iPhone 12 Pro - The first realistic option for a professional wedding photographer

It's October 13, 2020 and I just finished watching the Apple iPhone 12 presentation. To say that I am impressed is to say nothing at all. I am simply overwhelmed in advancements in photography technology. I am convinced now that the age of DSLR and mirrorless cameras is coming to an end. The process will take a while and I am sure they will be able to catch up with current specs but what Apple can do given the iPhone size, it's nothing short of astounding.

With it's technological advancements and ability to put the phone into practically any pocket, all other "bulky" cameras will lose. Sorry Canon, Nikon and Sony, unless you can build your own phone, it's a zero sum game for you. At least when it comes to wedding photography.

When iPhone 11 Pro came out, I started to suspect that under right circumstances, a professional wedding photographer can handle a small wedding. But the main reason why wedding photographers never took it seriously is it's shortcomings of not having a serious telephoto lens, a relatively poor low light performance when it comes to professional standards, a form factor, not reliable autofocus and inability to shoot in RAW mode.

Now the new iPhone has so much more CPU power that includes real-time rendering in actual CPU, GPU, Neuro and AI engines, no wonder they can outperform DSLRs in many categories. And the addition of a LIDAR for autofocusing is simply dope! I am sure "The Big Camera" now scratching their heads!

I don't recall when I was so excited about the possibilities of iPhones. And I am looking for volunteers to signup to be the first ones to have their wedding photographed using the iPhone.

As much I am convinced the future of wedding photography is shifting towards the compact devices, it's undeniable that old fashion cameras still have certain aspects that is very useful and hard to overcome. The form factor is the main reason, 99% of photographers will stick with their older cameras for a while. Additionally, the photographers who have complex lighting setups will not be able to switch. Another example would be photographers who shoot wide-open and love that cinematic feel to their images.

I think the main disadvantage of the iPhone is inability to quickly access a desired shooting modes and adjust settings within seconds without even looking at them. Shooting with a new iPhone will be like having a professional piano with only few buttons. Humans have ten fingers for reason and a good wedding photographer uses 4-6 fingers all the time and often simultaneously. In other words, iPhone style photography will be based on a total trust in the device automated settings. Hopefully a combination with computational photography, image stabilization and raw processing will be enough for wedding photographers to reconsider their bulky old cameras. I am certainly ready.