I have noticed that the iPhone camera has gotten a lot better than my first iPhone in 2012 (4S). It has more features and more capability than it ever did. My first smart phone was a blackberry in 2009 and that was a piece of junk compared to my iPhone 12 of today. Yes the camera was crap and shot very poor res images and videos.
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Does everyone need a DSLR?
- Thread starter jwolf6589
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Honestly, smart phones have made dslr and mirrorless professional and hobbiest only devices. As someone that just wants good quality pictures and video of my kids and motorcycle at a moments notice, I sold my DSLR when I bought an iPhone 11. Good enough for me and most people in my opinion.
However, everyone has that relative that packs their DSLR and expensive lenses with them to all family gatherings. Nobody gets to converse with them as they are always in the background trying to capture memories and not make them
I never see anyone taking shots with the pro cameras or even the P&S cameras anymore. Perhaps at weddings and other professional events, but for family gatherings and the like everyone just uses their phones.
Why don't we just all acknowledge that each person will choose what devices they want based on their wants and needs as they define them.
I really don't understand the animosity here. (Actually I do understand the animosity but I'm not going to climb into that rabbit hole.)
I don't care what anyone else shoots with and I don't care what anyone else thinks about my choices, nor should I.
This entire discussion has gotten really old.
I really don't understand the animosity here. (Actually I do understand the animosity but I'm not going to climb into that rabbit hole.)
I don't care what anyone else shoots with and I don't care what anyone else thinks about my choices, nor should I.
This entire discussion has gotten really old.
This is a bogus question from the get go. It suggests everyone has or wants a DSLR. Based on reality and easily available market statistics, that assumption simply isn't true. Once we get past that, we end up with another fact--people buy what they want (sometimes even when they can't afford it) and use it how they want. Another? Buyer regret is not limited to the camera industry.
Also amusing is that DSLR owners are somehow anti-social. You can do both, you know. It's not like it takes all-day to take some memorable photographs. If someone comes up to chat, it's not exactly hard to put the camera down. I do it all the time. If someone hides behind a camera, they can hide behind a smartphone or put in headphones, too. That situation sounds like a personality thing, not a camera-owner thing. Anecdotal evidence can't be extrapolated as far as some folks are going here.
Also amusing is that DSLR owners are somehow anti-social. You can do both, you know. It's not like it takes all-day to take some memorable photographs. If someone comes up to chat, it's not exactly hard to put the camera down. I do it all the time. If someone hides behind a camera, they can hide behind a smartphone or put in headphones, too. That situation sounds like a personality thing, not a camera-owner thing. Anecdotal evidence can't be extrapolated as far as some folks are going here.
Yes, I think for most people who want memories and snapshots at a moment's notice, a phone camera is the right choice. I also agree that because "capturing life's moments" is what many people who've had cameras through the ages have wanted to do, the phone has indeed made the DSLR / MILC professional/hobbiest/amateur devices for the most part. I think this is great. I like the renewed focus by camera manufacturers on the higher end enthusiasts/professional market, to be honest.
Even as "that relative", I wouldn't bother with carrying a DSLR to any of my family outings. If I wanted memories of these, and it depends on the day whether I do
, a quickie with a phone would suffice. Edit: I should add that relatives at these gatherings do use their DSLRs and aren't anti-social. I have anti-social relatives, but to @Darmok N Jalad's point, it's not related to their camera of choice .I am going to Idaho next month to visit old family friends and yes I will bring my Powershot. But I bet a donut I will be the only one not using a phone to take shots.Yes, I think for most people who want memories and snapshots at a moment's notice, a phone camera is the right choice. I also agree that because "capturing life's moments" is what many people who've had cameras through the ages have wanted to do, the phone has indeed made the DSLR / MILC professional/hobbiest/amateur devices for the most part. I think this is great. I like the renewed focus by camera manufacturers on the higher end enthusiasts/professional market, to be honest.
Even as "that relative", I wouldn't bother with carrying a DSLR to any of my family outings. If I wanted memories of these, and it depends on the day whether I do
I was always the one who had a camera with me for family gatherings, friends' parties and casual get-togethers, weddings (as guest, not as the professional wedding photographer), etc., etc. It was just a "given" that Clix Pix would arrive with some sort of camera in hand.
In 2007 when Apple released the iPhone I was one of the first buyers, standing in line at the Apple store on that historic Launch Day. Friends teased me about it and thought it was hilarious that I had this new gizmo. I still mostly took photos with my cameras, though, although I did from time to time experiment with the iPhone as well. Time went on and a couple more generations of iPhones came along.....
