Question for the photographers about a camera

[BeachMouse1]

So as a part time local I am in the parks often. I take loads of pictures my iPhone 15. I don’t feel they come as good as some of the pictures I see taken with an SLR camera. I keep looking online and sometimes people say the iPhone is as good as many SLR cameras out there but as I said my pictures don’t seem to be as good

I am no professional photographer and don’t plan on being one but I enjoy taking pictures. So looking for opinions on this.

Also for an amateur if I decided to get an SLR camera what would you recommend?

Any insight on this iPhone vs SLR camera debate is much appreciated

 

[Joanna71985]

I have a Nikon d7500, and I love it!

 

[wabbott]

Back several lifetimes ago, I used to tote an SLR for WDW and other vacations. Used Kodak VR 1000 film to shoot the Main Street Electrical Parade, and it was a PITA to set up a tripod @ Main Street Station balcony 1 1/2 hours before the parade. But I got some decent pics.

But nowadays, my Samsung S23 takes as good a pic as I've ever seen, or need. I've framed several and display them on the wall at home. Long-distance photos sometimes have a slight blur that probably would be better with an SLR and an 800 mm lens, or some such.

But the portability, speed and handiness factor of a phone more than make up for the slight improvement in quality that you may get with an SLR.

I shot this with my phone a year ago last April. The color fidelity is accurate. To me, it's suitable for framing.

 

[fla4fun]

So as a part time local I am in the parks often. I take loads of pictures my iPhone 15. I don’t feel they come as good as some of the pictures I see taken with an SLR camera. I keep looking online and sometimes people say the iPhone is as good as many SLR cameras out there but as I said my pictures don’t seem to be as good

I am no professional photographer and don’t plan on being one but I enjoy taking pictures. So looking for opinions on this.

Also for an amateur if I decided to get an SLR camera what would you recommend?

Any insight on this iPhone vs SLR camera debate is much appreciated

It’s less about the equipment and more about the photographer. A good photographer can get excellent photos from a phone. A mediocre photographer will get poor results from the most expensive DSLR.

As with many things, the key is experience. If you want to improve your photos, practice. Learn about composition, lighting, movement, etc.

I have a Canon DSLR, my sister has a Nikon DLSR, and my BIL has an Olympus mirrorless. They are all capable of great photos, but we tend to use them primarily if we are on a once in a lifetime trip, if we want to enlarge the photo substantially, or if the conditions might challenge a phone camera. Probably 90% of the time you will see us taking photos with our phones.

Before investing money in new equipment, learn as much as you can about photography and practice with what you already have. You may find that with a little time and effort, you can get the results you are looking for. Phones have a lot of different settings but most people leave them set on the default. Change it up!

There also the category of point and shoot cameras and bridge/zoom cameras. Some of these can take excellent photos, but personally I feel that phone cameras can produce equal results. I do have a Canon bridge camera, but I use it primarily for video where I will be zooming in and out frequently (such as at an air show) since it zooms much more smoothly than my phone or DSLR for that particular purpose. If I didn’t already have it, I would not be buying one these days.

If you decide you want to get a DSLR, any of the big name brands can work well. You don’t have to buy the most expensive model (although you may not want to buy the cheapest model either). It boils down to which one is the best fit for you ergonomically. They will all have the same basic buttons but they will be in different areas, and there can be differences in size and weight. Some may feel better for a left handed person, and others for a right handed person. Perhaps compare a mirrored DSLR to a mirrorless one. You should find a store that carries the brand you are interested in and physically pick them up, even if you ultimately plan to buy online. Also consider how often you plan to use a DSLR. It will be heavier and more cumbersome than a phone. How often do you think you will want to carry the extra weight and accessories like lenses, spare batteries and memory cards? There is a big difference between pulling a phone from your pocket and carrying a DSLR plus accessories.

Have fun, whatever decision you make!

 

[wabbott]

What fla4fun said. It could be your settings, but I'm never owned an I-phone. With your phone, you may be "punching" the screen and getting some vibration there. And there may be some setting to compensate for that.

One thing I remember from my SLR days was not to punch or snap the shutter release. Gently press it, like squeezing the trigger on a rifle.

And take several shots of the same view, which is something we couldn't afford to do back when we had to buy film and pay for developing.

Of course there's the basic stuff like having the sun at your back for daytime shots, etc. I like to think my lifetime of reading Nat Geo magazines and looking at their pics have given me a little bit of knowledge.

 

[BeachMouse1]

It’s less about the equipment and more about the photographer. A good photographer can get excellent photos from a phone. A mediocre photographer will get poor results from the most expensive DSLR.

As with many things, the key is experience. If you want to improve your photos, practice. Learn about composition, lighting, movement, etc.

I have a Canon DSLR, my sister has a Nikon DLSR, and my BIL has an Olympus mirrorless. They are all capable of great photos, but we tend to use them primarily if we are on a once in a lifetime trip, if we want to enlarge the photo substantially, or if the conditions might challenge a phone camera. Probably 90% of the time you will see us taking photos with our phones.

Before investing money in new equipment, learn as much as you can about photography and practice with what you already have. You may find that with a little time and effort, you can get the results you are looking for. Phones have a lot of different settings but most people leave them set on the default. Change it up!

There also the category of point and shoot cameras and bridge/zoom cameras. Some of these can take excellent photos, but personally I feel that phone cameras can produce equal results. I do have a Canon bridge camera, but I use it primarily for video where I will be zooming in and out frequently (such as at an air show) since it zooms much more smoothly than my phone or DSLR for that particular purpose. If I didn’t already have it, I would not be buying one these days.

If you decide you want to get a DSLR, any of the big name brands can work well. You don’t have to buy the most expensive model (although you may not want to buy the cheapest model either). It boils down to which one is the best fit for you ergonomically. They will all have the same basic buttons but they will be in different areas, and there can be differences in size and weight. Some may feel better for a left handed person, and others for a right handed person. Perhaps compare a mirrored DSLR to a mirrorless one. You should find a store that carries the brand you are interested in and physically pick them up, even if you ultimately plan to buy online. Also consider how often you plan to use a DSLR. It will be heavier and more cumbersome than a phone. How often do you think you will want to carry the extra weight and accessories like lenses, spare batteries and memory cards? There is a big difference between pulling a phone from your pocket and carrying a DSLR plus accessories.

Have fun, whatever decision you make!

Thank you. This is much appreciated. I am going to start watching videos on iPhone photography and do what I can to learn about photography. I was hesitant about making a big investment in a camera and not getting anything better quality