Phones vs DSLR: It's mid 2020. Are our expensive dslr's going to become worthless? I just saw a full set of graduation photos that were excellent all taken with a phone. These phones...

ga6742

It's mid 2020. Are our expensive dslr's going to become worthless? I just saw a full set of graduation photos that were excellent all taken with a phone. These phones can do 95% (my guess) of dslr functions. That along with post processing that does a complete photo makeover seems to be shrinking the dslr into oblivion. Is this the passing of an era?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Yes, they are good. But it is always different cameras are better at different things. Your DSLR is not worthless. It is exceptionally good at what it does.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Trolling? Enjoy your phone - don't own one, don't want one. They'll take a photo, but kind of like the car that is a boat or any of a variety or multipurpose devices, never as good as either a car or a boat as the real thing. Across the very broad photo spectrum a camera, a specialist tool with the correct lenses and accessories will be better for a very long time.

ga6742

troll
[trōl]
VERB
trolling (present participle)
make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.

Didn't even know what trolling was. What an unfriendly place. Won't come back here. Jerk.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

A DSLR / MILC is a complete luxury item and fully unnecessary for both snapshot and serious photography. This fact will be denied for the next several pages and days. Of course, there are many things a phone cannot (yet) do. Here's a link to the 2019 mobile photography awards. Tell us how often you see work of this caliber in the UHH Photo Gallery? These images are clearly processed, not SOOP - Straight Out Of Phone. It's not just the tool, it's the talent.

https://mobilephotoawards.com/9th-annual-mpa-grand-prize/

Note the use of wide angle and daylight / natural light. The link above is to the 'grand prize' winners. Spend a moment to find the list of all categories and browse the other types / usage of phones for award winning results. There's a nature & wildlife section, but not sports. Again, wide-angle is the general approach, not birds-in-flight for high frames per second and super fast shutterspeeds. Hopefully, the galleries of these 'phone captures' will emphasize we spend way too much time talking about better cameras rather than creating better images.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

ga6742 wrote:

It's mid 2020. Are our expensive dslr's going to become worthless? I just saw a full set of graduation photos that were excellent all taken with a phone. These phones can do 95% (my guess) of dslr functions. That along with post processing that does a complete photo makeover seems to be shrinking the dslr into oblivion. Is this the passing of an era?

Educate us, ga6742...why are dslr's sinking into oblivion?

DRam11 Loc: Polson, MT

CHG_CANON wrote:

A DSLR / MILC is a complete luxury item and fully unnecessary for both snapshot and serious photography.
.

There are exceptions to every statement.

The size, shape and heft of my DSLR allow a firm grip and ability to brace my arms and hands to my body when shooting hand-held. Taking pictures with an iPhone, on the other hand, requires holding it at arms length with one hand and poking the screen to take a picture. Given tremors that becomes a difficult, in some instances, an impossible task. Heck, at times it's even difficult to hang on to the dang thing to make a phone call.

Of course, by using timed shutter release it is possible to stab the shutter button and then grab the phone with both hands, compose and wait for the shot. That's fine taking pictures of mountains and trees, but those danged birds, foxes, people, cars, etc., keep moving.

It must be admitted I have managed some decent snapshots with my iPhone, But for me the DSLR is infinitly easier to use.

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

CHG_CANON wrote:

...Of course, there are many things a phone cannot (yet) do....Again, wide-angle is the general approach, not birds-in-flight for high frames per second....

But there are also things a DSLR cannot do as well as a phone... never seen one make a call. <grin>

Not sure if all know but on your Android phone when taking a photo just continue to hold finger down and camera becomes continuous high frames per second. Know little about iPhones but believe if you first swipe left then it does the same.

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

ga6742 wrote:

troll
[trōl]
VERB
trolling (present participle)
make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.

Didn't even know what trolling was. What an unfriendly place. Won't come back here. Jerk.

👍👍👍

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

quixdraw wrote:

Trolling? Enjoy your phone - don't own one, don't want one. They'll take a photo, but kind of like the car that is a boat or any of a variety or multipurpose devices, never as good as either a car or a boat as the real thing. Across the very broad photo spectrum a camera, a specialist tool with the correct lenses and accessories will be better for a very long time.

I am sure you are correct, but without owning or wanting a smartphone, how did you arrive at your concusion?

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

CHG_CANON wrote:

A DSLR / MILC is a complete luxury item and fully ... (show quote)

Fantastic images - but photo shopped to what degree - was there need for any sort of camera, or could PS go it alone? perhaps with the help of plug-ins (Luminar?)

shutterhawk Loc: Cape Cod

I've yet to see any good "bird in flight" pictures come out of a phone.

cdayton

The iPhone debuted in 2007. Sometime around 2010 while living near Tucson, I went to a presentation by a local news photographer who showed images projected on a large screen taken with his iPhone. They were unbelievable to me and changed my view of cell phones. At the time, I was using a Nikon D300 but have never hesitated to pull out my iPhone and compose a shot. The iPhone had 2mp in 2007 but was up to 5mp by 2010. My iPhone 11 has 12mp, about the same as my D300 but, of course, a much smaller sensor.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

It all depends on what you like to shoot, iphones lens are WAY to short for wildlife.

Mcwane Loc: Southwestern Virginia

I was on a trip to St Lucia with my Canon RP and intended to take some really nice pics when I was on the Tet Paul trail over what they call the Stairway to Heaven. It was raining so hard when we left for the excursion that I chose to leave my Canon at the motel and take only my Samsung S10. When we got up there, the sun came out and it was beautiful looking down on the Pitons of St Lucia. I took lots of pics that looked great on the phone and was satisfied that I had gotten what I needed. When I got home, I rushed to look at them in Photoshop. They were good and would look great on Facebook but when processed through Photoshop, I could tell that the quality just wasn't there. The resolution and sharpness just wasn't as good as my Canon. I was looking for a couple of wall hangers that I could enlarge, print and look at for a long time. I was really disappointed in the result. I came home, sold my RP and bought a Canon R with some weather sealing for the next time I get lucky enough to go to St Lucia which will most likely be never.