How to imitate iPhone results with a real camera

[multivoiced]

What kinds of cameras can most closely replicate the characteristics of pictures captured with iPhone?

Imagine a blind "taste test" that forces an audience to distinguish pictures from a phone from pictures from a camera. How could one make it hard to tell? Shorter focal lengths? Single-lens reflex or mirrorless? JPEG or RAW? Newer or older gear?

 

[_T_]

The newest iPhone has the full frame equivalent of a 26mm f/1.2, 13mm f/2.2, and some have a 100mm f/2.8, so the first step in mimicking the look of an iPhone would be to find lenses with those, or equivalent specs.

The next step would be to process the files in a similar way to what iOS automatically does to all the pictures an iPhone takes. This could be pretty difficult as only Apple knows what exactly is being done to the images, and whatever camera you use is also doing some kind of processing to all your images that only the manufacturer of your camera knows the specifics of.

So unless you take every photo with both your camera and an iPhone it would be nearly impossible to guess what the final image should look like, and even if you did that it might be difficult to match the images with the kind of software that is available to consumers. And then if you did take the photos with both an iPhone and your camera, why not just use the photo from the iPhone since it already looks exactly like what you’re trying to get?

 

[koraks]

Short focal lens, HDR. Boost saturation a little. Use the smallest sensor you can find to get lots of depth of field - or a larger sensor but you'll have to stick with very small apertures.

I think iPhone photos overall are pretty good btw.