Advances in smartphone photography

[dmr]

My recent model iPhone's camera is rubbish. It's rubbish to use and the image quality is rubbish. It's barely good enough for note taking and that's pretty much all that I use it for. {deletia}

No offence to anyone, I just really think the whole 'smartphones are good enough for photography' thing is pure hype. I'm not too old to understand them either, I'm just past 30.

I just don't understand how anyone can profess that the obviously smaller and limited optics necessary to fit into a smartphone can deliver images equal to that of the quality produced with the better (or even the mediocre) of the glass lenses that we have today, and, as you think of it, had for over half of a century.

 

[raid]

Maybe some company will create a phone with a camera using film .
Would this work for you?

 

[jsrockit]

I just don't understand how anyone can profess that the obviously smaller and limited optics necessary to fit into a smartphone can deliver images equal to that of the quality produced with the better (or even the mediocre) of the glass lenses that we have today, and, as you think of it, had for over half of a century.

Because sometimes... it is capable of a good photograph. In great light, it is. That said, anything is. People make great photos on a Holga...

 

[Ste_S]

My guess is that a company or two will go out of business, or at least take a big hit in market share, before they finally catch on.

Camera companies have to add the functionality that smartphones have. These things are basic features now.

I think that boat has sailed. There's no point trying to compete with Apple and Google with software.

Said it in the Nikon thread- there's probably only three cameras that should be made now. A Pro camera, an enthusiast camera and a film camera - all things that phones can't do.

 

[Huss]

I just don't understand how anyone can profess that the obviously smaller and limited optics necessary to fit into a smartphone can deliver images equal to that of the quality produced with the better (or even the mediocre) of the glass lenses that we have today, and, as you think of it, had for over half of a century.

Because we are now in the era of computational photography. Software reigns supreme and corrects for the tiny lenses, exposure, light values etc.

It’s already hit digicams. Have you seen how crap the image is from a Leica Q if you turn off the lens profile? Crazy distortion. Which then beggars the question, what are you paying for - the legendary Leica lens or the dood/doodette who corrected it via software because Leica cut corners in its optical design?
FYI not Leica bashing, they all do it now. It’s why often older lenses pre digital era work better on film cameras as they had no software to fix issues on film.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

Here is another photographer doing outstanding work exclusively on an iPhone:


https://www.rachaelshort.com/

 

[olifaunt]

I really prefer images from phones from 10 years ago to today's. Pictures from old phones were not so full of digital and AI artifacts. I really dislike those artifacts.

 

[aizan]

I think that boat has sailed. There's no point trying to compete with Apple and Google with software.

Said it in the Nikon thread- there's probably only three cameras that should be made now. A Pro camera, an enthusiast camera and a film camera - all things that phones can't do.

Hehe, but will the ship sink? Camera companies need to keep old customers and add new customers or else things will get worse and worse. A whole generation of potential customers has different expectations for what a good camera should be able to do, while the oldest generation still has to put up with post-capture digital workflow annoyances. Cutting down product lines to three cameras is a little too extreme, though they do need to be cleaned up a lot, and they need to be comprised of fully modernized cameras that solve current problems and frustrations.

 

[zuiko85]

Maybe some company will create a phone with a camera using film .
Would this work for you?

Sounds like an episode idea for the Red Green show. Let uncle Red show how, with ‘the handyman’s secret helper’ and a little ingenuity, you can make your own phone/film camera.
“Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.”

 

[zuiko85]

In regard to iphone cameras; is there anyplace to find out specifications of the camera?
For the camera in my iPhone 6s I would like to know;
The sensor size in millimeters.
The lens focal length and aperture. Is the aperture fixed or variable.
An internet search revealed the aperture to be f2.2 but does not reveal focal length or if the aperture is variable.

 

[B-9]

Crazy how good the images can be from these phones. My wife has the new iPhone and her snaps leave me a little dumbfounded.. why am I still worried about this big old camera... eh.

Have to agree with Huss - There is nothing practical about Art.

