Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't understand this cellphone vs. compact camera thing. I understand that nearly everyone has a cellphone with a camera built in. Makes it very convenient, but it seems to me that the only thing gained is the ability to immediately post images online. And I know there are apps for cellphone cameras that expand their capabilities, but it seems to me that none of this can equal or surpass what a good compact camera can do. Further, most of the compact cameras have the ability to connect with a cellphone or other mobile device for posting online. Furthermore, a decent compact has a good optical zoom, as opposed to the purely and inferiour digital zoom in a cellphone camera. The Sony RX100xx line is a good example of this, and they all fit in a shirt pocket. Makes them as convenient as a cellphone, I would think.

So, looking to the future of cameras, it seems that cellphone camera technology is going to have to go a very long distance before it can equal that of a good compact camera. I use my iPhone 8 Plus for occasional snaps, but for more serious photography (or at least as serious as I can be) I rely on either my Canon G16 (at the moment) or my Sony A6300. I think, while the casual, very simple point and shoot camera has a dim future, I think there is a good future for high end compact cameras. For those who love to take pictures but want to keep things simple, without having to lug around a heavy camera body and a bevy of lenses, while retaining the features and controls of larger cameras, a good compact camera definitely has a niche. I guess, in the end, this thing about cellphone cameras versus compact cameras (or any other camera) is really an apples/oranges thing. Again, maybe I'm missing something here, but that's how I see it. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?

I realize that I'm late to this conversation, but the short answer is that most in the current generation (and the previous generation, too) don't care. It's not about quality, it's just about convenience. Would you listen to stereo music with only one earbud? They do. Would you even listen to music with earbud? They do, and don't know or care about the difference. When they snap a picture, it's not about the image, it's only about them. There is generally no permanence considered at all. So they are really not even doing snapshots.

The kids I work with at school do a variety of projects. Some involve photography. The big first step is to get them to think more than 3 seconds into the future. And the kids who can or do think differently about this are considered different and odd by the majority of their peers.

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't understand this cellphone vs. compact camera thing. I understand that nearly everyone has a cellphone with a camera built in. Makes it very convenient, but it seems to me that the only thing gained is the ability to immediately post images online. And I know there are apps for cellphone cameras that expand their capabilities, but it seems to me that none of this can equal or surpass what a good compact camera can do. Further, most of the compact cameras have the ability to connect with a cellphone or other mobile device for posting online. Furthermore, a decent compact has a good optical zoom, as opposed to the purely and inferiour digital zoom in a cellphone camera. The Sony RX100xx line is a good example of this, and they all fit in a shirt pocket. Makes them as convenient as a cellphone, I would think.

So, looking to the future of cameras, it seems that cellphone camera technology is going to have to go a very long distance before it can equal that of a good compact camera. I use my iPhone 8 Plus for occasional snaps, but for more serious photography (or at least as serious as I can be) I rely on either my Canon G16 (at the moment) or my Sony A6300. I think, while the casual, very simple point and shoot camera has a dim future, I think there is a good future for high end compact cameras. For those who love to take pictures but want to keep things simple, without having to lug around a heavy camera body and a bevy of lenses, while retaining the features and controls of larger cameras, a good compact camera definitely has a niche. I guess, in the end, this thing about cellphone cameras versus compact cameras (or any other camera) is really an apples/oranges thing. Again, maybe I'm missing something here, but that's how I see it. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?

I blame the camera industry for not seeing into the future and anticipating what the future market would be.

The touch screen should be available on all makes and models. Yes it is slowly moving into the higher end cameras but it should be standard like it is on all cell phones. If your a young person and all that you have seen and worked with are touch screens and you are handed a camera with no touch screen not only do you think that it is antiquated but you might not know what to do with it.

On the subject of WiFi, why can't you send a picture directly to a social media platform instead of to a phone which you will then have to send it from the very phone that the manufacturer is in competition with.

These are just a few examples I'm sure there are more out there that you guys can come up with.

I blame the camera industry for not seeing into the future and anticipating what the future market would be.

The touch screen should be available on all makes and models. Yes it is slowly moving into the higher end cameras but it should be standard like it is on all cell phones. If your a young person and all that you have seen and worked with are touch screens and you are handed a camera with no touch screen not only do you think that it is antiquated but you might not know what to do with it.

On the subject of WiFi, why can't you send a picture directly to a social media platform instead of to a phone which you will then have to send it from the very phone that the manufacturer is in competition with.

These are just a few examples I'm sure there are more out there that you guys can come up with.

Beg to differ, from experience: "When they (cell phone camera users) snap a picture, it's not about the image, it's only about them. There is generally no permanence considered at all. So they are really not even doing snapshots."

These generalizations contradict my experience socializing with others who take pictures using their cell phone cameras. It's all about the image and what it means to them and their friends.

When they take pictures or videos of their loved ones, especially children, they know and appreciate that they record special, precious moments of these individuals for posterity. Note that this picture-taking has another side to it, that the snapshooter can share their pictures with many others via the Internet, and do so easily and quickly.

Snapshots have been around for at least 100 years, starting around the time of the Kodak Brownie camera. Cell phone cameras merely take this activity to a higher level due to technology.

Those individuals who hold cell phone cameras and their users in low esteem overlook the potential of such activity to foster the efforts of future photographers too numerous to count. The craft of photography will attract many new photographers who otherwise might never take up this craft. The field of photography will blossom all the more from their entry to it.

I realize that I'm late to this conversation, but the short answer is that most in the current generation (and the previous generation, too) don't care. It's not about quality, it's just about convenience. Would you listen to stereo music with only one earbud? They do. Would you even listen to music with earbud? They do, and don't know or care about the difference. When they snap a picture, it's not about the image, it's only about them. There is generally no permanence considered at all. So they are really not even doing snapshots.

The kids I work with at school do a variety of projects. Some involve photography. The big first step is to get them to think more than 3 seconds into the future. And the kids who can or do think differently about this are considered different and odd by the majority of their peers.