Smartphones VS DSLRs for bullet-time photography

Written By Eric Pare
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Smartphones are getting better than ever and we are now using those on some of our bullet-time events. However, it still comes with a lot of limitations. Here’s a list of the advantages and disadvantages of going with Android smartphones instead of DSLR cameras.

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Android Smartphones

Pros

  • Higher density (when shooting vertical)

  • Light-weight, easy to carry around, ship and install

  • Less electronic components needed: one single usb cable for data & power plus one usb-hub

  • Possibility to synchronize Zoom and focus across all devices (from Xangle)

  • Easier to pre-calibrate thanks to the larger screen

  • Visual and audio indications

  • Faster to get the right settings as you can see the exposure right from the live view

  • Twice faster as usual DSLRs as most recent smartphones come with a USB-3 port

  • Speaking of USB-3, don’t we all love connecting those cables instead of the 1000-sides regular micro-usb connectors? Right.

Cons

  • Non precise triggering when using constant light: trigger precision is about 45ms (as opposed to <1ms with DSLRs)

  • To freeze using strobes, a long exposure (1/6s) and an external board are required

  • Takes much longer to restart in case of a crash (as opposed to a DSLR which boots instantaneously)

  • Limited long exposure support (one second)

  • Some brands can be harder to configure (Umidigi, Xiaomi…)

Examples

Canon DSLR cameras

Pros

  • Much more reliable for the triggering

  • Bigger sensor, higher quality in low light

  • Interchangeable lenses

  • Solid solution that has been proven right for over 10 years

  • Very snappy and responsive to power on and off

  • Bulb mode and long-exposure

Cons

  • Bulky and heavy

  • Harder to power up (requires somewhat harder-to-get power adapters)

  • More expensive

Examples


Our experience

So far, the main market for our Android bullet-time software has been smartphones devices brands. The maximum number of devices we have seen being used is 24 units (either by using USB hubs or Raspberry Pis)

Additional notes

When considering the price between one of the other, take note that a top high-end Android phone is going to cost much more than an entry level DSLR. However, I can say without a doubt today that the most affordable way to build a bullet-time rig as of today is by using cheap/reliable Android phones, starting (and fully tested) at 153$ / unit on Amazon. This is hard to beat ;)

Conclusion

I’m writing this post in May 2019 and our journey with smartphones is quite young. I’m adding a reminder to myself in one year to come back to this and talk about the experience we will have gain during that year. We’ve been doing bullet-time with DSLRs since 2011 and we know clearly that they are a better option for studio work. But that didn’t prevent me from using my smartphone rig for a gig recently for the simple reason that it was so much more light weight. There is a clear future for these installations, but time will tell where this is going.

*** update April 14, 2022 - After many years playing with Android phones, I can say that this is a viable option only if your client is a smartphone brand or if you have a very specific project that would require this type of technology

Eric Pare
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