Which type of camera will produce better photos?
I’m still on the fence about getting a real camera vs sticking with my iPhone 14 PRO. I won’t speak for anybody else but will share personal thoughts from the research I did. And keep in mind, I’m no expert. I haven’t touched any DSLR’s for years. And even when I did, I was just a noob taking amateur photos & videos with it.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, I felt it was better to stick with my iPhone camera.
- Speed – that saying where “the best is the one you have” really applies here. I always have my phone on me. It’s easy to pull out of my pocket in ANY situation no matter where I am, anytime, anyday.
- Live mode – where you can choose which
- Faster sharing – much easier and faster to share photos online, AirDrop to friends, post on social media, edit on your iPhone app.
- Convenience – fewer things to carry around. Also less expensive having to have another item as well as extra batteries, accessories for it.
- Quality – the iPhone cameras keep getting so much better and better that the image quality is close enough to professional cameras, for 95% of the photos (and zoom ranges) most people take.
- Smarter – mobile phone cameras tend to do a lot of pre-processing that helps the average user. Focus, exposure, colors, etc. I find there’s much less work to do after taking the photo, you really can just post it right away. If you want to edit a specific way, there’s many helpful apps to get it done easily.
What strengths (and implications) do a real camera have?
Pros and cons of using a real camera:
- Wider range – wider photography range of everything. Zoom range, focus range, low-light conditions, and more.
- Equipment – you’ll have to carry more things. Extra batteries, lens, flash, etc. After all…if you’re going the full camera route, you might want to consider actually having all accessories to maximize the strength of a camera. Even if you have just the camera and one lens, and a spare battery…that’s still extra things to carry.
- Interface – a real camera has more options, but that also means more hassle switching around between modes. And depending on the brand, the UI really might not be as quick/intuitive as your mobile phone.
- Image preference – depending on what you need, and how you take photos, the photos may or may not look better. It’s shocking but I find this to be true. You might actually still prefer the photos taken by your phone, even if the camera technically takes objectively-superior photos (at least on paper).
- Videos – again…it really depends.
The real comparison between phone camera and real camera
I think the real comparison comes down to how you take photos.
Most people try to compare the image quality between phone and real camera, but for me…the real comparison is how you take photos with the different devices. It’s a lifestyle and photography mentality more so than the image quality itself that matters most.
- Phone camera – feels more free in its speed and convenience. You can just pick up your phone any time (which is probably already in your hands) and snap any moment that comes across your path. It’s truly made for CAPTURING MOMENTS.
- Real camera – feels more free in is range and flexibility of control. Although it’s extra work, you can plan ahead and configure exactly how you want things to look. Granular control of zoom, lighting, focus. It’s made for CREATING MOMENTS.
So you tell me…do you want to capture moments or create moments? How much do you care to squeeze the utmost quality and spend time in post production?
Are you just randomly having fun somewhere and want to snap some shots of you, friends, or a cool subject? And then quickly share it?
Or did you already have a photo in mind…and for a specific use. Planning the perfect time of day, the lighting, the mood, the setting, the focus, and having the camera flexibility to capture it perfectly?