nikonbrain wrote:
That's the point WE THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THIS SITE don't just shoot to view on a monitor we mainly take photos to print or sell to evolve, and we need pro gear . You keep saying this phone that you like at $1000.00 on a limited budget is a good investment. It's not because although it suits your purpose "it" the phone can't evolve no attachments to upgrade. The company you buy it from wants you to get next years model. You are left with a phone that takes mediocre images that can't be enlarged to sizes that are hung on large walls by Whitewall , and other sites that make metal prints and acrylic . Oh sure an occasional 16 x24 but not a whole lot bigger , they just don't have the bones to be bigger , because the sensor is so small and thin the focal length is to short to do much more make the phone 1 inch thick and you might have something. I am saying if all you have is a thousand dollars and that's your budget get a nice Samsung J8 at $ 180.00 take the remaining $800.00 and buy a used mirrorless Sony RX10 iii with a zoom from 24 mm to 600mm and take great images that will blow that cell phone away . You will have a great phone to stick in your pocket , and light weight camera that can take a great 20 real megapixel images that you can view on your monitor or if you get a once in a life time Image you can blow it up large . It's just insulting to argue with pros that know at the present times cell phones are just toys to entertain amateurs. I do imagine not far in the future some Japanese company will build a APS-C mirrorless small 1 1/4 thick 24 megapixel camera with a phone inside and a 40x zoom.... now you might have something...
That's the point WE THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS... (
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Cameras and phones are not investments, unless they are collectibles. They depreciate in value. A pro might capitalize some equipment, but it isn't an investment. It's a capital expense. An amateur may buy equipment, but it's most likely just an expense (a rare, 75-year old Leica MIGHT be an investment).
The idea of printing anything larger than 20x16 is foreign to about 98% of the population. Most people don't have the wall space to display larger prints. But they might display their images on a large 4K UHD TV. So just about any digital camera is acceptable to them if it saves 8.2MB images.
Those printing larger than 20x16 are catering to a very select crowd, or to commercial clients. In that case, yes, we probably want specialized equipment for capture, post processing, printing, and display.
Cell phones are very capable now. For casual photography and video, I use my iPhone 7 Plus. For serious photography and video, I use my Lumix GH4. When I need to do something with greater requirements, I rent the gear for it. Since I don't do landscapes, point-of-purchase displays, architectural photography, or sports and wildlife action, I don't rent very often.
The camera isn't doomed. The camera age isn't going away. It is just changing and right-sizing. Market shares will shift, brands will merge, device form factors will change... so what? It's inevitable.
As always, photographers should choose gear based on their needs, intentions, hopes, dreams, and desires, in about that order. (S)he who dies with the most toys does not win; (S)he is just dead! Make images while you have light.