Serious = Suspicious, Shooting with Phone vs. Shooting with Camera

> This is so obviously false. The photos definitely don't look identical. If you're carrying a DSLR, it's a darn good bet you believe it'd take better photos than your phone.

gonna push back a little on this one. Today, the best iphones can easily take pictures as good a DSLR, providing conditions are right (good light etc)

The quality of the photo btw, is irrelevant to the camera used.

But what the DLSR has that the iphones etc don't have is the ability to excel at the edges of technical capability. E.g. low light, large telephoto, interchange able lenses, filters, more control over exposure, better autofocus, more control over Dof etc.

It's like a Ferrari and a Pickup. Sure they both do the same thing on the face of it. Take you to the store, go a for a drive, visit friends. But that time you wanna go enjoy some twisty roads? you need the ferrari ? That time you need to haul trash to the tip ? You need the pickup.

And so the DLSR 'beat's iphone in some cases, iphone beats DSLR in some cases, but they both take decent pictures and if there are destined for screen only then it can be hard to even tell the difference.

There's youtube videos of people comparing exactly this, and until you print and blow up your image to 2ft x 3ft you can't see any difference.

> Perhaps we’re witnessing a fundamental change in how photography functions socially. The democratisation of image-making through phones has made everyone comfortable with being both behind and in front of cameras, but only within specific, socially agreed parameters. Step outside those parameters with “serious” equipment, and you’re suddenly operating in a different social reality entirely.

I think this is the part which gets closest to trying to explain any of the "why". To me, the largest portion seems to come down to most everyone having used a phone for personal photos in the last 20 years and very few have ever used a phone for professional photos (partly because most are not professionals, partly because if they were they tend to like "real" cameras). Framed from the perspective of professional cameras, most people stopped using cameras for personal photos unless they happen to be professionals or enthusiasts.

This creates a very strong association with "phone = personal/throwaway photo, camera = formal photo for wide consumption". Naturally, this is not universally always true. One can be using a professional camera for personal photos of their girlfriend and one can take a selfie at starbucks and have a million social media readers see it. While not universally true, I bet even the author would overwhelmingly make the same assumption if asked to bet money on the intent of random photographer setups while walking through town. People are just making the same assumption when they see him at Starbucks with a professional camera.