Bill Pierce
Well-known
How do you take your pictures - camera or phone? Popular as it is “real photographers” scoff at the phone. I’m one of the scoffers. I use “real cameras.” But, I remember when I started photographing with a 35mm film camera, an older, wiser and better photographer friend said to me, “Why don’t you use your real camera?” It was a 4x5 Speed Graphic, and as the local Associated Press photographer he had been able to get me a discount on it.
I think of others, better photographers than me, from Bresson to Duncan to Smith to Mydans , whose 35mm cameras were at one time looked upon by some as not up to the job. True, there are cameras that capture finer detail in larger prints, but there can be more to good photography than that. Is the phone the “Leica” of the digital world? In a way I think it is. Good lord, am I going to have to spend money on a cellphone with a decent camera? Your thoughts…
I think of others, better photographers than me, from Bresson to Duncan to Smith to Mydans , whose 35mm cameras were at one time looked upon by some as not up to the job. True, there are cameras that capture finer detail in larger prints, but there can be more to good photography than that. Is the phone the “Leica” of the digital world? In a way I think it is. Good lord, am I going to have to spend money on a cellphone with a decent camera? Your thoughts…
Dan Daniel
Well-known
It's about distribution channels. Take all the 4x5 Speed Graphic images you want, if you aren't part of a press pool, who cares? Take all the cell phone photos you want, and guess where they end up? In a pile of millions of other such images generated every minute around the world.
Go on Flickr. Look around. The number of good photographs is amazing. Sure, lots of junk, but you could generate one issue of any 'best of this year' collection from 40 years ago from any one day or less of images posted to the internet.
Shoot it however you want. It isn't what is important. Anyone can get decent photos with today's cameras and phones, unlike your Speed Graphic. Getting the image seen by the people you want to see it, that's the real issue.
Go on Flickr. Look around. The number of good photographs is amazing. Sure, lots of junk, but you could generate one issue of any 'best of this year' collection from 40 years ago from any one day or less of images posted to the internet.
Shoot it however you want. It isn't what is important. Anyone can get decent photos with today's cameras and phones, unlike your Speed Graphic. Getting the image seen by the people you want to see it, that's the real issue.
Timmyjoe
Veteran
I enjoy making images (taking pictures, if you will), and I get much more enjoyment out of making images with one of my cameras, than with my iPhone. I like the way a camera feels in my hands, and my favorite cameras have a lens with an aperture that I adjust with click stops, and a shutter speed I can adjust, and a lens barrel that I can manually focus.
If you just "need an image" I'm sure a cellphone works fine. But I get a great deal of joy out of "making the image", and that requires more input from me than just pointing and tapping. YMMV.
Best,
-Tim
If you just "need an image" I'm sure a cellphone works fine. But I get a great deal of joy out of "making the image", and that requires more input from me than just pointing and tapping. YMMV.
Best,
-Tim
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
I don't own a smart phone and never will.
1) I can't afford one, and if I could I'd buy a lens or something else more useful.
2) I suffered a stroke a few years ago that left my right hand functions impaired. I cannot type on the tiny on-screen keyboards. I can't even use most tablets.
3) The image quality is ****. My mother has an ungodly expensive iPhone, supposedly the best camera-phone, and the images have absolutely ZERO fine detail resolution. Why bother when I have the wonderful M4/3 system?
1) I can't afford one, and if I could I'd buy a lens or something else more useful.
2) I suffered a stroke a few years ago that left my right hand functions impaired. I cannot type on the tiny on-screen keyboards. I can't even use most tablets.
3) The image quality is ****. My mother has an ungodly expensive iPhone, supposedly the best camera-phone, and the images have absolutely ZERO fine detail resolution. Why bother when I have the wonderful M4/3 system?
There definitely have been some nice books made with the iPhone. Office Romance by Kathy Ryan and Libyan Sugar by Michael Christopher Brown. And these were both done with older iPhones. Also, this Magnum photographer uses an iPhone exclusively... and does ok.
https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/gueorgui-pinkhassov-sophistication-simplification/
I think if fine detail and resolution are your thing, then they won't live up to the hype. However, it is capable of a sharp photo under the right circumstances and you might have to dig into using different apps, etc. to get the best results. Still, you will be looking at pretty small prints compared to most digital cameras these days under most circumstances.
The best cellphones are very expensive...that is true. However, many people have a smartphone as their main computer these days. Really, I have friends that no longer buy laptops, tablets, etc. Their 6-10 year old computer is good enough for the occasional task they might do a few times a year. It's harder for us who are into photography. We need more equipment. We rely on big screens.