One day there was a birthday party for a friend at a local restaurant. I didn't take a camera with me because I was distracted and had actually forgotten to grab it before leaving the house. Oh, well, I had my iPhone with me, I thought when I realized that the camera was still on a table back home. At the party I was astonished and more than a little amused when I realized that nearly everyone at the table now had an iPhone or some other smartphone and I watched with fascination as they ran around shooting photos of each other, the birthday girl, the waitstaff, the food..... I realized right then and there that I was seeing the death of the P&S industry and that a whole new type of photography was emerging as friends promptly emailed or texted the photos they'd just shot to someone else who wasn't at the party or to the birthday girl so that she'd later have the photos on her own phone for her own enjoyment. Photos were shipped promptly up to Instagram accounts, shared with whomever the sender felt might be interested. Such a shift from the days of taking one's film to a lab or the local camera shop to get prints made!
That day was several years ago now, and things have evolved even more in the camera industry since then. AI and other technology is making more and more inroads into the photography world and smartphones have certainly led the way in that regard. For many users, though, they are an adjunct, not a replacement, for other photographic equipment.
In 2007 when Apple released the iPhone I was one of the first buyers, standing in line at the Apple store on that historic Launch Day. Friends teased me about it and thought it was hilarious that I had this new gizmo. I still mostly took photos with my cameras, though, although I did from time to time experiment with the iPhone as well. Time went on and a couple more generations of iPhones came along.....
One day there was a birthday party for a friend at a local restaurant. I didn't take a camera with me because I was distracted and had actually forgotten to grab it before leaving the house. Oh, well, I had my iPhone with me, I thought when I realized that the camera was still on a table back home. At the party I was astonished and more than a little amused when I realized that nearly everyone at the table now had an iPhone or some other smartphone and I watched with fascination as they ran around shooting photos of each other, the birthday girl, the waitstaff, the food..... I realized right then and there that I was seeing the death of the P&S industry and that a whole new type of photography was emerging as friends promptly emailed or texted the photos they'd just shot to someone else who wasn't at the party or to the birthday girl so that she'd later have the photos on her own phone for her own enjoyment. Photos were shipped promptly up to Instagram accounts, shared with whomever the sender felt might be interested. Such a shift from the days of taking one's film to a lab or the local camera shop to get prints made!
That day was several years ago now, and things have evolved even more in the camera industry since then. AI and other technology is making more and more inroads into the photography world and smartphones have certainly led the way in that regard. For many users, though, they are an adjunct, not a replacement, for other photographic equipment.
Do you care whether you are the only one and do you find that to an important and interesting distinction?
To the OP: Idaho has some beautiful scenery and it is not unlikely that if you go to some of the famous tourist attractions, which I imagine you will do while there, you will see people with tripods and monopods setting up their gear for some wonderful landscape and scenic shots, the kind which are difficult, if not impossible, to get with a P&S or smartphone.
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No I’m pretty antisocial! But you don’t need to worry about me being stuck behind a camera at a family gathering. We do t gather!
I have had my 12Pro since they came out, I take a fair amount of picture with it, but to me it just a convenience to have it in my pocket. Picture quality can be excellent, but half the time the pictures are mediocre. I spent the afternoon going through old pictures taken with my Olympus 4MP SLR and most are better than the 12Pro. More pixels doesn't alway make a better picture.
I like the feel of a SLR, I like the ability to zoom, frame and focus quickly. I bought one of the first Nikon CoolPix digital cameras and it was a nightmare. By the time it decided to take the picture, the kids were out of the frame. Paid $800 for and gave it to one of my kids. Bought the Olympus and loved it.
I like the feel of a SLR, I like the ability to zoom, frame and focus quickly. I bought one of the first Nikon CoolPix digital cameras and it was a nightmare. By the time it decided to take the picture, the kids were out of the frame. Paid $800 for and gave it to one of my kids. Bought the Olympus and loved it.
There is a difference between "need" and "want". I don't need my MB SUV but I wanted it!
I don't think I could have taken this good a picture on the spur of the moment with my iPhone.
Taken in 2004. Un-retouched, no cropping.
I don't think I could have taken this good a picture on the spur of the moment with my iPhone.
Taken in 2004. Un-retouched, no cropping.
