Preference Between Cast Members Using Your iPhone or DSLR's for Photos?

[theluckyrabbit]

I'll be the odd person out and say that we've usually had pretty good luck with our iPhones. Most PP CMs know how to use them (usually better than we do!) and some CMs even get quite creative with the shots. We always hand the PP CM our phones, just to see which photos turn out better and to have a back up in case the PP photos get lost (this way we have a time signature, exact location, exact description, etc.). However, for the current AP Days, PP wins hands down. The lighting in the Starcade is so harsh (bizarre shadows everywhere!), that the iPhone photos can't even compete with the PP shots.

 

[HuskyGal]

We did both iPhone and photopass. I didn't buy the photopass until the last day and wished we had taken advantage of the photographers more! Their photos are far superior to anything I could take with my iPhone or dslr. I wouldn't bother bringing my nice dslr for fear of it being ruined or stolen. I should say that I barely can on operate my dslr. I essentially use it as a point and shoot. I realized after I saw the photos that $79 for professional photos is a steal. Also, the photopass put together a video montage of my DD's moana meet and greet in moana theme. It's prettty cool.

 

[mom2rtk]

We did both iPhone and photopass. I didn't buy the photopass until the last day and wished we had taken advantage of the photographers more! Their photos are far superior to anything I could take with my iPhone or dslr. I wouldn't bother bringing my nice dslr for fear of it being ruined or stolen. I should say that I barely can on operate my dslr. I essentially use it as a point and shoot. I realized after I saw the photos that $79 for professional photos is a steal.

I certainly understand someone wanting to leave their DSLR at home and not mess with it in the parks.

But maybe the reason the Photopass shots are far superior to what you get with your own DSLR is because you say you can barely operate it? If you take some time to get to know your camera, you should get shots at least as good as what Photopass takes.

 

[SMD]

Something to keep in mind is that you can purchase the PP+ one day OR one week AFTER your trip. So you can take a look at all the pictures on your computer and decide if it is worth the $$.

You can also link PP cards to the app and check your photos at the photo supply stores in the parks and redo any photo ops if you're not happy with how they came out.

 

[HuskyGal]

I certainly understand someone wanting to leave their DSLR at home and not mess with it in the parks.

But maybe the reason the Photopass shots are far superior to what you get with your own DSLR is because you say you can barely operate it? If you take some time to get to know your camera, you should get shots at least as good as what Photopass takes.

Yes, of course that would help. Thank you for eloquently pointing that out. I included that for the op or lurkers wondering the same thing to understood that that is my baseline; therefore, that is why my opinion is what it is. The photopass photographers are pros and our photos reflected it. Again, I am no photography expert, but their cameras looked better than my DSLR anyway. Most of the time, they'd be clicking away as we were walking in to a meet and greet so those would be photos I'd miss out on even if I were adept at using my own camera. Before I went to Disneyland, I kept thinking, should I save the money and pass on the photopass??? Well, The photopass turned out to be worth the money for us.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, of course that would help. Thank you for eloquently pointing that out. I included that for the op or lurkers wondering the same thing to understood that that is my baseline; therefore, that is why my opinion is what it is. The photopass photographers are pros and our photos reflected it. Again, I am no photography expert, but their cameras looked better than my DSLR anyway. Most of the time, they'd be clicking away as we were walking in to a meet and greet so those would be photos I'd miss out on even if I were adept at using my own camera. Before I went to Disneyland, I kept thinking, should I save the money and pass on the photopass??? Well, The photopass turned out to be worth the money for us.

Except that most of the Photopass CM's really aren't photography pros (in any way other than they are getting paid for taking photos). They are mostly handed a camera with the settings already established and told where to stand. In truth, many of them are indeed just pointing and shooting.

But yes, the week long Photopass is still a great deal.

 

[HuskyGal]

Except that most of the Photopass CM's really aren't photography pros (in any way other than they are getting paid for taking photos). They are mostly handed a camera with the settings already established and told where to stand. In truth, many of them are indeed just pointing and shooting.

