iPhone photography - accuracy and expression

[Clix Pix]

@Ukiyo Evenings, My recommendation would be to start a new thread on purchasing and using an interchangeable lens camera (ILC), as although there are various threads on this topic, you will probably have your own specific criteria and of course budget for whatever camera or type of camera and lenses can help you achieve your creative vision. DSLR? Mirrorless? Micro 4/3? DX/ APS-C? Full-Frame? As you'll have already figured out, regardless of which direction you go in, you are in for a potentially expensive ride, especially if you become afflicted with the all-too-familiar GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) that takes root somewhere along the way in one's photographic journey....

It took me well over a year to make up my mind about making a shift from DSLR to Mirrorless....in contrast, it didn't take nearly that amount of time when choosing a new car! Knew pretty much what I wanted when I walked into the dealership and when I laid eyes on the car that by the end of the day was about to be mine, there was an immediate connection, that was it and I wanted to test-drive her. The test drive cemented the deal as far as I was concerned. I'm in love with my new car and couldn't be happier!

The camera situation took much longer as I was weighing pros and cons of various situations and also considering making the not-insignificant jump from a brand that I had used and loved for many, many years to another brand....and I wanted to be darned sure before I actually took action that I was making the right decision. It's been nearly a year now since the day I walked into the camera shop and made the big trade-in and came out of the camera shop with a new camera body and three new lenses....and I know that for me, this was the right decision, and at the right time as well. There's no doubt about it: in buying new gear you're plunking out a lot of money and also you will be spending a lot of time with the camera and lenses, learning and creating as you go, and then going through additional learning and creating when working in the "digital darkroom" with whatever editing software you choose, and that's another whole challenge!

Just in looking at your images you've shared with us so far I would say that, yes, you're ready -- more than ready -- to move on from a cell phone camera to a camera system which will be a satisfying and enjoyable experience in using each time you set out to fulfill your creative vision......

 

[kallisti]

@Ukiyo Evenings, My recommendation would be to start a new thread on purchasing and using an interchangeable lens camera (ILC), as although there are various threads on this topic, you will probably have your own specific criteria and of course budget for whatever camera or type of camera and lenses can help you achieve your creative vision. DSLR? Mirrorless? Micro 4/3? DX/ APS-C? Full-Frame? As you'll have already figured out, regardless of which direction you go in, you are in for a potentially expensive ride, especially if you become afflicted with the all-too-familiar GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) that takes root somewhere along the way in one's photographic journey....

It took me well over a year to make up my mind about making a shift from DSLR to Mirrorless....in contrast, it didn't take nearly that amount of time when choosing a new car! Knew pretty much what I wanted when I walked into the dealership and when I laid eyes on the car that by the end of the day was about to be mine, there was an immediate connection, that was it and I wanted to test-drive her. The test drive cemented the deal as far as I was concerned. I'm in love with my new car and couldn't be happier!

The camera situation took much longer as I was weighing pros and cons of various situations and also considering making the not-insignificant jump from a brand that I had used and loved for many, many years to another brand....and I wanted to be darned sure before I actually took action that I was making the right decision. It's been nearly a year now since the day I walked into the camera shop and made the big trade-in and came out of the camera shop with a new camera body and three new lenses....and I know that for me, this was the right decision, and at the right time as well. There's no doubt about it: in buying new gear you're plunking out a lot of money and also you will be spending a lot of time with the camera and lenses, learning and creating as you go, and then going through additional learning and creating when working in the "digital darkroom" with whatever editing software you choose, and that's another whole challenge!

Just in looking at your images you've shared with us so far I would say that, yes, you're ready -- more than ready -- to move on from a cell phone camera to a camera system which will be a satisfying and enjoyable experience in using each time you set out to fulfill your creative vision......

@Clix Pix Excellent post!

@Ukiyo Evenings I would suggest making a list of the reasons a phone camera is holding you back. How is it not letting you express yourself creatively? What about it is holding you back?

Is it the quality of the files (i.e. you want better source files shot in RAW to give you more options in post)? Is it the lack of control over shooting variables such as exposure? Is it wanting sharper images than the phone can create? Is it not wanting the massive depth of field (DOF) that all phone cameras have because they use lenses with very small focal lengths (i.e. do you want to have a shallow DOF to isolate your subject from the background)? Do you want to make use of external lighting (i.e. flashes/strobes) to gain more control over the lighting in your pics? Are you shooting subjects that are really close and need a macro lens? Are you shooting subjects that are far away and need a long telephoto lens? Are you shooting rapidly moving subjects (i.e. sports/birds) that may require a fast and long lens to capture? Are you shooting architecture where a specialty lens (like a tilt/shift lens) can be beneficial to keep lines straight and avoid distortion? Are you thinking of making long exposures where a dedicated camera has distinct advantages over a phone camera?

