Do any of you go out with your phone only to do photography ?

Messages
3,616
Edit My Images
Yes
I haven't at this point gone this far yet but have started to use my phone much more,It's always with me didn't cost a lot and is easy to charge on the move, it will auto upload the photos without any input from me , do multiple formats including square that I like at the moment, I've used apps for time lapse, long exposure various retro camera apps, lomo apps ( I'm beginning to understand this lomo thing but don't like the costs of film !) do black and white ( it needs tweaking in post) I can get away with taking photos in more places as no one seems to notice or care, use it as a dash cam/cycle cam can use it as a phone and even play space invaders if I wished to plus more. that said like many of my other cameras film and digital it does have it limitations the main one being lack of zoom. It all seems a win win !
 
In a word, no. If I'm heading out with the intention of taking a photo (as opposed to there being the chance of a snap shot) I take a camera.
 
In a word, no. If I'm heading out with the intention of taking a photo (as opposed to there being the chance of a snap shot) I take a camera.

I agree with Not Ethel.

:p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
I tried taking it on hikes - just the phone for GPS and camera but I didn't get on with it. I'd be a lot more willing to use my phone camera if the lens wasn't so wide. I've done a few 7x5 prints with it though and been quite pleased (it's not even an expensive model compared to some). I would love a phone with a 50mm lens.
 
Last edited:
Thats exactly my problem Forkbeard, some times the wide angle works well if you are forced close to a subject but for a lot of things it's just too wide. Realspeed your lack of phone comment has made me think of another down fall of using the phone camera I can't turn it off and pretend I've got no signal to avoid Mrs Badger !!
 
Last edited:
If I leave my house with the intention of Photography, I always take my DSLR. Having said that, I almost always take a photo with my phone as well. I don't edit or use any of these photos because they're snapshots. For example, if I head out to a park for some macro photography, I'l use my DSLR to take macro shots but I sometimes take a phone shot of the park. I perceive the photos to be like a photographic diary. As an example, if you're out and about, if something catches your eye, your more likely to get your phone out and quickly snap a shot.

Phone cameras have remarkably improved over the years so much so, at times I leave my compact camera at home. I learnt manual controls on my Lumia 1020 and phones are excellent learning tools but I personally maintain, if you wish to get into Photography, get a dedicated camera.
 
Thats exactly my problem Forkbeard, some times the wide angle works well if you are forced close to a subject but for a lot of things it's just too wide. Realspeed your lack of phone comment has made me think of another down fall of using the phone camera I can't turn it off and pretend I've got no signal to avoid Mrs Badger !!

That's what Wife Mode is for. Oops, I mean er, Flight Mode :D

I don't know if there are any technological reasons why wide angles are easier on phones, or whether it's just a catch-all decision so users 'can get it all in', but i wish they would rethink it somewhat. I think there are a couple with different lenses attached now but I'm not sure what models or what options.
 
Last edited:
Did a week on the Isle of Harris with only my phone (after 2 days shooting large format and then realising I'd not packed anything to change or store exposed film). I enjoyed the massive limitation of just using a camera on my phone. Got a few shots I was really happy with. Still, I'll be taking my new DSLR next time. :nikon:
 
Yes if it is a scouting trip, saves carrying all the gear unneccessarily. The phone is good enough to help plan what I want to get and then I can use other things (TPE etc) to go back with the camera when the light is likely to be more like I want.
 
We'll, not by itself, but we use them on shoots in the forest. 2 people (plus local guides etc). 3 cameras (Sony AR2/3, Sony AS2) plus a Google Pixel XL phone. The phone is used for some video which is hard to get with larger gear and some stills where there isn't time or space for anything better. It is a balance of time vs quality. The phone does 4k video and works remarkable well in low light.
 
Not so far but I recently upgraded my phone and the camera is good enough that I have left the other cameras at home on outings where previously I would have taken one. There are a lot of people doing good serious photography on phone cameras so I am tempted to give it a try
 
God no!

Crap in low light, fixed lens that doesnt fit most subjects, no control of DoF

You can always fix everything in PP... :p:p:p
 
God no!

Crap in low light, fixed lens that doesnt fit most subjects, no control of DoF

The new flagship Huawei and Honor models have some form of aperture control so there would be some control over DoF.

Bokeh fans will also be glad to hear that the Honor 10 camera features a dedicated Wide Aperture mode where you can change the aperture level using a slider.

