coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I bought the iPhone 14 Pro and have left my D850 at home more often than not. The quality is excellent for snapshots. Pictures I take that I’m sure I won’t do much with like enlarge etc.
If you are going to use it as a camera get a hand held gimble to mount it in.
I started shooting more video since I got the 14.
However, I still use the D850 and Z9 for serious photography.
A couple of photos from a yacht club opening day.
Also there is a thread for smart phone photography.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Well said.

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

I will keep all the Nikon and Zeiss gear for use when not running through airports and the iPhone 10 for a back up for the new phone. I have a bad habit of losing phones, so...

Carl S

Love dem mudbugs! And they are in season now! From Hammond, just north of you!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I have the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Sony RX100VII. In fact, I had the ZS70 and got rid of it because the RX100VII is so much superior a camera. I took this combination on a cruise a couple years ago and used the iPhone 11 I had then as much as the Sony, and I have a hard time telling much difference in image quality. It’s even more so with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I may consider getting the iPhone 15 Pro Max when it comes out if I can. I think this is a great combination. And if one doesn’t want to spend the money on the RX100VII, then consider the Sony HX-99. It has more zoom and is set up much like the RX100VII, although it has the smaller 1/2.3” sensor. Image quality is outstanding, as well.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

Scott Kelby also has an excellent youtube He says that he views his iPhone as a camera with extra features

DICK32

I have the I Phone Pro Max with hi storage I think 500 GB. It takes great photos. And video. Took it on a trip to Croatia. My grandfather father met and worked with Tesla in 1893. I went to Tesla's house and museum in Similan, Croatia for photos. Took great video of the Kirka falls that must have a dozen falls that take your breath away. They turned out well and on the water video shots on the ship were good. Photos are good too. Get the extra storage and you won't have to download your pictures as often. I get good photos and video indoors and outdoors. You have to learn how use it so the Kelby book would help for that.

johnny1950 Loc: Palm Coast, Florida

Hi
I just got my I14 Pro and love it. I have taken Scott Kelby's courses and Emile P it really opened up my eyes to it's capabilities. It has limitations such as Airshows etc. but really holds it's own in everyday photo needs. I just went to the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine on a photoshoot and did not bring my Sony with the 50 to 400mm lens. Except for some real distance shots of the birds I had a very successful shoot. In September the new I Camera (Phone) is coming out and the rumors are it will have a 10X telephoto and shoot 3X2. Good luck with what ever you deceide.
Johnny

Ioannis

Please post some photos from your wonderful trip. John

bjojade Loc: Wausau, WI

iPhone/smartphone cameras have progressed at a much much faster rate than DSLR type cameras. A few short years ago, they were good enough for capturing shots of food and documenting personal memories. However, now, they can produce pretty stunning video and photography. The multi-camera systems also include different zoom ranges which makes them even more versatile.

For travel needs, they are amazing because they fit in your pocket.

Smartphones can do a heck of a lot of manipulation to photos taken to make them seem better than they really are, so if you want something to point and shoot and not have to do much work with, the phone might be able to give you better instant results than your big camera that would need manual post processing to get the same results.

The decision on which camera to use depends on what you're trying to shoot. There are still cases where you have better overall control of your shots using a traditional camera. Better lens choices, more accurate control of the shutter timing, aperture, shutter speed, focus, using a flash, etc.

But again, with each new smartphone camera, those differences become more and more muted.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Just food for thought.

Smart phones will always out pace DSLR camera upgrades/technology. They are a lot easier to change the manufacturing form factor and are not anywhere near as complex.
Smartphone, like most computers, have a life span of about 16-18 months before a new model is introduced. A new model or version of a DSLR takes much, much longer. However, with firmware upgrades, there are many improvements that are introduced so that statement does not always hold true.
I bought an iPhone X for about $1,200. Sold it 3 years later for $100.
I bought my D850 for I think it was $3,400 and sold it for a little over $2,000. A little better investment.
Good luck with what ever your decision is.

bjojade Loc: Wausau, WI

I would argue that some of the technology within phones is MORE complex than a typical DSLR (or other larger) camera.

