Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

The way I see it is, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," to quote that old saying. Have we become so arrogant that we consider the DSLR to be the only legitimate means of capturing images? Not everyone is into photography as a serious hobby or profession and don't really care about cameras with tons of features and controls, when a simple camera like a cellphone camera satisfies many people's needs. And the fact is, the cameras in cellphones are being improved upon all the time. The current crop makes decent images. For professional use? Probably not in most cases, but satisfactory for most people in most cases. I continue to be impressed with the quality of the images my iPhone 6S plus takes. I also have an app that allows a degree of control over the camera. I'll never make wall sized enlargements from its images, but some are of enough quality to qualify, IMO, as a photograph rather than a simple snapshot.

I believe that it's each to his/her own these days. Yes, the simple P&S camera is well on its way out as a viable product for photography, and the cellphone camera is advancing. Will it ever rise to the level of a serious camera? Who knows? Perhaps not today, but in the future, it's possible, the way the technology is advancing. But I think it serves no purpose to elevate ourselves so high that we think we sit on a pedestal above the lowly cellphone camera users. Harsh words? Probably, but none of us is any better off than others who have no interest in sophisticated cameras and gear. Does that make them lazy? Hardly. It just means that they just don't want to get involved in the expense and (sometimes) inconvenience of big cameras and all the associated gear. Not everyone can afford that stuff, either. So lets keep things in perspective and quit denigrating cellphone camera users.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

The fundamental constraint on cell phone cameras is their size and geometry of lens & sensor placement. The most proficient DSLRs are full frame, i.e. sensor size 36 mm by 24 mm. Now imagine where to place that size sensor with the lens centered over it in a cell phone. Considering the thickness of a cell phone, what must the lens focal length be so that a 'normal' sized subject covers the sensor. As you through these consideration together will you not come to the conclusion that a DSLR has a larger 'resolving' power, thus its images can be enlarged before falling into pixelation.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Unquestionably cell phones are getting better but, will they replace mirrorless or dSLRs?
When I noticed that Panasonic, Fuji and Olympus were investing in research and development of better mirrorless technologies while Canon, Pentax and Nikon did not pay attention I thought that eventually something had to give. Nikon seems to be the first one that got in trouble financially let's see what happens with the others.

I predicted a few years ago that eventually ALL cameras or most of them will be mirrorless. I based my prediction in a few facts, the first one of which was a smaller and lighter camera. Nobody can deny that a mirrorless camera with a few lenses can be carried all day without causing any stress to the person carrying them. It cannot be denied that a small bag is all that is needed to carry that load and nobody can deny that being small and light it not only fits anywhere but it is hard to beat for traveling.

I own Olympus bodies. I own Olympus and Panasonic lenses and they all perform to high standards. The distance from the rear of the lens to the sensor is small, much smaller than that of a camera with a mirror and consequently it is known that the resolution improves when that distance is short like we saw when we used rangefinder cameras. The only issue I have seen till now and I am not aware of the capabilities of new mirrorless cameras is that they have not been very good to track moving subjects. It appears that it is somewhat difficult to introduce in these cameras a good phase detection AF. As I said, I do not know about the new cameras like those made by Sony or Fuji.

The assortment of excellent optics today for mirrorless cameras practically cover all areas of photography and many professionals are using these cameras. I have made enlargements of my Olympus kit lens to 12x18 and everything has been there with very reasonable resolution. Useless to say that when a professional lens has been used the results have been optimum not to say awesome.

One of the advantages of using Panasonic or Olympus is that they have a joint venture by which lenses from one company fit the other. It would have been a godsend if Canon and Nikon would have done a similar thing through mutual cooperation. I seriously doubt it if that cooperation will be there in the foreseeable future.

As I said I foresee a great future for mirrorless cameras and from following the technologies I can see they are getting better each year. Soon phase detection AF will be the order of the day and these little cameras will be usable for sports and wildlife photography. By the way, why Nikon decided to go with a smaller sensor with their mirrorless cameras is beyond me. Sony took the right approach by using APS and Full Frame sensors. I believe Fuji has done the same but I am not sure because I am not familiar with their technologies. I am not familiar either with Canon mirrorless technologies.

Mirrorless is here to stay and I guess the future of cell phones looks brighter also.

Jersey guy Loc: New Joisey

Well truth be told, I had neither my cell nor Canon with me. After all, how different are this year's blossoms from all the ones I have from previous excursions?

Bill_de Loc: US

That would depend who the We are that you are asking about. It seems to me that more and more people accept the cell phone as an alternative. Maybe the we you refer to is a very small number.

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hbohrs

are we talking about a snapshot of a wife in front of the War Memorial, or an eagle in a tree 300 yards away? The cell phone and DSLR (or mirror-less) each have their uses/places.

