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You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

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Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#11

Post by geon »

jbeda wrote: post #6

I don't agree with this. While you might not need a DSLR, you can easily do better than the camera in your phone. I recently completed a family trip and left my Canon 5D mark III at home. Instead I took the pocketable Sony RX100. It created some beautiful images and didn't get in the way on the family trip. It also did worlds better than the camera built in to my or my wife's phone. Here is an image direct from the c…

I'm sorry, but that picture is pretty much what I would expect from a phone. It might just be that I'm not a photographer and don't know what to look for, but so are most people...

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#13

Post by jbeda »

geon wrote: post #11
jbeda wrote: post #6

I don't agree with this. While you might not need a DSLR, you can easily do better than the camera in your phone. I recently completed a family trip and left my Canon 5D mark III at home. Instead I took the pocketable Sony RX100. It created some beautiful images and didn't get in the way on the family trip. It also did worlds better than the camera built in to my or my wife's phone. Here is an image direct from the c…

I'm sorry, but that picture is pretty much what I would expect from a phone. It might just be that I'm not a photographer and don't know what to look for, but so are most people...

These days it is all about dynamic range. A dynamically lit scene is much more challenging. Similar photos from phones at the same location looked much too contrasty.

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#14

Post by qwertz123 »

While these are "nice" pictures, it's still obvious that these are taken with a crappy camera and that a good DSLR, combined with someone who know how to use it, could create significantly better results.

Of course I love the fact that today I always have my phone with me for snapshots that I would have missed otherwise but my phone is no replacement for my better cameras (a sony rx1 and my canon 5d that I both enjoy a lot) and it won't be for the foreseeable future.

Go ahead and take your wedding pictures with your iphone and let me know what you think of that decision 10 years from now.

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#15

Post by liotier »

marban wrote: post #12

At that size or low ISO, almost every picture looks OK. I assume the OP never stretched the capabilities of a real camera.

All of those picture beg for some basic color balance... But that is usually a post-processing move.

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#16

Post by _pferreir_ »

> Why burden yourself with such a bulky device, not to mention the cost of it, when your good old phone can take just as good photos.

This is false. Any DSLR can do better than the author's examples. These are not "nice photos", I am sorry. I would be hypocritical if I said otherwise.

OK, I get it, you can take pretty nice shots with your phone, but you cannot compare it to what a DSLR can provide. Not to mention that DSLRs let you tune several parameters that can make all the difference.

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#18

Post by aaronbrethorst »

jbeda wrote: post #6

I don't agree with this. While you might not need a DSLR, you can easily do better than the camera in your phone. I recently completed a family trip and left my Canon 5D mark III at home. Instead I took the pocketable Sony RX100. It created some beautiful images and didn't get in the way on the family trip. It also did worlds better than the camera built in to my or my wife's phone. Here is an image direct from the c…

Nice photo, but maybe a touch underexposed. I love the tones on the rock throughout.

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#19

Post by pduan »

The problem is, the example pictures aren't that great.

The first one lacks details in the darker areas, something a high ISO, fast lens DSLR setup would have no problem with. The second one is a standard macro shot but with a DSLR and a good lens, you'd get way more of a bokeh effect then what's seen. The third is crooked, probably a result of holding the phone arms length away. The fourth is really dark, because controlling exposure on a phone isn't that flexible.

The tips you give are the basics for any beginner photographer. I agree, people should not be walking around with DSLRs on auto setting; it's a complete waste.

But for those who do know a bit more about photography, a DSLR is magnitudes more flexible and efficient than a phone. Putting it on priority, adjusting ISO, f-stop, shutter speed, white balance, all of those things I use constantly with my DSLR.

Taking "nice" photos can be done with just about any camera nowadays. The really great, breathtaking shots are almost always taken with DSLRs (or medium format and larger).

Re: You do not need a DSLR to take nice looking photos, your phone will suffice

#20

Post by sitharus »

iharris wrote: post #3

I would say that a DSLR is useful for taking nice-looking photos in more challenging situations than a phone can (places with poor lighting, fast movement, or where depth-of-field or magnification are important). It's depressing that a lot of amateurs use a $700 DSLR on AUTO to take pictures of their lunch though.

A DSLR on auto is a sad thing to behold.

I'm an amateur photographer. My DSLR is almost 7 years old now and my iPhone can keep up with it as a point-and-shoot, but nothing on the iPhone can compare to setting up the shot properly. Switching lenses for the situation is also really handy.

The dynamic range in the photos is much better from the DSLR as well.

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