its own app and a few others like Pro Camera app, but everything else is on back order which is a real shame for me. It has been pointed out to me that the attached lenses block the LIDAR sensor. Worth looking into with any lens attachment system.
I just checked out the snapgrid and it looks slick. Still, my bigger priority is to be able to use filters and have a better grip, so the Polar Pro kit fits the bill. Still, that shutter button inconsistency is annoying for sure.
I did see the Fjorden kit and it also looks really, really good. I may order a kit from them and compare the two. Like I mentioned in the vid, I was a little disappointed with the Bluetooth shutter (its functionality, not fit).
I just looked into the Fjorden. Seems well thought out. I didn’t even know I wanted / needed one. But I DO. Have to hope Brian springs for one and shares his opinion. Thanks in advance Brian. 😊
Actually, looking at it a bit more closely, I don't see filter support when using this kit. That's one of the things I really enjoy about the PolarPro setup.
Interesting. I have graduated through all the variations of camera types and now just have a small MFT Panasonic plus my iPhone 14 Pro. I want the iPhone to be my only camera (I use it to take reference photos for art) but until they come up with a “viewfinder” option I’ll hang on to my Panny. It’s frustrating when you’re out on a sunny day and you just can’t see what is on your screen (even turned up to max brightness) 😠
Hi Brian and happy first video of 2024! I've been tryin since the iphone 10 Plus to use my mobile phone (now an iPhone 14 Pro Max) for a primary camera. I just can't make the necessary adjustments, moreover, I don't want to make those adjustments. At 4:35 in you mentioned some pretty negative aspects of using the PolarPro iPhone attachments and yet at 5:11 in you gave it your "100% recommendation." Hmmm, that seems a little hard to understand in my opinion. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching but have no plans on ever using my iphone as my primary camera (mostly). 😎
I understand the skepticism. My hope is that replacing the shutter button will alleviate the issue. I'm waiting to hear back from PolarPro about that. Fortunately, it wasn't an incessant issue (triggering burst mode or losing connectivity), but it happened enough where I wanted to mention it. The reason why I 100% recommend it is because it made using my iPhone as a camera significantly more comfortable and intuitive, and I attribute it to me enjoying my time using it a lot more. I hope that helps clarify things.
