In this photo:
My first camera: Sony SLT-A57 (purchased in 2012)
My current phone: Google Pixel 4a (complete with smudges on the screen!)
My first camera: Sony SLT-A57 (purchased in 2012)
My current phone: Google Pixel 4a (complete with smudges on the screen!)
When and how is a DSLR/MIRRORLESS camera better?
Just the other day someone asked this question. Why should they buy a full frame camera with additional lens when the cameras on our phones are progressing at a rapid pace?
First off, this is a great question! And here is our answer: Go with your needs and your budget!
Not everyone needs or wants a dedicated camera but sometimes they feel pressured to buy one. Our goal with this post is to alleviate some of that pressure. No one should feel pressured one way or another. By understanding your needs and your budget, you can better make that decision.
So what's the main difference? Are phones and professional cameras comparable? Why should someone buy a camera instead of just using the one on their phone - especially when these phone manufacturers are constantly upgrading the quality of camera they include.
Here are our main reasons: Full control over the image which includes a diversity of lens options and off-camera lighting. You cannot do that with your phone's camera. What does this mean exactly?
Full Control Over the Image
From a professional perspective, there is just no comparison. When we're shooting weddings all across Central Florida, we need be able to adjust things on the fly. There isn't time to be messing around with touch screen controls. Having a dedicated dial for shutter, one for aperture, one for ISO, and dedicated buttons for different drive modes, white balance adjustments, focus hold, and focus modes means we can make all the adjustments we need to in seconds without navigating multiple menus.
Also not to mention the ability to mount a transmitter or a speed light on our cameras and the ability to swap out lens to better fit the situation/our artistic goals.
Most of settings listed above are not even available on phones. Many of them have basic brightness settings. Even more impressive is that many modern phones are being built with multiple lens - we love it! But everything else? Forget it. Need to change out a lens for something more specific, sorry! And don't get me started on sensor size. Phone camera sensors are really really small compared full frame sensor (even crop frame sensors are big compared to phone sensors). This is important when taking photos with the intent to print out some copies - like what many clients expect when hiring a professional photographer.
Here's an analogy we like using.
Also not to mention the ability to mount a transmitter or a speed light on our cameras and the ability to swap out lens to better fit the situation/our artistic goals.
Most of settings listed above are not even available on phones. Many of them have basic brightness settings. Even more impressive is that many modern phones are being built with multiple lens - we love it! But everything else? Forget it. Need to change out a lens for something more specific, sorry! And don't get me started on sensor size. Phone camera sensors are really really small compared full frame sensor (even crop frame sensors are big compared to phone sensors). This is important when taking photos with the intent to print out some copies - like what many clients expect when hiring a professional photographer.
Here's an analogy we like using.
Phone = coloring book
Camera and lenses = blank canvas and brushes/pens/pencils
Camera and lenses = blank canvas and brushes/pens/pencils
With all that said, sometimes we don't want a blank canvas. We might just need or want something quick and easy. We want to be artsy and creative, but do not want to create something from scratch. We just want to color in-between the lines. So we'd want a coloring book. And don't get us wrong, pages from a coloring book can still turn out really cool and nice! There is still plenty of room for creativity - so we're not trying to say anything negative about coloring books - just that it's not the same as creating something from scratch.
Likewise, from a casual perspective where we're not concerned about editing a photo, or flashes, or manual control, or developing prints, and we just want to snap a cool photo when we're out with my family or friends, then these phones are getting the job done really well. It's also worth noting that when you take a photo on your phone, there is a lot of processing that your phone does to make that photo look good. Color correction, digital background blur, artificial lighting on face, feature softening, and/or local contrast boosting. This is the "coloring book" aspect of phone cameras. Those are all adjustments that you would have to make in-camera or post-camera if you were taking photos with one of our mirrorless cameras.
But when a client hires a photographer to shoot a portrait session or a wedding, they are paying for their time style, and artistic vision which means they need their tools. They need their blank canvas and their brushes/pens/pencils.
Likewise, from a casual perspective where we're not concerned about editing a photo, or flashes, or manual control, or developing prints, and we just want to snap a cool photo when we're out with my family or friends, then these phones are getting the job done really well. It's also worth noting that when you take a photo on your phone, there is a lot of processing that your phone does to make that photo look good. Color correction, digital background blur, artificial lighting on face, feature softening, and/or local contrast boosting. This is the "coloring book" aspect of phone cameras. Those are all adjustments that you would have to make in-camera or post-camera if you were taking photos with one of our mirrorless cameras.
But when a client hires a photographer to shoot a portrait session or a wedding, they are paying for their time style, and artistic vision which means they need their tools. They need their blank canvas and their brushes/pens/pencils.
What about megapixels!?
What about phones that have over 48 megapixels (gasp!). Surely that will beat out a $1700 mirrorless camera that only has 25 megapixels? Right? Yes and no. Assuming someone doesn't care for the creative control a dedicated camera with give you, they will most likely be fixated on megapixels. It's a MASSIVE marketing tool used to get consumers to buy phone A instead of phone B. While megapixels is definitely a variable to consider, you cannot compare a phone camera sensor to a full frame sensor (or even a crop sensor) found on cameras.
Without getting really technical, it all comes down to the size of each individual pixel. The more pixels found in a picture, the greater detail that will be captured and the picture the photo will be. This is where resolution comes into play. The pixels on a full frame camera sensor are going to be larger which will allow for more light to be captured. This helps play a role in image sharpness, clarity, and low light performance and often this is a more desirable trade off. For an excellent article that goes into this further, check out The Smart Phone Photographer's post on this subject.
So back to the question - Why should you buy a separate camera? Do you even need to?
Again go with your needs and wants and budget. If you don't need or don't want or don't care for all the features, then I'd say you're okay with a camera on your phone. But if you do care about all the other details and if you want a blank canvas, you might really benefit from looking at buying a designated camera. But just like buying art supplies and a blank canvas, you're gonna want to take time to practice! And also just like buying art supplies, there are plenty of colors, paints, and brushes sold at various price points and beginners are often not going to appreciate the difference between a professional grade art brush set and an entry level art brush set.
So figure out where you stand. What are your needs and your wants? What is your budget? I promise there is something for you at every level and we are not going to push you one way or another. If you decide you want to get a camera, know that there are a wide variety of options. You can also check out our article about what camera to buy!
Hope this helps out - feel free to reach out if you wanna continue the conversation or have any other additional questions!
Hope this helps out - feel free to reach out if you wanna continue the conversation or have any other additional questions!