You can also get the phone to do the work for you via the Portrait mode. This works with both the rear shooter and the front-facing selfie camera which clocks in at a whopping 24MP.

https://www.androidauthority.com/honor-10-review-865194/
 
Same as most have posted.... If I go out with the intention of taking photos then I take my camera. But having said that, lately I have been weighing up the pros and cons of having a better smart phone camera because of the old saying "The best camera is the one you have with you". I saw an advert for the Huawei P20 Pro recently which made me think about doing so but after reading several reviews and seeing sample shots I think I've decided against it because if I'm going to the effort of going somewhere specifically then I want the best image quality that I have at my disposal and as things stand, that would still be my DSLR, albeit an old one (Canon 5D).
 
It’s fudging in software, good enough for Instagram but not up to scratch for photographers surely.
It depends. If the circumstances make it difficult to use a better camera, then the phone is good. Sometimes it is better to get a good angle with a phone, than to get a bad angle (or no angle at all) with a better camera.
 
Thats exactly my problem Forkbeard, some times the wide angle works well if you are forced close to a subject but for a lot of things it's just too wide. Realspeed your lack of phone comment has made me think of another down fall of using the phone camera I can't turn it off and pretend I've got no signal to avoid Mrs Badger !!
Just put it in airplane mode, she’ll never know.
 
Blimey!

This has become the new Nikon / Canon bunfight, with people picking half facts to score points and even ignoring the actual question posed just to score points.

@Bollygum the question was ‘Do you go out with your phone only to do photography’

@Dave1 the posted article confirms what I said in its opening paragraph.

It’s simple physics guys. Yes you can take photos on your phone, and they’re ok too whilst you’re working within their physical limitations (or even taking advantage of their physical size)... but they’re not now, nor will they be in the near future, a replacement for a camera with a large sensor and choice of focal length.

Simple Physics... that’s all, just actual physics.
 
If I'm going out to take photos I take a camera. I don't always use a 'proper' camera to take photos.

In fact I rarely go out just to take photos - I'd barely even call photography a hobby - I like to travel and to go to interesting places and capture memories, and I quite like documenting the seasons on the allotment.
 
A while back one of those Facebook things shared by a Friend asked everyone to post their 7th photo on their camera whatever it is

When I looked at my phone of 2 years I hadn't taken 7 photos yet, and the only ones I had taken where of addresses/phone numbers I'd seen when out and had no pen/paper to write a note instead

Kinda sums up my interest in phone cameras

Dave
 
I take lots of photo's with just the phone camera because it's always with me, but if I'm heading out specifically for photography, I'll bring my main kit.

The quality of the iPhone pics (as I'm sure is true of others) is great, but you do lack the same control - that said, with the software fudges built in now (Portrait mode on iPhone X in my case) you can get a great image for a quick facebook post, just don't look too closely when back at home!

Three use cases for me:
  • Heading our with the intent of photography as primary purpose of trip - Take main kit
  • Heading out to something interesting - walk, park, theme park etc - depends on how intrusive / likelihood of opportunities - may take camera or just phone accordingly.
  • Heading to work / shopping etc - just take phone.
In the middle case many times I've missed the camera having opted for phone, and many times I've wished I'd left the camera at home because of the bulk / inconvenience but hey, that's life and learning :)
 
Blimey!

This has become the new Nikon / Canon bunfight, with people picking half facts to score points and even ignoring the actual question posed just to score points.

@Bollygum the question was ‘Do you go out with your phone only to do photography’

@Dave1 the posted article confirms what I said in its opening paragraph.

It’s simple physics guys. Yes you can take photos on your phone, and they’re ok too whilst you’re working within their physical limitations (or even taking advantage of their physical size)... but they’re not now, nor will they be in the near future, a replacement for a camera with a large sensor and choice of focal length.

Simple Physics... that’s all, just actual physics.
:) . What's physics got to do with a question of opinion? If everyone stuck to the exact question, threads would be much shorter and perhapspless interesting. Yes or no can be a bit boring.
Anyway I know a few people who use mobile phones only, but it's mostly video.
What's Nikon/Canon got to do with it, or point scoring?
I have gone out with only a phone when it is seriously raining, as the phone is waterproof, and in my experience, big lenses do get wet and become unusable for a while. By the way I am in the wettest place on earth currently and it is the wet season. (Is this point scoring and how many points do i score?).
 
