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Using iPhone for pics and vids


mickjacket

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(1) Before you go, make sure you back up your phone and then delete everything you don't need. Photos and videos can add up fast and, unfortunately, your iPhone can't switch out a memory card on a whim.

(2) Be sure to get a battery pack you can take with you during the day. Otherwise, your battery will run out early and you'll miss the shot you really want.

Also, l know several vloggers have tips for just this thing on YouTube.

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Phones are badly shaped for shooting photos and video.  Anything that changes that will help steady your images.  There are a lot of gadgets on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l2632.R2.TR11.TRC1.A0.H1.Xcamera+stabili.TRS0&_nkw=camera+stabilizer&_sacat=30090&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=625&_odkw=steady+rest

But a counterweighted gimbal mount (about $20 and up) is what I pack for shooting video.  It's a budget version of  the Steadicam and can be used with small and medium size cameras as well as phones.

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Lot of good comments here already. I think one thing that deserves mention is to learn what kinds of manual controls your phone's camera has to help you out, like locking the focus or adjusting the exposure. Pretty much all modern camera apps on smartphones have at least a few features like this to help better control the final picture or video.

Most of the time you won't need it because the camera figures it out on its own, but for things like sunsets or trying to take a picture of a show on stage (where the camera always overexposes the image and may have a hard time focusing), it's a good thing to know.

If you normally shoot with a regular camera and know how to use manual controls like aperture, ISO, and shutter speed, take a look at the iPhone app Halide (not available on Android). It was designed to work more like a regular camera and give those manual controls that the built-in photo apps lack. It also happens to be able to shoot in RAW mode, but if you're not used to that you can just leave it on the default JPEG.

On the lens front, I'm a fan of the lenses made and sold by Moment. You have to get a special case to use those lenses (also sold by Moment), but I like the combination because you're guaranteed the lens will be 100% correctly aligned with the lens on your phone, and changing lenses is very quick and easy. I don't know if you've read either of my live blogs here, but most of the photos I posted were taken while using the Moment wide angle, fisheye, or tele lens.

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I've cruised with just an iPhone once.  For me and my needs I found it too limiting.  Outdoors in daylight phones do well but indoors in less than sunlight conditions phones suffer.  Lack of a zoom is an issue for me.  

An inexpensive point and shoot camera like the Sony RX100 series is my current travel camera compromise.   I have a full frame mirrorless kit that costs over $5k but to travel light I use a member of the RX100 series.  

Depending on the memories you desire you might try using a phone camera for a weekend at home pretending you are on vacation.  Try taking indoor pictures at dinner, around the house, etc.   

Granted I'm a photo snob who seeks higher quality pictures but I'll never cruise with just a phone again.  Even a used camera from eBay beats a phone.  

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