Camera Question iPhone or bring DSLR

[mcgrawfan]

Hello all! I am asking this here since I have a nice camera but really dont use it to all of it's ability!
How many people just take their iPhone and leave the other cameras back. I like the idea of freedom from lugging my DSLR through the parks. I usually wear it crossbody style so no camera bag.
I want to still be happy with my pictures though. Looking for thoughts, opinions and experience!

 

[Robo]

Have a great trip!

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

I love admiring other people's beautiful DSLR photos. There are some really talented photographers on these boards.

For me, an iPhone is sufficient. I just don't want to be bothered.

 

[mom2rtk]

You bought the camera to take photos of visually appealing things, right?

Take it.

Nobody says it has to go to the parks every single day.

 

[ellie05]

If you are actually into photography take your camera, but from your post it doesn't sound like it. I just take my iPhone and only take the camera when I want specific pictures which it is not very often.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I have three very nice cameras and don't use any of them. The phone is so much more convenient and for me, the quality of the picture is suffucient.

 

[amytong]

I have a wonderful Canon DSLR. I took it to the park one day and found it a pain to lug around. Since then, it has just been iPhone for me. I still get great photos and I am much happier. For me, it is more about the fun and experience than working to get masterpiece photos.

 

[Hikergirl]

I use my DSLR when I want photos that are more artistic than the run of the mill vacation photos. I use my phone for those.

 

[mcgrawfan]

You bought the camera to take photos of visually appealing things, right?

Take it.

Nobody says it has to go to the parks every single day.

I plan to still take it on the trip.. I have had it for years so it is nothing new that I bought for more recent travel.

I have a wonderful Canon DSLR. I took it to the park one day and found it a pain to lug around. Since then, it has just been iPhone for me. I still get great photos and I am much happier. For me, it is more about the fun and experience than working to get masterpiece photos.

Thank you! I appreciate your opinion from someone that also uses the same camera!

 

[mom2rtk]

I plan to still take it on the trip.. I have had it for years so it is nothing new that I bought for more recent travel.


Thank you! I appreciate your opinion from someone that also uses the same camera!

FTR, I lug around a Canon 6D with a 2.8 zoom at the parks and couldn't imagine being without it.

Everyone feels differently though. Glad you got the answer you were looking for.

 

[gatorlisa]

I love photography and I have taken my Canon SLR to the parks once and only once. When I went at Christmas time a few years ago, I took it to get some good quality pictures of the Christmas decorations, particularly the castle at night and the Osborne lights. It's just so much easier to get quality nighttime shots with a camera that you can put into manual and control everything. Many of my trips are more photography oriented where I will not leave the car/hotel without my camera gear (national parks especially). But, for the most part, Disney is not a photography oriented vacation for me and I would much rather pack light and enjoy the rides, shows, and environment than lug camera gear around. I do, however, always have a decent point and shoot camera with me at Disney. Cameras on phones have come a long way, but it's still hard to beat the quality that comes out of a device purpose built for taking photos. I'm happy with the pictures I get, and have even gotten good results with the photos taken by cast members who have used it (I hand them my point and shoot when we do character meetings).

 

[aleksandr]

I've taken my large, bulky Canon for years. I've loved having an amazing zoom ability to focus on distant things. I mostly take pictures of scenery along with photos whenever my son met a character.

After a number of years of this, I've realized that I have an abundance of photos of scenery, and my Samsung S6 phone camera was more than sufficient to take nice photos of my son meeting characters.

Not bringing my camera last year was absolutely refreshing! I'm usually the pack mule of the family, so lugging the camera around was a pain. It was very liberating not to have it. I've similarly crossed the camera off this year's packing list too.

 

[HooksFanGirl]

My first visit, I brought it with, but it was a hassle dragging it around. Next trip, it never left my room. I am visiting this August, and do not plan to even pack it. I did pick up an inexpensive digital camera before my last trip that worked decent, and was much easier for us to bring with us to the parks without the bulk.

 

[John Marecek]

iPhone picture quality is so good, we left our big one home. Went with Memory Maker package and iPhone and came home very happy with what we have. If you ware a photo artist, bring it, if you want to record the memories of your vacation, your phone will do the job just fine. Recommend clearing out everything you don't need for the trip so you maximize your storage. Recommend bringing a laptop to dump daily or having a cloud to store them in.

 

[set1208]

I've got a couple nice cameras but I love the freedom of going bagless with just my phone. When I get home, I make photo books with Simple Prints from my iPhone pics and they're great.

My vote is to try one trip with just your phone. It's very liberating!

 

[Princess Minnie321]

I also have a canon dslr and I do not know how to use it to it's ability either. I bought it because of it's quick shutter rate when taking pictures of my kids and the pictures I get are amazing compared to my old point and shoot camera. I love this camera!

I brought the dslr to a local amusement park two years ago and it was bulky and a pain to carry. I was worried about banging it when going on rides. Last year I used my iPhone at the same park and got some great pics. I am leaving the dslr at home and just using my iPhone at Disney. I have two small kids so I figure the less I have to carry, the better.

 

[GabBeFit]

I'd take it... Bring a backpack so you don't have to always Have it out. Snap the casual type pics with your iPhone and take some more planned pics with your dslr.

 

[fairy oma]

I'd take it... Bring a backpack so you don't have to always Have it out. Snap the casual type pics with your iPhone and take some more planned pics with your dslr.

I took my Nikon DLSR and just put it in my backpack when I was tired of wearing it in the parks or on rides. I have to admit the last 2 days of our 7 days trip I left my DLSR in the safe in the room and just used my phone and I do have to admit I got some great shots with it; but I still love a lot of the shots I got with my DLSR.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think it ultimately comes down to what sort of photography you want to do. If you're just taking a handful of outdoor shots in good light, you'll be fine with your phone. If you do a lot of low light (I do) or long zoom shots, the DSLR will serve you better.

 

[quagmire0]

You didn't mention who you're travelling with. I was having the same internal discussion of phone vs. camera. But we've got 4 kids I'm thinking we're just going to stick with phones. To me, the camera is going to get in the way. So, unless you're not dealing with small children or you're a 'causal' park visitor, I'd go with the phone. Taking nice photos would be great, but not if you're in charge of youngin's or the type of person who goes from ride to ride.