Iphone v pro camera artical

This was discussed here ages ago!
 
It depends what you want to do with the photos and what they are of imo. I have the iphone 4 not the S but in some situations I think it it much better than a DSLR.
When I went to Mallorca and also to Norway this year I didn't take my 1DmkIV as it's big and in the case of the Mallorca holiday it was a trip I do annually with old school friends so photography was not the main point (and don't worry we go to the nice bits not the resorts lol!)
In neither case was I expecting to do anything other that just keeps the shots for my own remembering and maybe upload a couple to flickr. In all honesty I don't think I too anything I wouldn't have been able to had I had my mkIV. In fact I think due to the compactness of the iphone and the fact I always have it on me meant I took lots more photos than I would have otherwise and these are some of the best photos of the most memorable times we had.

I think there is a place for both a DSLR and an iphone. I don't think comparing them like for like is really a good thing as they are tools to do two different jobs imo.
 
Gaz81 said:
Thought this might be of some interest to folk:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technolog...ofessional-camera#/?picture=382744493&index=0

I'm not picking sides, just thought I would share.
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Some of the 'dslr' pictures seem to be purposefully chosen to look bad, the geese picture in particular is pretty badly underexposed, and it's clear from the text that she set it that way.

Likewise, the sunset on the street picture, I can't imagine her settings were right for the canon to overexpose it that badly, even Auto shouldn't make that much of a mess.

The first image, the underground station entrance, the iPhone version is horrible, but she seems to have deliberately underexposed the canon version too, and it looks maybe 2-3 stops darker than it should IMO. I know she says that it 'looks more accurate', but it's just too dark, and that kinda thing makes people go 'bleh'.

The flower shots aren't really comparable at all, she says the colours are muted, but the focal length isn't the same and the iPhone version has the bright colourful flower filling most of the frame, wheras the canon version the flower is too small in the frame and there's no wonder the colours look muted.

Overall, I'm not entirely sure what the message of the article is, she basically says 'the iPhone isn't perfect', but then butchers the 5D's shots to make the iPhone look better than the 5D? The lack of any conclusion or summation basically makes the article not much more than 'look, here's a bunch of pictures, most of them crap' :shrug:
 
Either this is a very poor attempt at advertising for iphone. Or this pro tog needs her monitor calibrated.

I would say that it looks like a reverse advertising ploy, saying that she prefers the poorer "pro" photos and actually balancing them against superior iphone ones. Psychologically she is actually saying, go ahead, your iphone can do everything a pro camera can, infact you're probably going to do a better job and pro togs are much more interested in getting it looking good.

The fact that it looks balanced in the middle with the information swinging the other way is probably just a ploy to make it look like balanced reporting, remember it's the beginning and the end that people pay attention to.
 
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I agree with some of the others here - the overall impression I got from the article is that the author/photographer doesn't really know how to use a DSLR.

Poor quality, pointless article.
 
Never used an iphone, but my Nokia N8 has a darned good camera on it for snapshots. I've even printed an A3 print off it and it's rather good, not as good as my slr, but better than you'd think. Thing is, I imagine the majority of cameraphone snaps are never viewed on anything other than a screen, and the viewers are not as discerning as the members of TP, so the results are more than good enough.
 
onona said:
I agree with some of the others here - the overall impression I got from the article is that the author/photographer doesn't really know how to use a DSLR.
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But she's a professional? :thinking: Allegedly...

DOF alone is a reason to use a "proper" camera over an iPhone. The pics in the article are comparable to a 5D mk II stuck on f/16 :LOL:

A.
 
This kind of comparison will always get someone's back up but i think some of you are missing the point;

As per the title, she's seeing if Leibowitz's claim of the iPhone being the best 'snapshot' camera is a reality when compared against a more advanced DSLR. It's about instant photography where it's a button press that captures the image not faffing around in menus etc.

I know some will say the 5D isn't a camera that is designed to be used like a compact but that's not the point; photography isn't always about making lots of decisions about aperture, ISO, shutter speed etc.... sometimes it can just be about raising the camera (or phone in this case) and pressing the button, hoping the technology can do that spur-of-the-moment decision justice.

She's not advocating that we ditch our DSLRs, just that in some ways a phone like an iPhone can bring you back to successful snapshot photography because it is quite an intelligent piece of kit that you can put your trust in when.

