I shoot a lot of video with my iPhone. But how does it really compare to a higher-end camera? In this comparison, I show the exact same video on an iPhone 4S and a Canon T3i.

Now since having shot this, I found I can remotely focus the T3i by using a remote. This autofocuses the camera and takes a quick picture. But then you can remotely turn on the video and have a sharp video picture.

What is important is that the iPhone does remarkably well. If I were just shooting web video for myself, I think I could just use an iPhone. I mean why have the added expense of a separate camera and lenses? It is nice have a flip-around LCD panel so you can see yourself though.

I don’t know. What do you think? Is the iPhone video good enough?

The new iPhone 4S is a worthy upgrade to the original iPhone 4. But how do the video cameras compare?

In this video, I’ve synchronized the exact same footage between the two phones so you can see the side-by-side differences.

Did you notice the color differences and the sharpness? The new iPhone has a larger aperture setting so it lets in more light. In the video, you’ll clearly notice it’s wider angle lens. The original iPhone 4 video is much larger even thought the cameras were literally placed side-by-side on a tripod when I shot these.

I think the major difference is the 1080p in the 4S vs. the 720p resolution of the iPhone 4. I know that’s technical speak but what it means for you and me is that the picture is larger and sharper.

I’ve found the new iPhone 4S to be an exceptional video camera–one worthy of producing business quality videos for the web. In fact, I think it’s such a good camera, I’m developing a course around using the iPhone to produce these types of videos over at iPhone Video Secrets.

If you want to produce better videos using your iPhone, you’ll want to check it out. I’ll be covering all the necessary equipment to produce the best possible video, the software required, and even share different types of business videos you can create with your iPhone.

The iPhone 4S is a game changer for small business videos. You no longer need an entire video production ensamble. You just need your iPhone and the know how to shoot the best possible videos.

On the private Video Traffic Academy Facebook page, there’s a discussion about using different pocket digital camcorders. Lots of people use the various Kodak units but I mentioned that I’m using my iPhone for more and more video. And it seems I’m not alone. I put together a quick video that I initially had as unlisted but I thought I’d share it with everyone since so many others found it helpful. In it, I share some of the tools I’m using to help create my videos.

Here are the links to the various products I talk about in the video:
kVConnection cable – this is the must have accessory to get quality audio into your iPhone while shooting.
Barska Accu-grip [aff] – this is a handheld pistol style grip for holding your iPhone.
XShot case & camera extender [aff] – This is my everyday case and it makes attaching my iPhone to a tripod, be it the XShot camera extender or a regular tripod, a piece of cake.
Sony ECM-AW3 Bluetooth Wireless Mics [aff] – This is an extremely light weight wireless mic system.
Sony UWP-V1 [aff] – This is a professional grade wireless mic setup and has the price to go with it.

In doing some research for this post, I came across another resource that I thought I’d share. Tom Martin has several great posts on creating iPhone video including: iPhone video blogging tips, iPhone video tools, and Making better iPhone videos w/lighting.

What tips would you share for making better iPhone videos?

*** Updated 1/11/12 with transcript ***

Hey, everybody. Scott Skibell. There’s been a lot of talk on Video Traffic Academy about using your iPhone as your video camera. I wanted to show you the set up that I use to put together quick videos just by using my iPhone.

The first thing you have to do is make sure you have a kV Connection cable. What this cable will do is plug into the headphone jack. This enables your iPhone 4 to plug in external microphones so that you get better audio with your iPhone 4 video.

The microphone I’m using a lot more these days is the Sony Bluetooth Wireless Microphone. What I like about this setup is that if you take a look at it, it plugs in like this, so now we’ve got our camera and our Bluetooth receiver. I now have a wireless microphone setup.

This is the transmitter. I’m not crazy about it because it’s so big. Here’s what I do to make it a little bit more inconspicuous. I put it on the inside of my shirt. When I show you the difference in the quality of the audio, I think you’re going to be pretty impressed.

When you need to shoot yourself, I’m using the XShot Camera Extender. This allows me to take my iPhone and move it further away from me. What I really like about this is because it’s so small and it’s so portable, I can hold my iPhone and speak to it. This is great, and you’re going to see just how small it is.

The other thing that’s really nice about this is that it comes with two little tripod adapters that I can slide into my case. When I’m shooting people out in the field, when I’m shooting clients or I just need to do a quick video, and that happens all the time, I can put my iPhone onto this really small little adapter. Now I’ve got a way to hold my iPhone. I can hold my hands, bring in my elbows, hold it close to my body, and I can shoot my video just like this.

What a better way to demonstrate how all this works than to actually show you iPhone 4 video with the microphone, so you can actually see it and compare it to the Kodak Zi8.

Here’s an example shot with the iPhone 4. What I like about this is that it’s so small and portable. Here’s my wireless Bluetooth microphone. If I’m out in the field I can shoot clients with the little pistol grip right here or my XShot Camera Extender. We’ve got everything set up the exact same way. I did change the lighting because the lenses are a little bit different.

I think you’re going to find this to be a great solution. Don’t hesitate to use your iPhone or your Android device, whichever one you prefer.

In the meantime, I hope you found this helpful. I’m Scott. Take care. Bye-bye.