Smartphone vs. Camera

30.04.2021, 08:11 #1

Administrator

What can smartphones do, and how do we pay for mobility?

What are the shortcomings of smartphones compared to dedicated cameras? And how could these be addressed? Are there any smartphone enthusiasts here with insights?

30.04.2021, 10:29 #2

Nor bert

I wouldn’t call myself an enthusiast, but smartphones definitely have one huge advantage: they’re always with you.
I’m not a nerd who needs the latest smartphone every year—usually I upgrade every 4 to 5 years.
The biggest challenge is lighting. When there isn’t enough light, the photo quality drops significantly. Unfortunately, this is only fully noticeable when viewing the images on a computer screen.
Since switching to the S10 about 1.5 years ago, I’ve made sure my photos can be saved in RAW format. This allows for manual editing, which produces better results than the phone’s built-in processing.
I recommend testing your smartphone camera yourself (ISO, daylight, twilight, night, color, black and white) to find out its limits.
That knowledge can then be used creatively. For example, if a color photo taken at dusk would be too noisy, converting it to black and white can give the image a unique appeal.
In other words, when I’m shooting in poor lighting conditions, I already imagine the shot in black and white before I even press the shutter.
Of course, this mobility comes at a price

As I mentioned earlier, I only upgrade my smartphone when necessary, and I’m not interested in having the newest model. My personal budget limit is around 250 euros.
Overall, I see the smartphone as a creative extension that definitely has its place. But it will never replace my DSLR…

05.05.2021, 17:20 #3

Holger Förster

The key factors influencing image composition are aperture, shutter speed, and focal length (field of view). Some smartphones and apps allow you to adjust these settings—otherwise, you have to do without.
Low light performance was mentioned, and while some phones compensate for this with multiple exposures and software (night mode), it really depends on the device.
Because of the very small sensor, smartphones have a very large depth of field. Some phones try to counter this with distance measurement and software, but again, it depends on the phone.
With an acceptable resolution, the individual pixels on a smartphone sensor are extremely small. This makes them prone to noise and other errors, which software can only partially correct.
The more capabilities the combination of phone, camera(s), and app(s) has, the more expensive and complicated it becomes. If it can do everything, it costs about as much as a DSLR and is just as "cumbersome."

12.05.2021, 12:58 #4

Feli Großhans

Hobbyfotograf

I like using my smartphone for 3D photos. But when it comes to wildlife photography in nature, nothing beats a DSLR with a large telephoto zoom.

12.05.2021, 17:56 #5

Holger Förster

@Feli Großhans I find 3D photos fascinating. What kind of 3D photos do you take? How do you showcase them? Why use a phone for this? Could this be a new topic?

12.05.2021, 18:04 #6

Helmut Wachtarczyk

Smartphotographer

Here's how I put it: With a cellphone—or whatever you want to call that gadget—you can definitely "SNAP" pictures... but anyone who truly "PHOTOGRAPHS" at a high level would never, ever reach for a smartphone... never ever...

12.05.2021, 18:17 #7

Holger Förster

Well, maybe not absolutely.
Quote from Robert Kneschke:
"As a photo producer for stock agencies, I don't usually shoot assignments, but back in 2014, I did a full model shoot using only an iPhone 5s as a test to see if stock agencies would accept the results. The images sold over 1,000 times and brought in nearly four figures in revenue, so I’d say the experiment was a success."
And here are a few more professionals weighing in on the topic:
https://www.profifoto.de/szene/notizen/2020/11/13/smartphones-in-der-profi-fotografie/

13.05.2021, 07:46 #8

Feli Großhans

Hobbyfotograf

@Holger Förster, there’s a "Live Focus" feature that automatically saves multiple layers, separating the main subject from the background to create a very dynamic effect. www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10225011799704334

13.05.2021, 11:44 #9

Holger Förster

Unfortunately, the link doesn’t work for me; I get an error message from Facebook. But I’m familiar with the feature.
The menu you mentioned isn’t available on all phones; I briefly pointed this out in one sentence: “Because of the very small sensor, the depth of field on phones is quite large. Some phones try to compensate for this using distance measurement and software. It depends on the phone.”
When I saw “3D photos” from you, I was thinking of truly three-dimensional or stereoscopic photos: 3D – Wikipedia (hopefully the link works).
Thanks for your response.

23.09.2021, 12:12 #10

Willy Schäfer

I believe, in the end, it’s the result that matters—the photo itself! Of course, both types of devices have their place. I primarily work with a Sony a6000, but I’m also using the Samsung S9 more and more these days.
There’s no definitive answer here!

Best, Willy

18.12.2021, 12:45 #11

Andreas F

Experte

The camera in a mobile phone isn’t fundamentally different from any other camera. It’s just a dark box. Period. The camera in a smartphone simply has different characteristics compared to a full-frame or medium format camera. That doesn’t mean it’s automatically worse.

“However, anyone who photographs at a high level would never reach for a smartphone... never ever... :-)”
So, what would they reach for?

Exactly!
They’d reach for a dark box that offers all the possibilities they need.
And yes, that can very well be a camera inside a smartphone.
The dark box is just the tool.
The craftsman creates the image.
Best regards, Andreas

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Smartphone vs. Camera