These are some (but not all) of the reasons that a dedicated camera can be a better tool compared to a phone camera.

I would encourage you to think about your expectations with a new camera. What problem(s) are you hoping it will solve? Alternatively, what images are you hoping to create that you can’t with a phone camera?

I would then encourage you to start a new thread asking for advice. But in that thread I would outline your perceived needs from your list and also your budget. As @Clix Pix said, photography can rapidly turn into a money pit. It’s easier to navigate if you keep your needs in mind (actual needs, not gear lust needs).

 

[Ukiyo Evenings]

@Clix Pix
Thank you for the advice, kind words of encouragement and the sharing of your camera v car parallels. I'm glad to hear that you are happy both with your new car as well as the new camera and lenses! I will go through the various threads here before posting a new one and embarking on this next journey which has GAS lurking around the corner. Oh boy oh boy.

@kallisti Good idea to list what's holding me back and what I seek. Right off the bat I'd say better quality and sharpness? Portraits, architecture (I didn't know that a tilt/shift lens is beneficial for the accuracy of the lines in architecture, the distortion is one of my sticking points with the wide angle lenses used in phones), low light and extended exposures, a bit of telephoto to say, capture the moon behind a building, or a particular section of a building; these are some of the areas I would like to explore more. But overall I believe it's an indulgence and privilege to be able to afford specific tools to create, and thus I will try to be as mindful as possible of my actual needs, and certainly dictated by my budget.

Good food for thought from both of you and much appreciated.

Cropped shot taken yesterday on my SE of my Honda, seeing as @Clix Pix has one too

 

[Clix Pix]

She's a beauty! I'll bet she's fun to drive!

 

[LonestarOne]

I'm not a fan of artificially generated bokeh

All bokeh is artificial, whether it’s produced optically or computationally. A seven-element lens is no more “natural” than a silicon chip.

We heard the same sort of arguments 20 years ago when people said you weren’t a real photographer unless you used chemical emulsions on a plastic film.

 

[Ukiyo Evenings]

She's a beauty! I'll bet she's fun to drive!

Thank you. Sure is a pleasure to drive and brings a smile each time I see it. One of the last series of NA V6s that Honda did before moving to turbocharged engines; not that I’m against turbos but just an interesting nugget of info for me.

All bokeh is artificial, whether it’s produced optically or computationally. A seven-element lens is no more “natural” than a silicon chip.

We heard the same sort of arguments 20 years ago when people said you weren’t a real photographer unless you used chemical emulsions on a plastic film.

As I have already been told in this thread and my intentions were not against the ‘artificiality’. I used the term while unaware of the arguments made against lens construction. Perhaps it would be better to explain it as inaccuracy? Portions of the foreground such as spectacle edges and hair computationally blurred and thus standing out anomalously, hence the choice of wording. Nowhere have I insinuated that the computation of phones is not real photography; in fact, I am quite comfortable working with it. I was merely stating comparative preferences - phone bokeh v dedicated camera bokeh, Night Sight/Mode v long exposure on larger sensors - to provide commenters with a basis of where I am coming from, and not to incite debate against phones as a photography tool.

edit: Ah I think it would serve better to clarify that I was referring to portrait mode on phones

 

[Clix Pix]

Ukioy Evenings wrote:

Thank you. Sure is a pleasure to drive and brings a smile each time I see it. One of the last series of NA V6s that Honda did before moving to turbocharged engines; not that I’m against turbos but just an interesting nugget of info for me.

Yes, and now Honda in 2021 is not releasing a sport two-door coupe.... My four-door Sport Hatchback has the turbocharged engine but so far I haven't taken the opportunity to get out on the highway and really let her "horses" loose!

 

[Mattya1989]

Shot on iPhone 12 in JPEG, I normally shoot in RAW but was in a rush.

 

[Clix Pix]

Shot on iPhone 12 in JPEG, I normally shoot in RAW but was in a rush.

This would be a nice addition to the Photo of the Day thread.....

 

[Ukiyo Evenings]

Shot on iPhone 12 in JPEG, I normally shoot in RAW but was in a rush.

Lovely shot! Are the colours quite SOOC or quite close? Good entry for the weekly photo challenge too.