Can quality film be shot on iPhone 6s in 4k?

A friend of mine asked should she buy an iPhone 6s, because it has 4k and she was thinking of buying a new camera anyway.  That raises a very important question.  And I’ve been hearing this question for the last 4 years every since DSLR’s drastically reduce the price of video equipment that looks good. In a professional environment don’t expect to be taken seriously when you’re shooting on your iPhone.  But, if you’re doing content for yourself, like for my friend is, I think it’s a great option to start with.

Great equipment really does help, but what really matters is the person behind the camera.  Is your iPhone video going to be shaky? Do you have the right lighting on your subject? Is the video in focus? How is the sound? (The sounds is very important! Good video starts with good audio) How’s the framing of your video? Are the people centered? Do you know how to edit video? Can your computer and software handle 4k video? Certain Cameras oversaturated certain colors, for example Canons usually have a reddish hue in the video, can you manually compensate for a situation like that with your iPhone 6s? The bottom line is if you don’t have the skills to handle your equipment, your final project will not look good.  I know somebody who spent $10,000 on a 4k camera and they don’t know how to use it, and it looks terrible.

I run into the same comparisons with my DSLR. If I’m shooting video with my DSLR, I have to bring a wireless mic($750), lighting kit ($499), Tripod($400), Batteries pack that hold 2 extended batteries (can shoot video for up to 8 hours), 2 lens that costs $300 and $750,  I hacked the camera to shoot longer than 20 minutes.  You have to shoot on Manual and turn off the auto focus.  So I have to be able to set, Aperture, Exposure, Focus, Shutter Speed, and Color Balance within seconds ( took me 15 years experience and working with hundreds of different cameras).
So to reiterate if you need video personally, for video blogs or some content you’re going to use for yourself, I think the iPhone 6s is great.  But, if you’re expecting to sell this content don’t waste your money. Think about it Apple sold 61 million iphones last quarter (In 3 months).  Why would somebody pay you to shoot an event with an iPhone when they can just get one themselves, even if you have the skills to make it look good, the client may still think its not you it’s your phone.

But once again if you need some quick b-roll or a blog post. Do it.  There are a few documentaries that have been shot entirely on an iPhone 6s.  ABC’s prime time show Modern Family admitted that sometimes they film scenes with an iPhone or GoPro.  Modern Family filmed a whole episode filmed on an Iphone.  But in closing, I always tell people, just because you have the same paint brush as Leonardo Da Vinci don’t expect to paint a Mona Lisa.

Here’s I phone 6s Video Quality