Larry Cloetta
Veteran
Times have changed for photographers. They are not going to unchange, though this is neither good or bad, it’s just going to be different in some ways, going forward.
Phones are perfectly good for, as has been said here, perhaps 99% of the photos taken day to day, worldwide. They are not, however, perfectly good for 99% of photography. Those are two distinct things. Phones are more than adequate for selfies, pictures of your coffee cup and bagel, your lunch, your aunt Margaret at Naigara Falls, and any photograph Henry Cartier Bresson ever took, i.e. most any photograph ever taken with a rangefinder. Phones are not good for sports, most landscapes, wildlife, architecture, most fashion, macro, and most commercial product photography. Nor is it likely they ever will be.
Ever since the advent of the Brownie, the people who bought cameras to take photos of aunt Margaret at Niagara Falls have been the volume buyers, they have been the ones who subsidized the camera industry so that a few others could enjoy sports, wildlife, landscape, etc photography on the cheap, and manage a few snaps of their dinner on the side. Those days are not “probably” gone forever, they are just gone.
This is a rangefinder forum, rangefinder photography is a style of photography, it’s not photography. If that is one’s chosen style of photography, a phone is really the functionally perfect analog (yikes, sorry) to a rangefinder camera. Look at the entirety of HCB’s work and try to find one shot that couldn’t have been made with a phone, and sharper. Other types of photography, and there are many other types, not so much. But the number of people who have a need and desire to do those other types of photography, day in and day out, isn’t so great compared to the sheer numbers of people going about their lives “taking pictures” of their lunch, or themselves.
Sales volumes for “real cameras” are going to go down until they reach a steady state commensurate with the numbers of photographers who need and want a “real camera”. Expect to pay more, possibly a lot more, since uncle Fred’s purchase isn’t subsidizing your purchase any longer, as uncle Fred and most of his friends have moved on. However, makers of “real cameras” are not going to disappear, not all of them anyway. No point in worrying about it. Current cameras are amazingly competent, and competent cameras are not going to disappear. Really.
Phones are perfectly good for, as has been said here, perhaps 99% of the photos taken day to day, worldwide. They are not, however, perfectly good for 99% of photography. Those are two distinct things. Phones are more than adequate for selfies, pictures of your coffee cup and bagel, your lunch, your aunt Margaret at Naigara Falls, and any photograph Henry Cartier Bresson ever took, i.e. most any photograph ever taken with a rangefinder. Phones are not good for sports, most landscapes, wildlife, architecture, most fashion, macro, and most commercial product photography. Nor is it likely they ever will be.
Ever since the advent of the Brownie, the people who bought cameras to take photos of aunt Margaret at Niagara Falls have been the volume buyers, they have been the ones who subsidized the camera industry so that a few others could enjoy sports, wildlife, landscape, etc photography on the cheap, and manage a few snaps of their dinner on the side. Those days are not “probably” gone forever, they are just gone.
This is a rangefinder forum, rangefinder photography is a style of photography, it’s not photography. If that is one’s chosen style of photography, a phone is really the functionally perfect analog (yikes, sorry) to a rangefinder camera. Look at the entirety of HCB’s work and try to find one shot that couldn’t have been made with a phone, and sharper. Other types of photography, and there are many other types, not so much. But the number of people who have a need and desire to do those other types of photography, day in and day out, isn’t so great compared to the sheer numbers of people going about their lives “taking pictures” of their lunch, or themselves.
Sales volumes for “real cameras” are going to go down until they reach a steady state commensurate with the numbers of photographers who need and want a “real camera”. Expect to pay more, possibly a lot more, since uncle Fred’s purchase isn’t subsidizing your purchase any longer, as uncle Fred and most of his friends have moved on. However, makers of “real cameras” are not going to disappear, not all of them anyway. No point in worrying about it. Current cameras are amazingly competent, and competent cameras are not going to disappear. Really.
Ted Striker
Well-known
My iPhone X takes excellent landscape/street shots. It really is phenomenal the quality that comes out of it. Once I got rid of the snob reaction to phones and took them seriously, I began to see what they can really do. As a result, my Fuji X100 now collects dust.
ptpdprinter
Veteran
Most people used to use Brownies and Instamatics. Then they used digital point and shoots. Now they use their phones. Time marches on. That whole segment of the camera industry is gone, and camera companies will contract and focus on professionals and enthusiasts. We may lose a few players. But the sky is not falling.
