Fun Friday: Canon Rebel T5 verses iPhone 5c

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Is there really a difference between a DSLR camera and the camera on your smart phone (besides the $$$ that is)?  Check out my photo comparisons to see for yourself.  The quality of pictures and settings for your camera phone depend quite a bit on what version of phone you use.

For instance, the pictures taken with my phone are from an iPhone 5c.  That is their lowest quality phone/camera for the 5 generation.  My husband has an iPhone 6 and he has many more options for photo zooming and changing of settings than I had with my 5c.

First let me tell you about my camera and how I came to buy it. Last month when we took a Spring Break overnight trip down to Capitol Reef National Park we had a great time.  I was able to photograph some of our family moments so we could remember them.  There were a few photos that I tried to take that didn't work out though because the camera on my iPhone 5c wouldn't let me zoom in.  A few of the photos that I thought I would love turned out to not be that great because of problems with natural lighting.  When I got home, I started to research different DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras.  I narrowed it down to a Canon EOS Rebel T5 or a Nikon D3200 .  The reviews for the Canon were a bit better, so I decided to buy it.  My husband ordered it from Amazon.com and I waited for it to be delivered.

While I was waiting to get my camera, I read up about different photography tips and information.  My Pinterest board for photography tips is filling up.  Also, through Blogging for Books, I received a copy of the wonderful book by John Shaw entitled, "John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography". (read the review here)  For the last week I have been using my camera to practice the different settings and become familiar with it.

For the comparison shots, I used my iPhone and my Canon at the same time in different places, light situations, and distance.  I will make note of any changes in contrast or brightness I did with editing.  If nothing is listed, that is how the original picture looked.

  Lilac Bush in Shade             

 This picture was taken with my iPhone.  The sun was not shining on my lilac bush, but the photo seems to be a bit washed out and brighter as if it was in direct sunlight.  In the background of the photo you can definitely see the bark and rocks on the ground.

This picture was taken with my Canon camera.  The color is true to what my lilac actually looks like.  I was able to use a close-up setting on my camera to get the detail I wanted.  The background is slightly out of focus so your eye is drawn to the focal point, and so you don't notice the unattractive rocks on the ground.       

Colorful Bird feeder in Direct Sunlight
I like the brightness of the colors in this picture taken with my iPhone.  When comparing to the actual bird feeder, it is pretty much the same color and tone.  To get this picture I had to walk into my garden to get close to the bird feeder.  When I used the zoom on the camera, it continued to be too far away to see the details of the color change.  It would have been nice to keep my shoes clean to get the picture I wanted.

            

You can definitely see the ombre color change with this picture taken with my Canon.  The problem is that the colors are a little bit dull.  That could be adjusted in editing, but I didn't take the time to do that.  I was able to take this picture farther away and not have to worry about trampling my plants.

Party Gifts indoor with Natural Light (edits made)
This photo with my iPhone doesn't look too bad.  It would be nice if the background wasn't in focus so you didn't notice the fan and the writing on our chalkboard wall.  To get the desired brightness, I had to edit it to 45 brightness.  I also had to crop the original picture to get it this close.  I had to increase the contrast by 57 also to get the pictures on the Zoku box to be not so gray.        

 For this photo with my Canon, I did not have to crop it at all.  I was able to use my lens to zoom in and have the frame include just what I wanted. I did have to edit this picture to 6 brightness and 10 contrast.  Much less than with my iPhone.  It seemed to capture close to the actual color and tone with the natural light that was coming in our north facing glass door. 

Landscape Photography: Pleasant Grove Clock Tower (taken minutes apart)

This photo with my iPhone was taken at 9:30 am with the sun behind a few clouds.  I was standing probably 200 feet from the clock tower.  The only editing I did was cropping some of the businesses out of the photo on the right hand side.  I like the color variation in the sky.      

This photo was taken with my Canon camera at 9:45 am.  The clouds had moved a bit but were still in front of the sun. I was standing across the street and a block away from the clock tower when I took this picture.  I did not edit the picture at all.          

That is all for the picture comparisons.   I think overall the Canon wins! I do have one other picture to show that I took with my Canon.

This is an un-edited picture I took.  I didn't change the contrast, brightness, tone, color or anything.  I have tried to take these types of pictures with my iPhone, but none of them ever turned out how I wanted them to look.  This one was perfect.

If you are interested in learning more about the Canon Rebel T5 or buying one for yourself, here is a link to the exact camera I bought.

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