ELNikkor

I often silently sneered at the very idea of such a tiny sensor, until I began to see some amazing results from cell-phones and some UHH-ers with 1/2.3 sensor bridge cameras. When I recently got the opportunity to borrow my neighbor's just-over-1-pound Nikon B700, I figured I would see first-hand what they could do.
I put up my dome tent near our garden feeders, and sat inside until our winter feathered friends showed up. I set the camera to ISO 200, f8, and 1/320 of a second, or thereabouts. I held the tent flap open with my left hand, and held the camera in my right, zoomed in to 1,440mm equivalent (238mm actual). The photo I'm posting is cropped in about 50% and shows about a 1.2mp file at upload. Absolutely no post processing was used except for the cropping.
I was mildly shocked at the crispness on the feathers around the beak and eye. How big, heavy, and expensive would my kit have to be to match that shot with my FF D750? (Can you imagine single-hand-holding an FF camera with a 1,000mm lens attached?!) Needless to say, I humbly take back all my silent sneering. Those cameras do have a place in today's photography world!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yep! Modern cameras take nice pictures. You really can't go wrong. Different models offer different features, but if it's a photograph you want, a camera will provide a nice one.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

I own one too, ELN. It is a fine camera in its own right.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Nice shot by the way. Most of us 4/3rds user have already discovered your findings. One should use the right tool for what one is shooting. If we were constantly shooting a black cat in an old coal bin on a moonless night, we would be using a camera with the best high ISO. That would not be that Nikon B700 or my Olympus E-M1mrII. But there are now a lot of cameras for taking general photography. The upper end cellphones are the start, followed by all-in-one and bridge cameras, and then 4/3rds and up. This is also the path to more versatility. Although cellphones are trying hard to replace the all-in-one and bridge cameras, the cellphone's size is a limiting factor at this time for that to happen.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

but when I wanted to take a photo of my buddy lying next to me, lit only by a table lamp, even then I used my 1/1.7" Pentax Q-7, because I knew I could do it one-handed, holding the camera out to my side facing down, and IBIS would enable me to get an acceptable photo.

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wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Thank you for the picture. Your cat is really cute. And, yes, one probably could have taken the shot with a cellphone, but was a heck of a lot easier your way.

The right tool for the right situation.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Thank you. She adopted me at the shelter; I think she's in love with me {my wife doesn't mind}

And it would have been hopeless with my DSLR ...... I'm not strong enough to hold it in that position.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Point well made ......stunning results and proof once again that 90% of the noise people make about their results is self-inflicked and Not The Camera Equipment.

It's .. .. The Fool Behind The Tool....almost always and PP with a modest crop usually does the trick for most of us amateurs. The cel-phones and bridge cameras are really quite amazing when you think about how far the industry has come in recent times and there is definitely a market for them.

I really love this image you caught.....well done sir.


JIMBO

alby Loc: very eastern pa.

i have an old P510... really like it. works fine for what i do.. but i don't do a whole lot and am not super fussy.

blackest Loc: Ireland

I was playing around with video on my cell phone, this is a still frame from the video. It can shoot 4K at 30 fps. for photo's they are 12Mpix. This is just 1280 by 720.

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Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Yes....the best thing about 4k video is that it improves the capture of single frames from its' data to more acceptable image quality that can produce useable photos for other purposes. The 1080P earlier iterations I am told are not so hot if one chooses to pluck one out of the batch for singular preferences.........not sure why exactly , but I suspect pixel count and size have something to do with it.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

The main advantage of a camera over a cell phone is the zoom lens. Most cell phones merely crop to increase subject size and get extremely soft at maximum zoom. I love my SX50HS with its 1/2.3" sensor and 1200 mm (equiv) zoom. But cell phones are improving by leaps and bounds.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

I also love my Coolpix s9600 and previously s8200 with their 1/2.3 sensors. Great for vacation pix and general “on the go” images. Surprisingly sharp and great color resolution. And really like the zooms.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

When you don't need the creative controls and zoom lens of a "real" camera, a cell phone camera is a viable choice. iPhone SE.

ELNikkor

I used to carry an Olympus XA, or XA4 in my pocket at all times. Now, I carry a cell-phone; and for the images I get, what I do with them, and how big I want them to print, the issue is not whether or not there is a difference in the quality of the images, but that I have them at all.