With every new generation of class-leading camera phones comes new claims of their ability to compete with professional-quality camera equipment. In this short test, the Northrups puts the brand new iPhone XS head to head with a consumer DSLR with a kit lens and a top-end Nikon boasting some super-sharp glass.

Tony is quick to identify the iPhone XS as its wider lens (a full-frame DSLR equivalent of around 26mm) is far from flattering when it comes to shooting portraits. Chelsea would have been much closer to the model when shooting in order to fill the frame in order to match the other shots, and this shorter distance between lens and subject tends to distort a subject’s features. In this instance, the wider angle lens means lengthening the nose exaggerating the forehead and narrowing the face. 

To some — like Tony — the difference in the quality of each image will be vast. To others — like Chelsea — the fact that most people won’t be able to tell the difference on Instagram and won’t care too much about the difference when printing an 8 by 10, means that the cheaper equipment is more than adequate. I can see it both ways: I can happily shoot soft images on my insanely cheap Yongnuo nifty fifty, but my OCD means that a framed portrait hanging on a wall with eyes that are out of focus drives me slightly insane.

So, how does the iPhone stack up against the Nikon D850, and in turn, how does that compare to the Nikon D3400? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.