iPHONE vs. ALEXA Comparison

Watch now our iPhone vs. Arri Alexa video on YouTube https://youtu.be/B_UxibBXqa0x

The iPhone X has a pretty powerful camera but how does it match up with one of the industries favorites, the ‘Arri Alexa’??

With some post-processing work, and if you know what you’re doing, you can get some decent footage from the iPhone. That being said, comparing to shots filmed by Arri Alexa, the iPhone lacks the dynamic range and colour. It’s also telling when you see how much sharper the Alexa image looks next to the iPhone, even when the iPhone is shooting in 4K and the Alexa is set to 1080p.

The iPhone does have its advantages though, it’s small, light therefore portable, and has built-in accessories. However, it’s limited to best being used in bright environments, and the shots are captured in colour which can feel a little flat and grainy especially with dark/night shots.

The Alexa on the other hand, (whilst heavy and takes longer to set up – more than 2 minutes), captures super sharp grey shots, where different moods, emotion and environment can all be played, with which offer vast more creativity for the colorist in post-production hence, giving an extremely professional feel.

The Alexa, as you would expect far exceeds the iPhone but, that doesn’t mean you can’t use the iPhone to get good results. Some film-makers have created amazing things using it for example; Stephen Soderbergh – “Unsane”, Mathew A Cherry – “9 Rides”, and Malik Bendjelloul’s – “Searching for Sugar ManNight”.

But when you match the iPhone with movies that were shot with the Alexa, the winner is very clear; Oscar-winning Shape of Water, Get Out, Lucy, 12 Years A Slave and American Gangster, to name but a very few.  And who can argue with some of the directors who use it; Oscar-winners; Barry Jenkins, Kenneth Lonegran and Stephen Speilberg! Drop the mic, please.

The Arri Alexa and a wide variety of lens and accessories are available to Rent from Cinemagic.