Photog9000
Well-known
"Phenomenal quality" is a very subjective term. Just one question - how well do your cellphone images stand up to cropping or printing at 8"x12" or larger. I can often do a severe crop of my X100S images and print at 12"x18". Is the Iphone really that good? I guess I am just too "old school" and enjoy bringing my camera up to my eye rather than holding a phone out so I can see the image. Oh well, to each their own....
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Out to Lunch
Ventor
To each his own, indeed. If I had to rely on a phone to take pics today, I'd stop taking pics that same day. No worries though, it is not going to happen any time soon. All the best to Ted Striker and his Messianic outlook on life...I'll just continue taking pics with my outdated film cameras and with my doomed digital cameras. Cheers
Ted Striker
Well-known
What is this "printing" that you speak of? Just kidding, but like almost everyone else, I have stopped printing for the most part. I have a top grade Canon printer but the thing just collects dust.
I have made maybe 5 prints this year so far.
Dogman
Veteran
And that's very sad.
I just started a thread about viewing prints vs viewing on screen and my thought is that all photos viewed online look like crap compared to the photo printed well on paper. Even in a book.
BillBingham2
Registered User
For me, my iPhone is not the same, not even close. Yes, I am happy with the pictures I take. Yes, it's used exclusively. Yes, it's always with me (unless it's charging). But it doesn't have the same feel.
I'm sure if I add a bit of software I can get better control over the focus and exposure, but it's the lack of a button for my trigger finger. There have been thin cases that provide a button, but they always are for the model that I don't have (first the 5, now the 7+).
Sadly I think that I'm on the wrong side of the 99% vs. 1% thing again.
But it's a good day here in Iowa. Bit of rain, a bit of sun later and lots to do.
B2 (;->
Ted Striker
Well-known
I agree with you completely. But I've run out of room to hang prints, and so they just languish in the house. I finally stopped printing because so few people could enjoy them. Maybe I'll print again, but I hardly shoot these days so not even much opportunity for new images.
I am toying around with getting some color film developed. All the labs closed down in my area so I have a stock pile of 60 or more rolls of C41 film. Several trips to Japan in there so maybe a few images worth printing.
Mackinaw
Think Different
Ted Striker
Well-known
Not 120 size sadly. I am primarily a 120 film shooter, except when I have my TX-1 out.
Daryl J.
Well-known
Digital: where art goes to die.
And the phone leads that stampede.
And the phone leads that stampede.
JeffS7444
Well-known
Hopefully, today's camera makers will remain in the camera business, even if it means fewer and costlier products. Perhaps the old model of endless growth and fast product cycles never was sustainable.
I realize that smartphones are capable of great photos, but the ergonomics are crap, and sometimes I just want to take a break from the Tamagochi-like attention-sinks that are smartphones.
Speaking of which, my iPhone 5s will cease to work on Tracfone's (Sprint's?) network at the end of the year due to it's lack of VoLTE. I'm tempted to replace it with a dumbphone.
I realize that smartphones are capable of great photos, but the ergonomics are crap, and sometimes I just want to take a break from the Tamagochi-like attention-sinks that are smartphones.
Speaking of which, my iPhone 5s will cease to work on Tracfone's (Sprint's?) network at the end of the year due to it's lack of VoLTE. I'm tempted to replace it with a dumbphone.
ptpdprinter
Veteran
Now you have me worried. I have an iPhone 4 with Verizon. I have no interest in buying a new phone.
How ridiculous...
Mackinaw
Think Different
Woodward Camera processes 120 C-41, but it means driving to Birmingham. Unfortunately Huron Camera in Dexter closed down a few years back. They processed 120.
Jim B.
jawarden
Well-known
I used to live in Birmingham and would walk my E6 and C41 to them. It’s nice to hear they’re still around. I miss Detroit.
Ted Striker
Well-known
Thank you for the tip! I go to Birmingham on occasion to bring my Lotus to the shop over at Auto Europe. Next time I'm there I will check out Woodward Camera. Have you used them a lot? Can you vouch for their quality? Camera Mall in Ann Arbor is pretty abysmal; all kinds of spots on the negatives. Very disappointing.
ChipMcD
Well-known
Ted,
As I am sur you know, there are still a lot of labs around, altho' you may need to reach them by mail. I'm lucky to have a good lab in my small city, but the only reason they are still around is that they get business from far and wide. They process 120 and larger C-41 and E-6. There are probably other labs that do work just as good.
http://www.colourworks.com/index.htm
Chip
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The smart phone and instagram appear to be inseparable. I have a friend who is constantly telling me I should check out this or that photographer on instagram.
No ... just no!!!!!
No ... just no!!!!!