But yes, the week long Photopass is still a great deal.

Thanks for that clarification. That makes sense since pps mentioned a good percentage of their photos were blurry. We did have one photo turn out blurry. Our experience with photopass was great. We also used our iPhones with a CM taking the photos and ourselves.

 

[JVivlemore]

ah ha. I assumed they weren't actual photographers. Good to know I was correct in that thinking.

I think I'm going to leave my DSLR at home and use the iphone/PP+ combination or the DSLR/PP+ combination. I'm sure I'll decide which for sure by the time we leave at 5am tomorrow

Thanks for all the replies and feedback!

 

[sharona]

ah ha. I assumed they weren't actual photographers. Good to know I was correct in that thinking.

I think I'm going to leave my DSLR at home and use the iphone/PP+ combination or the DSLR/PP+ combination. I'm sure I'll decide which for sure by the time we leave at 5am tomorrow

Thanks for all the replies and feedback!

PP is nice to have to document your trip but in the end they all look about the same to me. Posed photos with everyone smiling at the camera. Too cookie cutter to be interesting, IMO. We used it for a WDW trip at Christmas and it was worth the money to be in the photos and to get the ride photos but for me, the truly memorable photos of a trip are about the little moments that you capture with just your family. My mom and my daughter sitting eating ice cream together on a bench with the castle in the background, my daughter laughing at herself in the mirror while trying on Goofy hats in one of the shops, Daisy flirting with my nephew at a character meal... PP won't be there for any of that. So it comes down to iPhone vs. DSLR for the money shots. For me it's DSLR all the way. After all, what's the point of having it if you don't bring it with you for those special times. It's a personal choice but just be sure you'll use those iPhone photos if that's what you decide. Will you print and hang them if you get a keeper or are you just taking them for social media sharing? If the latter then yes, don't bother with the dslr as the iPhone will be just fine for that.

 

[mom2rtk]

PP is nice to have to document your trip but in the end they all look about the same to me. Posed photos with everyone smiling at the camera. Too cookie cutter to be interesting, IMO. We used it for a WDW trip at Christmas and it was worth the money to be in the photos and to get the ride photos but for me, the truly memorable photos of a trip are about the little moments that you capture with just your family. My mom and my daughter sitting eating ice cream together on a bench with the castle in the background, my daughter laughing at herself in the mirror while trying on Goofy hats in one of the shops, Daisy flirting with my nephew at a character meal... PP won't be there for any of that. So it comes down to iPhone vs. DSLR for the money shots. For me it's DSLR all the way. After all, what's the point of having it if you don't bring it with you for those special times. It's a personal choice but just be sure you'll use those iPhone photos if that's what you decide. Will you print and hang them if you get a keeper or are you just taking them for social media sharing? If the latter then yes, don't bother with the dslr as the iPhone will be just fine for that.

Great point about the character meals. Photopass is only there for the posed photo out front. And the lighting can be really awful in those venues. I've seen a lot of bad photos taken on cell phones at character meals.

 

[Winnowill]

There are SOME real photogs taking PP+ pix. Most of them are, indeed, pointing and shooting. But, every once in a while, you'll encounter one who really knows how to use his camera. We got one over by the teacups last year who had the teacups really whirling behind us. We were perfectly in focus. I'm an indifferent photographer at best, and have never owned anything more complicated than a point-and-shoot, myself, so stuff like that is pretty cool to me.

 

[SMD]

You can print decent photos from an phone. At 4x6 or 5x7, most often you won't be able to tell the difference. For me, I've come to a place where I like to experience things as they're happening, and not be focused on the camera. Eating ice cream on the bench is making a memory, a quick pic or 2 with an iPhone or small camera is a good reminder, but don't just experience the whole thing looking through an eyepiece. Photography is a hobby, so I still take my DSLR, but I couldn't do the parks with it every day or always around my neck. Some things you just have to live in the moment.