I remember the old days, around 2005 when I used Palm Treo with camera, which I still kept asking, what is it for and why should I bring camera everywhere. At that time I bought DSLR Nikon D-55 which I always brought during vacation or my kids' school events. I started putting down my Nikon around 2012 when I bought 4s and less frequent after I used 6s, until now. Picture wise, DSLR camera is still better than iPhone especially for family photo and during the day. But for night photo, the 10 years old DSLR obviously can not beat iPhone today. Smartphone camera has become my daily P&S to "freeze" ordinary (and special) events of people around me - especially my family.Yes, I think for most people who want memories and snapshots at a moment's notice, a phone camera is the right choice. I also agree that because "capturing life's moments" is what many people who've had cameras through the ages have wanted to do, the phone has indeed made the DSLR / MILC professional/hobbiest/amateur devices for the most part. I think this is great. I like the renewed focus by camera manufacturers on the higher end enthusiasts/professional market, to be honest.
Even as "that relative", I wouldn't bother with carrying a DSLR to any of my family outings. If I wanted memories of these, and it depends on the day whether I do
Correct.
Legendary Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz was once asked what is the best camera for a beginner. Her reply was a smartphone. And she has used plenty of fancier rigs in her lifetime.
Take the photo with the camera you have with you. It doesn't matter how great a dSLR (4x5 view camera, Hasselblad, whatever) is if it's sitting in a camera bag 10 feet or 1000 feet or 100000 feet away from where you are and the photo op is happening NOW.
This leads us to a comment from another famous photographer:
Ansel Adams would vehemently disagree and both gentlemen have photos in major museums.
The truth is no one can please everyone all the time. A dSLR isn't a panacea/perfect solution for every photographic situation.
A $3000 dSLR might not be the best tool for taking a selfie on a roller coaster in an amusement park nor would a $100 cheap smartphone be the best tool for taking photos of bald eagles.
But like Darmok N Jalad said, a lot of dSLR aficionados can't see the Big Picture (sadly that is not a pun). And yes, I still own a 35mm film-based SLR.
It's a loaded question the way it's posed. Nobody needs anything when it comes to photography, and we all have different standards when it comes to what constitutes acceptable image quality. Smartphones have come a very, very long way as well, and in perfect light they deliver pretty impressive image quality. Compared with a DSLR or MILC (mirrorless interchangeable lens camera; we can group bother as interchangeable lens cameras, or ILCs) the image quality begins to fall apart very quickly once you leave that perfect lighting, though. It's improving all the time but for now there are still trade-offs.
Honestly, while smartphones may have revealed how many people needlessly bought "real" cameras (because for a while it seemed to be a trend that everyone had to have one, even if they kept it in "auto" the whole time and didn't know any special principles of photography), the only market segment that really is at risk of fading out are point-and-shoot (P&S) cameras. Many P&S benefits over ILCs are shared and possibly beaten by smartphones. I first seriously got into photography with a P&S that I won from a raffle, and then got into DSLRs... modern smartphones might have given me the same desire to dive into photography. Or perhaps the smartphone seems so capable that I would have been content to stick with it and never sample ILCs... would have saved a lot of money that way ?
Olympus E-520 with Sigma "Sigma" 50-500mm @ 363mm and f/8. Looking back at it, amazing how much crisper and cleaner photos are with modern gear... and how the flaws in these photos really show up in modern "retina" displays.
Honestly, while smartphones may have revealed how many people needlessly bought "real" cameras (because for a while it seemed to be a trend that everyone had to have one, even if they kept it in "auto" the whole time and didn't know any special principles of photography), the only market segment that really is at risk of fading out are point-and-shoot (P&S) cameras. Many P&S benefits over ILCs are shared and possibly beaten by smartphones. I first seriously got into photography with a P&S that I won from a raffle, and then got into DSLRs... modern smartphones might have given me the same desire to dive into photography. Or perhaps the smartphone seems so capable that I would have been content to stick with it and never sample ILCs... would have saved a lot of money that way ?
Olympus E-520 with Sigma "Sigma" 50-500mm @ 363mm and f/8. Looking back at it, amazing how much crisper and cleaner photos are with modern gear... and how the flaws in these photos really show up in modern "retina" displays.
Not very close! That's why it would have been hard to take with an iPhone without as much zoom.
One more disadvantage of P&S cameras: Durability. I bought my G5X Mark II on release day (just hours before an international flight, good timing Canon!) and yesterday only a year and a half later the automatic lens cover seems to have failed. Now it doesn't open/close properly when the camera is turned on or off. Granted in that time I had used it to take 6500 photos and it has probably been with me for 2000 miles on foot, so it's seen its fair share of sweat and abuse! But I've got lenses that are older than I am still functioning as they did day one, and I've never broken a DSLR/mirrorless body. So if you want a camera to bring on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you're either going to want a DSLR/MILC or a ruggedized point and shoot (which often comes at the expense of image quality, zoom, and/or price)