Some of you need to get off the fanboy wagon and just lighten up....
 
specialman said:
...photography isn't always about making lots of decisions about aperture, ISO, shutter speed etc.... sometimes it can just be about raising the camera (or phone in this case) and pressing the button, hoping the technology can do that spur-of-the-moment decision justice.
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Burn the heretic!:D
 
specialman said:
photography isn't always about making lots of decisions about aperture, ISO, shutter speed etc.... sometimes it can just be about raising the camera (or phone in this case) and pressing the button, hoping the technology can do that spur-of-the-moment decision justice.
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But then why do a comparison against a DSLR? Look, I get what you're saying because I actually use my iPhone camera quite often. But if you don't want to fuss with ISO, shutter speeds, etc, then you wouldn't use a DSLR, in much the same way as if you want to eat a banana, you wouldn't reach for an orange.

A more appropriate comparison would have been between the iPhone and a top of the range point-and-shoot.
 
So reading that an iPhone camera is better than a Canon one... Will stick with my Nikon then ;)

In all seriousness from reading that it sounds as though she's comparing an iPhone to an SLR being used in P based on what she said in the street shot. I guess thats a good comparison for someone who has an iPhone... considering an SLR but no real interest in learning how to use it... which I guess is quite a large number of SLR users.

Obviously for SLR users who have invested time in learning how to use it (which I'd guess covers the bulk of TP users or they wouldn't bother being on here?) it's never going to be a great comparison.

That said the way camera phones have come on in the last few years it will be interesting to see how they end up. Remember how poor the first lot of digital cameras were compared to 35mm and how they have come on now?
 
onona said:
But then why do a comparison against a DSLR? Look, I get what you're saying because I actually use my iPhone camera quite often. But if you don't want to fuss with ISO, shutter speeds, etc, then you wouldn't use a DSLR,...
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Contrary to what some people on TP believe, not everyone who owns a DSLR does so because they want to progress their photography. Some just buy DSLRs because they are the right tool at the right price. Five of my friends have no interest in becoming seasoned pros, but they all own DSLRs ranging from a D40 to a 7D. They have the kit lens, that's it, and they just take photos of their kids and holidays.

onona said:
A more appropriate comparison would have been between the iPhone and a top of the range point-and-shoot.
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Maybe you're right. But the author didn't choose that route so here we are... ;)
 
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neil_1980 said:
..... from reading that it sounds as though she's comparing an iPhone to an SLR being used in P....... I guess thats a good comparison for someone who has an iPhone... considering an SLR but no real interest in learning how to use it... which I guess is quite a large number of SLR users.....
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Bang on. (y)
 
specialman said:
Five of my friends have no interest in becoming seasoned pros, but they all own DSLRs ranging from a D40 to a 7D. They have the kit lens, that's it, and hey just take photos of their kids and holidays.
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Do they want to swap me for an S95?
 
specialman said:
Contrary to TP belief, not everyone who owns a DSLR does so because they want to progress their photography.
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I've no idea why you got the impression that I believed this. I don't. So why bring it up?

Some just buy DSLRs because they are the right tool at the right price. Five of my friends have no interest in becoming seasoned pros, but they all own DSLRs ranging from a D40 to a 7D. They have the kit lens, that's it, and hey just take photos of their kids and holidays.
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I have a couple of friends who have DSLR cameras and don't really know how to use them too, but what's your point? That doesn't somehow make this comparison in the article any less pointless in the grander scheme of things.

An absolutely ridiculous statement.
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Why? Don't tell me I'm talking **** and then not explain why.
 
A snap on a dslr in auto mode may well be similar to the quality of an iPhone picture, but there are absolutely no controls, so how can it even be compared?
 
I don't think specialman was responding to you specifically onona with contrary to popular tp belief, just using your response as an example of tp think. I think that maybe you are taking the response a little personally.

As I read it he's just saying that there's a large (majority?) of DSLR users who are more than happy to run around with the thing set on Auto/P and get some sharp snapshots. In that respect he is saying that this article is trying to show them that a lighter, more efficient iphone might be a better option. I don't want to speak for him and maybe saying an absolutely ridiculous statement is going a little far. But maybe your metaphor (similie)
could have used a little work?
 
It's about knowing the limitations of your camera. Given decent light and a static subject, pretty much any bit of kit is capable of getting a decent pic. As long as you don't want to enlarge it beyond web size, a shot from a cheapo p&s is indistinguishable from one taken on a 1Dx in those conditions. But, if you want to shoot in low light, or control DoF, or shoot sports or wildlife, or get good wide angle, or macro, or... well, anything but a bog-standard snap-shot, you are going to need something better. But cheap kit can produce acceptable results.

This article was illustrated with shots taken on a Fuji A180 that cost €88.
 
Onona - you're taking it far too personally.