That said, I have decided to upgrade my phone to an iPhone XS and give it a shot for when I do not have my main cameras (which I am very happy with and don't need to upgrade). I will take it as a challenge, but not too seriously and I will look at it like a digital holga. I will make use of a lot of post processing and apps. I will print them small. It'll be just something extra that I do... not take over my regular photography. I will also experiment in the rain with it since it is water resistant... supposedly it can survive a dunk of up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) of water for up to 30 minutes. It is also useful to me in many other ways of course i.e. as a phone and computer.
https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/gueorgui-pinkhassov-sophistication-simplification/
I think if fine detail and resolution are your thing, then they won't live up to the hype. However, it is capable of a sharp photo under the right circumstances and you might have to dig into using different apps, etc. to get the best results. Still, you will be looking at pretty small prints compared to most digital cameras these days under most circumstances.
The best cellphones are very expensive...that is true. However, many people have a smartphone as their main computer these days. Really, I have friends that no longer buy laptops, tablets, etc. Their 6-10 year old computer is good enough for the occasional task they might do a few times a year. It's harder for us who are into photography. We need more equipment. We rely on big screens.
That said, I have decided to upgrade my phone to an iPhone XS and give it a shot for when I do not have my main cameras (which I am very happy with and don't need to upgrade). I will take it as a challenge, but not too seriously and I will look at it like a digital holga. I will make use of a lot of post processing and apps. I will print them small. It'll be just something extra that I do... not take over my regular photography. I will also experiment in the rain with it since it is water resistant... supposedly it can survive a dunk of up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) of water for up to 30 minutes. It is also useful to me in many other ways of course i.e. as a phone and computer.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Got an iphone xs max. damn it is luring me in. always with me. really amazing. but I still take my M3 to bed with me, because i don't want to sleep with RF radiation.
That's a big phone! But the RF radiation concern can be handled by putting it into "Airplane Mode" while sleeping. I have my iPhone under my pillow every night to monitor my sleep patterns, and it's set to airplane mode largely to avoid being bothered with early-morning phone calls. But all RF radiation is shut down as well. FWIW I seldom use the iPhone's camera, but it's a potentially useful option.
kshapero
South Florida Man
interesting i dont love my iPhone that much. hehe
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
At our friends parties many started to take pictures with phones. They are this good.
Nobody is looking to buy new cameras. If they need, they are asking me. I take pictures, quick print and they are taking it to motherland for relatives.
Yet, my Ukrainian friends mom watching and liking my pictures taken with mobile phone in Canada on FB via Kiev's internet provider.
Here is no cellphones in Canada. They are mobile phones connecting to huge and located in significant distance transmission towers. Cellphones are connecting to low power grid of transmitters located on buildings and elsewhere.
Forest fires and blasting transmitters, if you want low density living.
Nobody is looking to buy new cameras. If they need, they are asking me. I take pictures, quick print and they are taking it to motherland for relatives.
Yet, my Ukrainian friends mom watching and liking my pictures taken with mobile phone in Canada on FB via Kiev's internet provider.
Here is no cellphones in Canada. They are mobile phones connecting to huge and located in significant distance transmission towers. Cellphones are connecting to low power grid of transmitters located on buildings and elsewhere.
Forest fires and blasting transmitters, if you want low density living.
mdarnton
Well-known
I'll shoot with anything. To some extent the camera determines how I work and the results, so I do enjoy my phone camera. Regarding detail, I tried shooting RAW with it once, and the quality was remarkable, but frankly, I don't much care about that part of what it does. In recent years, any relatively successful color I've shot has been with the phone. Horses for courses.
KM-25
Well-known
I have been using my iPhone to make images that sell since version 4, did really well with a show a few years back, paid for the next ten iPhones. I currently use the new XS with 512GB in order to both create with the phone and curate content made with Wifi enabled cameras like my new Z6 and move it quickly to clients.
A friend of mine who is a fairly accomplished photographer considers the iPhone a photographic tool par excellence, has wrote a book about using it as such.
He won a Pulitzer in 1972 for his work in Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. He has also served as official photographer to the President of the United States in several administrations. I doubt anyone has ever said to him that his phone is not a real camera.
A friend of mine who is a fairly accomplished photographer considers the iPhone a photographic tool par excellence, has wrote a book about using it as such.
He won a Pulitzer in 1972 for his work in Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. He has also served as official photographer to the President of the United States in several administrations. I doubt anyone has ever said to him that his phone is not a real camera.
Fjäll
■̷̛̈́̉̓́̽&
I think its only fair to compare a smartphone camera to something as convenient. It shouldn't be entirely scoffed off though. The full manual control and RAW capabilities are great.
Samsung S4 & S7:
Samsung S4 & S7:
Guth
Appreciative User
I would think that one only needs to look at some of the amazing images captured with smartphone cameras along with some of the less-than-impressive images captured with very impressive cameras (be they film or digital) to realize it has much more to do with the person operating the camera than the camera itself, including smartphones.
Let me come at this from a different perspective. While I enjoy using a nice camera I'll readily admit that I myself am the weakest link when it comes to my photography. Given the assignment of photographing the same event or location, a truly talented photographer using a smartphone would likely consistently capture much more compelling images than those I would obtain using my pricey Leica film camera.