The lifespan and value of phones is less because new models advance with major improvements quickly. If you look at certain camera models, newer technology reduces the value of older models quickly, while other more established models can retain their value. Eg, the Nikon z6 has plummeted in value with the release of the z6ii. The D850 hasn't had a replacement yet (or ever) so its value remains a bit higher.

The quick advancements in phones has a lot to do with the massive sales volume of the devices. This makes many more resources are available in development. The sales volume of iPhones dwarfs that of all large cameras combined. But, the downside of the fast advancement is the accelerated depreciation of the value of the device. Of course, the fact that the device is rendered nearly completely obsolete afer a few years doesn't help much either. A 10 year old camera still does what it did just fine. A 10 year old phone can't be used as a phone anymore as the technolgy has been abandoned, rendering it nearly useless.

LenCreate

I ordered the 14 Pro yesterday to replace my MS Max; Apple is giving me a $200 credit for the trade in. The 14 Pro is arriving today. Its 6.1” screen is slightly smaller than the 6.3” screen that I now have, which is tight in my pants pocket. The 14 Pro Max has a 6.7” screen and I felt that it would be too big.

The 14 Pro has the same camera as the Pro Max. I’m looking forward to taking photos with it.

Bogin Bob Loc: Tampa Bay, Florida

I posted a question in smart phone section
Have you used/considered/had experience with ProGrip
https://shiftcam.com/products/progrip-starter-kit-3?variant=44973265060086#progrip-buy

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The lifespan of iPhones is at least five years, if you treat them properly (use a screen protector and a decent case). Software updates and upgrades to the operating system are available (and free of extra cost) for at least five years. I've had my iPhone 7 Plus since early 2017. The battery life is reduced to around 75%, but other than that, it still works well. It runs the previous version of iOS, but Apple still supports that with security updates.

I got two years out of an iPhone 3Gs before giving it to my daughter, who used it for three more years. I got four years out of an iPhone 4s before trading it on an iPhone 6 Plus. I unnecessarily traded that a year later on the iPhone 7 Plus (our whole family upgraded from various earlier models that year). The 7 Plus has been "all I need" until recently. I'll probably buy an iPhone 15 if the 7 Plus lasts until the 15 comes out. (Why replace it if it's still doing what I need?)

The new phones do have a lot more goodies, but none of them is a "must have," at the moment. If I'm going to spend $1000 or more on a phone, it's going to last me at least as long as Apple supports it! The same can be said for my Macs and digital camera bodies. I buy with a 5-7 year lifespan in mind.

That said, time marches on, and technology advances rapidly. A digital camera has more in common with a computer than some of us would like, which is why you can't get support for an old one like you could years ago, with film cameras. The market life of a Nikon F was from 1959 to 1974 (15 years!). Repair parts and service for them were available for a LONG time after that. I had my FTn repaired in 1984!

I'll bet the Z9 lasts about seven years in the marketplace, and that parts will be scarce about seven years after that. That's not a complaint! The pace of advancement of everything is accelerating, and has been for decades. I consider that a good thing.

When I was on summer breaks from college in 1974 and 1975, I worked as a "retrofit and repair" technician for a textile machinery company. Some of the mills I visited had spinning frames made around 1900, and our company still sold many repair parts for them!

During those summers, we students were working on brand new open-end spinning frames that were notoriously unreliable. The mill owners would complain daily about those new machines. Their grandfathers had bought the old spinning frames from us decades earlier, when we were an independent company!

The philosophy of the manufacturer, our English parent company, favored equipment with much shorter life spans and continuous evolution to rapid obsolescence. We were updating the machines with slightly more reliable and longer-lasting parts. Welcome to modernity... Of course, none of that mattered, as most of the textile business went overseas in the 1980s.