I wasn't addressing the 'contrary to TP belief' at you directly, just at the general populous who seem to think that owning a SLR is a badge of honour, meaning you understand exposure etc. DSLRs can be sold to total novices, those with no photographic aspirations other than to take a photograph, and those who want an alternative to a P&S compact. They can be used in a manner akin to a point-and-shoot compact, that is what I am trying to say and I believe that is what the author of said article is trying to get across. You seem to agree also so I don't see an issue....

I thought the comparison between wanting a banana and picking up and orange wasn't ideal, although others may feel the comparison carries weight. I didn't say you were talking a four-letter word though....
 
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POAH said:
iPhone camera is **** end of
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Well, I've just taken a friends shot from his iPhone 4 and put it on a 24" canvas. Really nice beach shots, reflective sky and clouds on wet sand and wife and dog in sillhouette Looks great
 
Thinking about this as week. Hereford photography festival had shots for disabled photographers, including the sight impaired photographer who used his Nokia phone to shoot. He was featured in the Nokia adverts shooting the roller coaster,

Now, whilst the dslr is my preferred choice, I'm thinking it wasn't that long ago than I had a 1.2mb point and shoot, only about 6 years ago I was shooting with a 6mb dslr.
 
Byker28i said:
Well, I've just taken a friends shot from his iPhone 4 and put it on a 24" canvas. Really nice beach shots, reflective sky and clouds on wet sand and wife and dog in sillhouette Looks great
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canvas is a great medium for showing how good a photo is :LOL:
 
Why the undercurrent in here? Discuss sensibly and leave the attitudes at the door
 
POAH said:
canvas is a great medium for showing how good a photo is :LOL:
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The point of a camera, unless you are selling images, is to produce something you like and maybe others like. In Byker's case I'm sure his friend couldn't care less what camera it was taken on.

Another example that springs to mind. When I was cycling in Belgium and the Netherlands this summer I had my M4/3 camera and my iphone. In all honesty only one instance did I miss the DSLR and it was Brugge at night. The reason I didn't miss the DSLR was that what I was shooting could be handled by any camera these days, a DSLR would have been of no benefit whatsoever.

A DSLR has it's place but people need to realise that so do other types of cameras. :naughty:
 
EMA747 said:
It depends what you want to do with the photos and what they are of imo. I have the iphone 4 not the S but in some situations I think it it much better than a DSLR.
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Lets be honest that is just not true. Whilst the iphone may be more convenient it will never be better than an SLR of any description.
 
EOS_JD said:
Lets be honest that is just not true. Whilst the iphone may be more convenient it will never be better than an SLR of any description.
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You want to try lugging a 1DmkIV and lenses around on a bike then! :D

Seriously though, I'm not saying technically it's better, I'm saying that it's better for certain scenarios. Just because we have DSLRs it doesn't mean we have to use them for every photo we take. ;)
 
thats not the point I'm making. I have pictures from my iphone which I like but the quality is rubbish. Because of the type of surface canvas has you can use less that good quality images because of the lack of resolution you get.

I don't sell images but I still want to have good quality shots of my kids which the iphone can't provide.

EMA747 said:
The point of a camera, unless you are selling images, is to produce something you like and maybe others like. In Byker's case I'm sure his friend couldn't care less what camera it was taken on.

Another example that springs to mind. When I was cycling in Belgium and the Netherlands this summer I had my M4/3 camera and my iphone. In all honesty only one instance did I miss the DSLR and it was Brugge at night. The reason I didn't miss the DSLR was that what I was shooting could be handled by any camera these days, a DSLR would have been of no benefit whatsoever.

A DSLR has it's place but people need to realise that so do other types of cameras. :naughty:
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EMA747 said:
You want to try lugging a 1DmkIV and lenses around on a bike then! :D

Seriously though, I'm not saying technically it's better, I'm saying that it's better for certain scenarios. Just because we have DSLRs it doesn't mean we have to use them for every photo we take. ;)
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We're saying the same thing differently.
No matter the scenario the SLR will be better - no question. It may however be more convenient to use an iPhone at times which is a very different matter.
 
POAH said:
I don't sell images but I still want to have good quality shots of my kids which the iphone can't provide.
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Yes it can. How come others can manage to get some very decent iPhone shots and you can't? I think you need to ask yourself that before you go rubbishing its abilities. The iPhone camera IS very capable of producing some very good results irrespective of your inabilty to demonstrate that.
 
Using a phone as a camera, is more for the times when your DSLR isn't at hand or you want to take a sneeky shot without drawing attention to yourself as you would with your DSLR.

Its not just all about the camera, some of it comes down to the person using it ;)
 
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