A stills photographers personal experience
I am primarily a still-image photographer. So this blog post will concentrate on the making of still photographic images using two devices, shooting in the same location using the same light and as near as possible, the same settings. I hope by working this way I can discover the strengths and the weaknesses of each device. I do not intend to write about the operating system of the phone or the video capabilities of either device. You will have to look elsewhere for that. But first a little background information on both devices.
The Canon R100
The compact and portable Canon EOS R100 Mirrorless Camera offers a range of features to suit a variety of multimedia applications, but it is the cameras excellent still-image capabilities and the APS-C-sized 24.1MP CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 processor that I am really trying out against the iPhone 17pro.
The standard Canon kit lens bundled with the Canon EOS R100 is the Canon RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM. This compact zoom lens is specifically designed for Canon's APS-C crop sensor mirrorless cameras, offering a 35mm equivalent focal range of 28.8–72mm. It handles everyday photography well, including wide landscapes, street shots, and portrait. So this is the lens I will be using.
The iPhone 17 Pro
The Pro’s camera system works with three powerful 48MP sensors that function together seamlessly. This triple-camera setup includes a Fusion Main camera, Fusion Ultra Wide camera, and Fusion Telephoto camera, each designed for specific shooting scenarios.
The 48MP Fusion Main camera serves as the primary shooter with its 24mm focal length and bright ƒ/1.78 aperture. This sensor incorporates second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, ensuring sharp photos even in challenging conditions. The 100% Focus Pixels technology covers the entire sensor surface, delivering faster and more accurate autofocus performance.
All of the above sounds very impressive but what are these devices like to use in ‘the field’. How do they feel and handle and even more importantly, what are the results like?
I decided it would be fun to test them both under the same conditions.
I must add here that I have attached a phone grip to the iPhone (see my last post for more information), as I much prefer using the camera on the phone in this way. I find all phones these days far too thin and small for my hands. I don’t believe this gives the iPhone an advantage but it does improve the handling.
The simplicity of the Canon R100 is designed to lure smartphone users away from their phones and back to a more traditional camera. The back plate is fixed 3.0-inch LCD panel that cannot be tilted, flipped, or operated via touch. To navigate menus, change settings, or select your autofocus points, you must use the physical directional buttons and dials on the camera body. The control dials are simple to use with clear icons making altering the settings very easy. There is even a ‘guided menu’ for those totally unfamiliar with cameras which is carefully designed and works well for those who need a little more help.
A ratio of 3:2 matches the camera sensor so that is the setting I will use for making photographs with the Canon. The Pro’s nearest match is 4:3.
I have kept camera ISO low, where possible, for the outdoor shots maxing at 400 for sharper images. The iPhone Pro’s system is designed to select the ISO and unless you use third party software, it is not possible to set the ISO on the phone.
Both devices can operate in full automatic mode. Both devices allow the photographer a series of settings to control the finished photograph, although the Canon offers a far more traditional approach.
There's no doubt that the iPhone handles the light well and manages to capture both bright skies as well as the shadows better than the Canon, however the Canon produces far better detail, especially when enlarged and the light is good. The 'Broken Tree' is evidence of this. The Canon has also produced a richer overall image in my opinion. The iPhone uses Smart HDR technology as well a Photonic Engine for noise reduction and detail enhancement. This is in many ways more advanced than Canon's Digic 8 image processor. Having said that, the Canon processor relies on physics and uses the much larger sensor and high quality lenses to capture clean data from the start. Although the Canon R100 is a very recent addition to Canon's range the Digic 8 processor was introduced in 2018.
