Anyone else favouring phone over camera?

cambsno

cambsno

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I used to get wound up by friends saying a phone is as good as a camera. Would take mine everywhere.

But now I am finding the iPhone 16 pro is my go to!

Rarely take out the Xt3, and my x100v which was my favourite is also rarely used. I do love the manual settings and in poor light they are better, but a sunny day out or for quick pics and I am using my phone instead.

Need to see what the printed images are like from phone as do a few photo books and occasional larger prints.
 
With good lighting then they're superb as happy snappers and some firms so their product photography with them.

When you start wanting things like fast moving subjects in low light, greater aperture and focal length control etc then you're still back on a faithful camera. There's a reason point and shoot cameras died out (ignoring this trend/fad of the recent surge in popularity).
 
Mines a iPhone 11Pro Max, it's very good and I do use it when it's the only camera I have with me, but I try to take something more capable as much as I can - Pentax Q7 and Olympus EM10iii are the usual ones in a bumbag around my waist. The phone does do a good job though.
 
My go-to focal length has been 24mm for a while, the same equivalent fov as an iPhone.

There are two problems for me - firstly, which I'm sure I would get used to is the touch screen controls are just too fiddly. I have this muscle memory so that I can control everything about my camera without taking my eye off the subject, you can't really do that on an iPhone.

But the main problem is a real lack of creative control - even at f8 on my full frame camera whilst I get deep depth of field here, objects close to the camera are still slightly soft and I actually I shoot a lot at f4/f5.6/f8 and in my composition go to great lengths to create this sense depth. With an iPhone, you just don't get this - you have a wide angle lens but yet everything looks so flat, it's quite odd. I know it has some portrait modes built in but they look horrible and very fake to me.

I suppose it depends on what you shoot, but I find it very limiting.
 
When I'm using my phone I don't think of it as "proper photography". But my Pixel 5 does take a nice pic! A few times I've been taking pics of buildings in the city centre with a long lens, and used the Pixel 5 for UWA shots to avoid changing lenses amidst a busy stream of people.
 
No. I hate the handling and the non existent ergonomics, I hate jabbing at an oblong box 18" in front of my face and I dislike not being able to see clearly in sunlight. Although phone pictures can look stunning on a phone or tablet I've yet to see a phone picture that didn't disappoint me once it's on my pc. IMO the only good points are that the phone is likely always with you and sharing is easy. Other than these admittedly big plus points I see nothing good photography wise.

PS.
I suppose another big plus for phone photography is that it seems to be more socially acceptable than using a camera.
 
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i went through a phase a couple of years ago of using my pixel 6 as my main camera and the pictures looked superb on the phone screen, but not so good once downloaded and viewed on a monitor - also the ergonomics of composing at arms length without a viewfinder were less than ideal
 
woof woof said:
PS.
I suppose another big plus for phone photography is that it seems to be more socially acceptable than using a camera.
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That’s a very interesting point. I often get strange looks and questioned about what I’m taking photos of. I suppose my subject matter, people might think I’m from “the council” or some other authority taking pictures for evidence for some future action or something.

I also got approached in an amusement arcade recently in Hunstanton twice within 10 minutes by goons asking me what I was taking pictures of and how I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the “machines”, in quite an ignorant and aggressive way. Something I suspect wouldn’t happen if I just had a phone.
 
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Lots of photographers I know have stopped using the big cameras and just use there phones,macro,zoom,in camera processing and you can make a telephone call and look at the internet.Fits in the inside pocket.
 
The best camera is the one you have in your hand. Such as a phone.

Unless you need high ISO. long lens stuff, macro, niche lighting, fast focussing, and so on.

A phone sensor is very small. A phone lens also. Sometimes physics restricts.
 
I have about 200 pictures on my phone which is the total I've taken on any phone over the last 12 years or so.

So NO, I don't favour the phone! Handy for record shots when I haven't got a camera with me but that's about it!
 
I’ve the latest iPhone pro, the one with the ‘camera controls’
It’s the best phone cam I’ve ever owned, and I use it more often (in days) than I use a real camera.
Do I prefer it? no! But it’s convenient

And I actually use my camera ‘more’ counted in number of pictures. Because when I have my camera out I generally take hundreds of pictures
 
cambsno said:
Need to see what the printed images are like from phone as do a few photo books and occasional larger prints.
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This is when you will notice the difference, especially with the latter.
 
In good light a phone can give a decent camera a run for it's money. have a shot that compares a Canon 6d2 and my Samsung A52s, I cant post it here, it's too big (as it needs to be to see the quality) and I cant link it either for some reason. Even at a decent size it's hand to see any difference. It's a shot of a castle in good sunlight, lots of fine detail.
 
For general ‘walkabout’ pictures the phone (iPhone 15) is surprisingly good. We have two 36”x24” prints (a sunset taken in Mauritius and a beachfront from Spain) on the wall that are really much better than I expected from such a small sensor.

Probably use the camera phone on more days than a DSLR, but take more photographs using a DSLR.
 
I have an aging iPhone 11 which is now my primary camera for gigs because I know I will be able to get past security with it

It's not as good as a full frame body, but I shoot with the Lightroom app, saving to RAW./DNG then run everything through my usual PP workflow (modern noise reduction tools are amazingly useful here).

I can get some pictures I'm happy with :)


The Blue Aeroplanes by Rob Telford, on Flickr


Softcult by Rob Telford, on Flickr


The Tubs by Rob Telford, on Flickr


Graham Reynolds by Rob Telford, on Flickr
 
I agree with Rob, I do take pic at gigs (as a spectator) and there are sometimes a phone is the ONLY choice.
As Rob shows, you can get some excellent images.