I myself sometimes grow tired of the world gone mad over smartphones. But despite my personal feelings (and regardless of how some feel about them as cameras), I'll admit that they are incredibly handy devices to have at one's disposal. I just wish that people wouldn't talk on them while driving.
Let me come at this from a different perspective. While I enjoy using a nice camera I'll readily admit that I myself am the weakest link when it comes to my photography. Given the assignment of photographing the same event or location, a truly talented photographer using a smartphone would likely consistently capture much more compelling images than those I would obtain using my pricey Leica film camera.
I myself sometimes grow tired of the world gone mad over smartphones. But despite my personal feelings (and regardless of how some feel about them as cameras), I'll admit that they are incredibly handy devices to have at one's disposal. I just wish that people wouldn't talk on them while driving.
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PaulDalex
Dilettante artist
I hate taking pictures with my smartphone ( Sony Z5 Plus).
However, I must confess that, at times, when I fell the impulse of taking a picture and I have no camera with me, I say to myself: better a Z5+ photo than no photo at all".
Also in some cases I have incorporated some pictures taken with the phone (lacking a better picture) in a composite image. And the results have been decent
However, I must confess that, at times, when I fell the impulse of taking a picture and I have no camera with me, I say to myself: better a Z5+ photo than no photo at all".
Also in some cases I have incorporated some pictures taken with the phone (lacking a better picture) in a composite image. And the results have been decent
al1966
Feed Your Head
Im with Chris on this, my last phone died so I bought a cheep smart phone off Amazon, a tenth of the price of the iPhone, the rolling contract I have is £5 a month. That near a grand difference? it will go towards getting a mini bus/van to make into a camper fund, its one or two nice lenses. I hate the way you are expected to use a phone as a camera it is uncomfortable, no eye level VF and plays havoc with my arthritis.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
I use mine (currently an iPhone 6) for quick snaps - nothing creative - although my Avatar was taken with an iPhone 4 during a walk at my old company's parking lot mid-afternon.
Some nice work here:
https://www.ippawards.com/
Some nice work here:
https://www.ippawards.com/
Axel
singleshooter
It is I think. The big amount of decent pictures taken with phones is comparable with
the way 35mm-photography made nearly hundred years before.
But I see phones as a distinct system. There is only small space for "improving"
their photographic capabilities.
And they need none. Like Polaroids never got highres lenses
or Leicas never had zooms.
They just are what they are.
Dogman
Veteran
I have nothing against people using phone cameras but, according to the dates on the photos in my iPhone, I last took a picture with it in September 2016. Simply, I have no interest in using it as a camera. I use it for internet access, music, books, maps, communications and lots of other things but I don't even think about it as a potential camera.
willie_901
Veteran
There are numerous ways to save raw files using cell phones. At high ISO values some phone may apply noise filters to raw data. This does degrade detail. At any rate, in many circumstances the perceived image detail is not an issue.
The main disadvantages with cell phone raw file usage are:
But if you use raw files, you can not take advantage of recent advantages in computational photography. Just one example would be post-acquisition DOF isolation.
I mostly use a cell phone for images that will only be viewed on cell phones or as small JPEGs. These images are not intended to be saved, printed or archived. They are shared immediately with one or more persons who will enjoy the moment.
One exception is a project I'm currently working on where a cell phone camera offers a real advantage in convenience. I would miss opportunities if I used my daily carry still camera just because of convenience.
The main disadvantages with cell phone raw file usage are:
- limited dynamic range
- inferior signal to noise ratios in low light
- limited flexibility – DOF isolation and telephoto applications
But if you use raw files, you can not take advantage of recent advantages in computational photography. Just one example would be post-acquisition DOF isolation.
I mostly use a cell phone for images that will only be viewed on cell phones or as small JPEGs. These images are not intended to be saved, printed or archived. They are shared immediately with one or more persons who will enjoy the moment.
One exception is a project I'm currently working on where a cell phone camera offers a real advantage in convenience. I would miss opportunities if I used my daily carry still camera just because of convenience.
taemo
eat sleep shoot
This year I've probably shot at least 20x more pictures with my Iphone X than all my digital and film cameras combined simply because of the convenience of always having the phone with me.
With its fairly small size and dual lens meant that I could shoot wide-angle and med-tele easily and anytime.
If I foresee shooting high-res landscape or portraits images then I'll bring a camera with me but if I'm not looking to print bigger than 8x12 or I'm just sharing pictures online or social media, the Iphone is more than capable.
As long as I'm taking pictures, no matter what camera I'm using I am happy.
Obligatory pictures taken with my camera phone this year
With its fairly small size and dual lens meant that I could shoot wide-angle and med-tele easily and anytime.
If I foresee shooting high-res landscape or portraits images then I'll bring a camera with me but if I'm not looking to print bigger than 8x12 or I'm just sharing pictures online or social media, the Iphone is more than capable.
As long as I'm taking pictures, no matter what camera I'm using I am happy.
Obligatory pictures taken with my camera phone this year