I bet I'm usually in a wetter place when we're on holiday - I spend as much time as possible snorkelling!
 
Put the phone in airplane mode, I never thought of that ! This just shows my lack of photographic experience compared to you lot ! Have you any other tips for avoiding MrsBadger when I'm supposed to be doing something else ?
 
Blimey!

This has become the new Nikon / Canon bunfight, with people picking half facts to score points and even ignoring the actual question posed just to score points.

@Bollygum the question was ‘Do you go out with your phone only to do photography’

@Dave1 the posted article confirms what I said in its opening paragraph.

It’s simple physics guys. Yes you can take photos on your phone, and they’re ok too whilst you’re working within their physical limitations (or even taking advantage of their physical size)... but they’re not now, nor will they be in the near future, a replacement for a camera with a large sensor and choice of focal length.

Simple Physics... that’s all, just actual physics.

Physics has nothing to do with this question. They're not a replacement for a large sensor camera anymore than a disposable 35mm camera is a replacement for a Nikon F6. They're an alternative, a perfectly adequate alternative if you work within the limitations, and I'm quite willing to bet that plenty of money has been made from photographs shot on mobile phone. Not only that, you can make very acceptable photographs with mobile phone cameras, again within the limitations of the capabilities. But then that's always been the case with all cameras, that they all have limitations for certain kinds of photography. I'd no more use my phone to do astrophotography as I'd use my large format camera as a spy camera. But I'd happily shoot (some) landscapes with my phone camera, happily do street photography, happily shoot urban landscapes with it and I'll get great results from it too.

No one has suggested or even brought up the subject that a camera on a mobile phone is or ever will be a replacement for a large sensor camera. The question was, as you reiterated, ‘Do you go out with your phone only to do photography’ not will 'camera phones ever replace large sensor cameras' and no one is answering that question either.
 
Physics has nothing to do with this question. They're not a replacement for a large sensor camera anymore than a disposable 35mm camera is a replacement for a Nikon F6. They're an alternative, a perfectly adequate alternative if you work within the limitations, and I'm quite willing to bet that plenty of money has been made from photographs shot on mobile phone. Not only that, you can make very acceptable photographs with mobile phone cameras, again within the limitations of the capabilities. But then that's always been the case with all cameras, that they all have limitations for certain kinds of photography. I'd no more use my phone to do astrophotography as I'd use my large format camera as a spy camera. But I'd happily shoot (some) landscapes with my phone camera, happily do street photography, happily shoot urban landscapes with it and I'll get great results from it too.

No one has suggested or even brought up the subject that a camera on a mobile phone is or ever will be a replacement for a large sensor camera. The question was, as you reiterated, ‘Do you go out with your phone only to do photography’ not will 'camera phones ever replace large sensor cameras' and no one is answering that question either.
FFS
What did you think I’d posted?

Because this twaddle is neither an answer to me (so why quote me) nor is it anything useful to add to the original question, which btw plenty of people answered ;)
 
FFS
What did you think I’d posted?

Because this twaddle is neither an answer to me (so why quote me) nor is it anything useful to add to the original question, which btw plenty of people answered ;)

I was responding to your bringing up of large sensor cameras, of which no one else mentioned.:rolleyes:
 
Yes, sometimes.
I have the Huawei P20 Pro now, which has a 27mm and 81mm equivalent lenses, so is a little more versatile than some.
Not all the places I go are suitable for carrying around my DSLR.
With regards to the software aperture control on Huawei phones, it's OK, but it is certainly not a replacement for proper control.


Oxburgh Hall by Ben Gray
 
According to Flickr half their images in 2017 were from smartphones so it seems plenty of people do.
http://blog.flickr.net/en/2017/12/07/top-devices-of-2017/

I always have my phone on me but if I'm even half expecting to take a picture I'll take something from my Olympus E-M10 + 14-42mm lens on up to my small collection of zooms and primes.
 
I think it would be an interesting exercise to force yourself to only use a phone camera, but it sort of begs the question as to why you'd deliberately go out to shoot with just a camera phone, when there are so many more capable alternatives.

But then people go out and shoot with wet plate cameras just to prove a point, so...who am I to argue?

In some respects, it would be great to not care about the final image, because I just end up frustrated that it didn't go how I had it in my head, whereas they're happy with a shot created using 'portrait mode' or a hipstamatic filter.
 
Back
Top