I also think there is a bit of snobby against phone cameras. Yes, there are some shots that are far better or only possible with a long lens and fast shutter, but I personally believe too many dismiss phone images out of hand.
 
Delphin said:
I also think there is a bit of snobby against phone cameras. Yes, there are some shots that are far better or only possible with a long lens and fast shutter, but I personally believe too many dismiss phone images out of hand.
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I'm sure that if your photos are primarily about objects/subjects then providing the focal length isn't too far off and lighting too difficult, a phone is potentially an ok tool. A larger sensor and different lenses may give an image a sense of depth and other aesthetic qualities, but many people also don't notice such things.

The time it's a real problem is when the first you notice about the image is not the subject but how crappy the picture is.
 
Delphin said:
I also think there is a bit of snobby against phone cameras. Yes, there are some shots that are far better or only possible with a long lens and fast shutter, but I personally believe too many dismiss phone images out of hand.
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I have two issues really, the ergonomics are appalling and the image quality just doesn't stand up on a larger screen and anything like close viewing. These two things aren't really surprising as the phone is just a thin oblong blob with no handling considerations that I can see and the camera side of it uses a tiny sensor and tiny lenses with possibly a tin of software thrown at it.

I see many phone pictures which look nothing short of stunning on the phone but I've yet to see anything that's wowed me from an image quality pov once it's on my pc. I don't see that as snobbery, it's more that I care at bit more than your average phone wielding member of the general public about image quality. Other people with other interests wont care as much about photography or image quality.
 
Depends! If I am out with my big telephoto lenses and a nice scene opens up. Out comes the iPhone 14, as I have often left the 24-70 or 24-120s at home/hotel. A lot of the time a photo I take will just sit in a physical or virtual album with no prospect of ever being blown up large, so that attraction of a 36 or 46MP SLR is somewhat diminished.
 
The iq of camera phone is easily visible to me on my 17" laptop screen compared to any camera I've bought since my Canon DSLR days and that includes the 6mp and up APS-C Canon's, MFT from the first one I had (GF1) and 1" never mind a modern mirrorless camera. The only plus points I can see are that the phone is probably always there, sharing is easy and the blending in socially aspect but everything else (handling and iq) for me is a compromise.
 
An interesting question.
I'm favouring not taking pictures at all at this time.
 
For me no not really, But i do love the fact I always have my phone. as someone who likes to crop right in and pixel peep I notice odd shapes and patterns, AI stuff I guess! for birds and planes though I cant see a phone ever replacing a proper camera system.
 
Nope. I usually rue not taking my X100V when I end up needing to use my iPhone instead.
 
Sometimes the phone is good enough. I aren’t going to print a 30x20 exhibition print from an iPhone, but on the other hand I’d have my Nikon with me for taking photos that I’d be exhibiting or publishing.
However I’ve plenty of iPhone snaps that have made fine prints or images in Blurb books where they aren’t printed bigger than 8x10 size, where the audience is less discerning and the subject matter is more important then the nth degree of image quality.
 
Certainly not "favouring" but my phone is handy in certain circumstances when I can't use my Sony cameras.
Like at this gig the other night - John Lodge of Moody Blues fame (perhaps before some members time :D )
Definitely not the best shot but a good record of the night.
Incidentally, he is now 81 and had a stroke a little over a year ago.

John Lodge by Mike Stephen, on Flickr
 
While not about favouring his phone, here is a blog post by Paul Reiffer on his iPhone use. He is a fine art landscape/townscape photographer who uses a Phase One with Blue Ring lenses and an IQ150 back as his everyday camera. Arguably the highest quality digital camera setup you can get.

It's rather long, and picture heavy, but interesting reading, I confess to only skim reading it.

www.paulreiffer.com

iPhone Photography - A Year in Review : We've come a long way... | Paul Reiffer - Photographer

A week before its successor is launched, Paul looks back on how his iPhone 15 Pro Max has delivered impressive landscape results over the past year, becoming an essential part of his Medium Format workflow.
www.paulreiffer.com www.paulreiffer.com
 
For most of the things I take photo's of....wildlife and fast cars....even the very best camera phones just don't come close to a decent camera and lens.

However, as other have said and demonstrated, in certain situations, particularly in poor light, they can be excellent.

This shot taken in one of the Antelope slot canyons in Arizona with a Samsung S23 Ultra.

20221118_124416.jpg
 
mstphoto said:
Certainly not "favouring" but my phone is handy in certain circumstances when I can't use my Sony cameras.
Like at this gig the other night - John Lodge of Moody Blues fame (perhaps before some members time :D )
Definitely not the best shot but a good record of the night.
Incidentally, he is now 81 and had a stroke a little over a year ago.

John Lodge by Mike Stephen, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Good to see he is still working.
 
mstphoto said:
All things considered, he put on a good show.
First half was a lot of the classics.
Second half was "Days of Future Passed" in its entirety.
Jon Davison from Yes was a guest on the show and sang a few of the songs
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It sounds like a good show. I always love "Days of Future Passed"
 
Let's say that a phone and an 8x10" glass plate camera are at opposite ends of a certain range - and most of us perform somewhere in the middle ground.

But if you're planning (& are rich enough) to take a tour of the planet anywhere above the stratosphere - just take the phone. Then post the pictures for ever afterwards on your fartbook & fartogram accounts to prove how rich & clever you are ...

The proof might be in the pudding, & eternity can be the judge ...
 
I do! It's mostly because taking the phone with me is easier than taking a camera, but I take lots of photos using my phone. The editing is always done on PC, though, because I prefer bigger screens, but I wouldn't mind installing a mobile version of Photoworks if there was one.
 
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