 

[RichC]

In regard to iphone cameras; is there anyplace to find out specifications of the camera?
For the camera in my iPhone 6s I would like to know;
The sensor size in millimeters.
The lens focal length and aperture. Is the aperture fixed or variable.
An internet search revealed the aperture to be f2.2 but does not reveal focal length or if the aperture is variable.

Sensor: 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm)
Focal length: 4.15 mm (29mm equivalent)
Fixed aperture: f/2.2 (f/16 equivalent for depth of field only, not exposure)

 

[TXForester]

Said it in the Nikon thread- there's probably only three cameras that should be made now. A Pro camera, an enthusiast camera and a film camera - all things that phones can't do.

I would add a quality compact. When I don't carry a larger, interchangeable lens camera (film or digital), I will stick a Sony RX100iii in my pocket. Just about as easy to carry as a phone. In many situations, a better tool than the phone. I can connect to the phone and edit using Photoshop Express and then share. Not as quick as using the phone alone and the connection and uploading could be more streamlined, but not bad. And I have a RAW file if the photo is worthy of editing later with a full feature editor.

I wouldn't mind skipping the phone and being able to connect the camera to a wifi source and have a simple browser to upload directly to the site where I wish to share.

 

[TXForester]

Sounds like an episode idea for the Red Green show. Let uncle Red show how, with ‘the handyman’s secret helper’ and a little ingenuity, you can make your own phone/film camera.
“Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.”

Excellent idea. I'll duct tape my Olympus XA to my phone.

 

[raid]

I was taking photos of a waterfall yesterday. I first used the SWC then the M9 and then the iPhone. Each has its charms.

 

[zuiko85]

Sensor: 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm)
Focal length: 4.15 mm (29mm equivalent)
Fixed aperture: f/2.2 (f/16 equivalent for depth of field only, not exposure)

Thanks, my searching skills need improvement. I foolishly thought that the search word ‘specifications, camera, iPhone 6s’ would actually bring up something useful. I was beginning to wonder if the information was a state secret.

 

[Pál_K]

With my phone I've made quite a few very nice photos I couldn't have made with a film or even digital camera at the time.

Even so, I much prefer looking at and making film photos and using film cameras.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I’m surprised no one has linked this yet: https://blog.mingthein.com/2019/12/10/brave-new-world-surprising-iphone-11-pro/

One of the more even handed examinations to show up recently. There is a world of difference between an iphone 6 and an iphone 11 Pro.
Phones don’t and won’t satisfy a single photographic need I might have, but they’re more than valid for most people, even discerning photographers, at least part of the time. The tech has become pretty amazing in a short time and it’s only going to get better. If Nikon, Canon, or Sony had the wherewithal (they currently don’t) to put the same level of computational power and algorithmic programming into “real cameras” with “real lenses” that Apple can put into an iPhone 11 Pro, something that goes waaaaaaay beyond lens corrections, the results would be amazing.
Maybe camera companies will get there, maybe they won’t, but it almost seems like they have to if they are to compete with phones in the future.
Current iPhones can produce high quality results with mediocre glass, think what a camera company could do with good glass if they mastered computational photography.

Anyway, Ming Thein’s analysis seems fairly thoughtful.

 

[Huss]

Thanks for that link Larry. Yep digicams are screwed.


“It’s impressive to the point that I find myself using either the phone or the Z7, and not really anything in between – because the shooting envelope of anything else is worse. “

This is why (ok one reason) I shoot film.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I know a number of pros. As yet none shoot phones for work, but one does all his shooting outside of work on an Iphone 11, another mostly and a third when he hasn't got his film camera to hand (he mostly works in film).

I hate the feel and the shape of it all, it's not for me (but then digital largely passes me by). I wonder about the camera companies totally missing the trick - where is the camera that Apple could make - all this bulk and black plastic reminds me of grey plastic laptops before Macbooks arrived. Why no ultra premium digital status symbol camera? Where's their marketing? Everyone can have a phone - why no attempt at real exclusivity in a compact package.