Jersey guy Loc: New Joisey

I am astounded by the number of responses I triggered with my observations. It would appear that I hit a nerve, as they say. To sum it up: serious cameras will always be there for serious photographers, but the offerings will be fewer and tending toward the higher end. However, the presence of so many cell cameras proves, I think, that many if not most of those in recent past who invested in the "big guys" had no serious interest in photography, but only for "record" shots. I confess that as a 4-year owner of a mid-range Canon, I am still surprised by some of the features....capabilities ...that I failed to know about, let alone utilize. I noted, by the way, that a recent cell phone camera boasts of HDR abilities. My damned Canon inst. manual has 370 pages, and all in English, not multiple languages. I also invested in one of those "....for Dummies" after market books for my particular model. Overwhelming! I then compunded my grief by acquiring a "Photoshop for Dummies", and a "Windows 10 for Dummies" for my little-used library of tech books. It is getting to be too much for my old brain. Learning curves no longer pose the challenges they did when I was a practicing chemist....I simply ignore them! :-) Thanks to all for the vigorous exchanges.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Cell phones are to DSLR's what Kodak Polaroids were to 35mm film. Quick instant gratification to show your friends (and sometimes a buzz off the chemical smells). Now, how many prints do you still have from film and how many Polaroids do you still possess?

SS319

Smartphones are only the Instamatics and Polaroids of the 60s - 80s, the Browies of the 50s. That, and the fact that cameras are tools, hammers, really; capable of collecting light on a collector plate. The capture what they see, and a smart phone ain't really smart (though they are smarter than most of their users).

Smart phones, brownies, instamatics, and Canon D5Rs take pictures. Photographs are created by artists! Photographs are created in the mind before the camera is taken out of its protective bag and raised to the level of your eye. How many smart phones have a photoshoot conceived prior to the phone arriving at the instant of shutter release. How many smartphone operators knows a good shot in their camera even when looking at it. Try an experiment - sit down with your teenager's phone and review the photos with your trained eye. Select the pictures that you believe have the quality necessary to produce a quality piece of art. Now, go to your teenager's facebook page and see if even one of those photos ever rose to the level of being posted.

No real photographer needs be concerned about smartphone operators taking their jobs. Besides, smartphones are a temporary technology. The last Apple and Galaxy phones will be manufactured before the year 2020 - about the same time as the Canon Rebel T-10i is released.

DH

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

The postings on this thread are hilarious... do a search and replace and they are the same old arguments of film over digital. 12 mp cell phones can make gorgeous prints up to 8x10 which 95% of folks will never exceed, if they print at all... Let's start talking about the photo capabilities of the upcoming iWatch as opposed to larger mirror less devices. You are all fighting yesterday's wars... BTW, a lot of so called Pros are using cellphone cams as we speak.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I suppose I did generalize a bit there, but you read plenty of posts from photographers who seem to elevate themselves because of the gear they use. My point being that serious photography isn't for everyone, but it seems everyone is for photography to one extent or another, some more seriously than others. Here on the UHH, there are so many who love to take pictures, to share them, and to give advice to others less knowledgeable in whatever area they are asking about.

As for the fate of the DSLR, who knows what that will be. No doubt the DSLR will be around for a long time, but mirrorless is catching up. Consider the new Sony A9. Looks like that one, cost aside, is going to blow a lot of other cameras out of the water. Only time will tell what direction photography will take.

Bill_de Loc: US

And what will replace them in 2 1/2 years?

Greg-Colo Loc: Fort Collins,Co

Talk is cheap..... I phone 6

Greg-Colo Loc: Fort Collins,Co

How many DLSRS can you order pizza with ?

Martino Loc: Northwest Florida

I regret that many of you are missing the point.

Technology moves on and culture moves on.

In the 80's many 'Serious' photographers were saying that digital cameras could never achieve the resolution of fine grain film. Well, that's an argument that fell apart.

The head of (I think) IBM stated that there was room for maybe 6 computers in the world (I'm paraphrasing of course) and now computers are in everything.

Since the introduction of photography the man in the street has wanted to capture memories. Previously average man couldn't afford a painting, so early formal photographs replaced that. Later the vest and box cameras became their tool of choice. That has moved on and we've gone through instamatics, polaroids and point and shoot and now phone cameras. Many everyman shooter is now moving to video - they perceive that as being more real. Next? holograms created with your personal device. Just like hobbyists are now adopting 3D printing.

Yes, there is still room for the portrait painter and portrait photographer. There will always be the professional creating images (though they could just as easily be formal holograms).

Yes, smartphones as we know them will go the way of all technology. So will SLRs and whatever current technology we're using.

Photographs are created by artists? That wasn't recognized until relatively recently in history. Some people wouldn't even agree today.

Look at music. Some only recognize that a live performance is justified. Others believe that analogue recordings are best. Some feel digital is the way to go. I'm sure there are some wax cylinder fans out there too. The future may be some sort of organically produced, and recreated hologram of Enrico Caruso doing his thing.

Virtual and enhanced reality will have a place too. Why a printed photo when you can recreate your memory with a personal VR 3D moving image, with 'smell-a-vision' right in your own home?

Does that mean sculptors will no longer exist or that painting in oils will cease? Of course not. There are still photographers working with wet plates. Still people using large format film cameras. Still people using whatever turned them on back in the day, or skills they've recently discovered.

I won't change the mind of someone who is wedded to their feelings about what they feel is best, and I don't want to. However we should all be open minded and realize that things move on. I'm sure that future 'every day' devices, whatever they are, will grow in capability. look what cars of today can do compared with the past, and before long will be replaced in everyday use by self driving devices.

It's logical. Embrace that.