Take camera or use IPhone?

[lustergirl]

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this matter. Not taking a camera and use my IPhone for pictures would be one less thing hubby or I would have to carry. I know my phone takes great pictures

 

[Dan Murphy]

Over the years I have taken many, many pictures with a variety of cameras (see signature links for a sampling). The past several trips I have relied on my phone (Galaxy 3 and 4) and have been perfectly satisfied. A few compromised situations over the week, but generally not.

 

[lustergirl]

I recently bought a Cannon Rebel that takes great pics. But it so cumbersome to lug around.

 

[photo_chick]

It totally depends on you. Many of us can't imagine not taking a DSLR with a compliment of lenses. Others are more than content with a smartphone.

Think about the kind of pictures you want to take and how a smartphone might limit you and if those limitations are OK with you. That might help you decide.

 

[AmyB2006]

Well, I would never go without my camera. I love my camera and taking tons of pictures and using different lenses. But that's me.

There are camera people, and non camera people. That being said, photography is probably 80% photographer, and 20% equipment.

So if you think you'd be happy with just your phone, try it. Maybe bring your camera but leave it in the hotel for a day and see how you like just using your phone for the day.

I've seen some great photos taken with just and iPhone (or other smartphone).

 

[Missymouse18]

We do take our camera, but more as a means of back-up. Relied completely on our phones last year and plan to do the same this year. Our photos were great (DH has Samsung Galaxy and I have I-phone) and we were not bothered with having to carry the camera.

 

[PSUGuy]

Take a few vids on you phone, load them to your PC and see if the quality is acceptable. We used my phone twice and the end results were not good. I ended up buying a Samsung to get the job done.

Bill From PA

 

[practicallyperfect77]

My phone takes better pics than my point n shoot camera so that 's all I had on my last trip. I would def recommend and external charger for your phone if this is the route you go down.

 

[SuperRob]

Every photographer (professional and otherwise) has always told me that "the best camera is the one you have with you." Having great equipment is all well and good, but in the end, knowing how to compose a shot is the single most important part of photography. (Protip: Turn the grid feature on, and Google why you should use it.)

Personally, I would much rather have a small, multi-purpose device that takes decent photos rather than having to lug around something larger that does literally one thing. So yes, I'd rather take my iPhone and use that for photos. And just about every iPhone can take really great pictures, so I'd say they'd be good enough.

At the very least, make sure to make use of the Photopass photographers, even if you didn't buy Photopass. You never know when they'll take a great shot that you missed, and you can always buy (at a premium, of course) after the fact. Just remember that for the most part, Photopass photogs are not "professional" in the sense that we think. They're usually enthusiastic amateurs with decent equipment. But every so often, they get a great shot.

One last tip ... if you do decide to use your iPhone, consider paying a few bucks for a third-party camera app. I used Camera+, and it has some outstanding features for only $1.99. The Stabilization feature alone is great ... it waits to take the picture until the gyroscope/accelerometer says that your hands aren't shaking. It's saved a LOT of pictures for me.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I really think it depends on the type of pictures you'll be taking.

If you're mainly going for the "take a pic of the family in front of the whatever" (snapshots) then just use your camera phone or get the Magical Memories package and let them do it (everyone is in the pic) and collect your shots at the end of the trip.

If you're specifically going in to try to take unique and interesting shots, then, yes, take your fancier camera.

If you're just using your DSLR for snapshots, meaning, you're not working at trying to get that perfect angle or interesting shot, you have it set to "auto" and just let it figure out when to pop the flash - that sort of thing, then I'd just say use your phone.

If you're going with a group of people that aren't interested in you spending time to try to get nice pictures, then take your phone. If you're in a group of 4-6 and everyone wants to go ride Space Mountain and you're there screwing with your camera then they're not having fun. I know you're really trying to get that nice shot but you're making it suck for them and you're also lugging around a bunch of extra stuff when you can't really use it to it's full extent.

For me, my daughter and I will pick days to specifically go in and try to get interesting shots with our cameras. When we've had enough of that we toss the cameras into the lockers and go ride rides and use our phones where we just want that odd snapshot. We've been there quite a few times so it's not like that first, special WDW experience.

 

[mrsap]

That's so funny you asked this, because my DH and I just had the same conversation a few days ago!! We always carry our DSLR and our video camera. This year we decided we will only bring the video camera since the cameras are so advanced now on the iPhones/iPods. In addition, we plan on having the Memory Maker this trip, so someone else can help in the picture department! (Maybe something you can also consider)

Although I have plenty of space to record video on here, I'd rather put that extra memory on the video camera, since we tend to tape a lot. Not bringing the DSLR will also free up space in our bag, as well as lighten it up a bit! Good luck deciding!

 

[shadeauxe]

I would never choose my phone over my camera, but I love my camera and it's worth the annoyance, to me, of carrying it around.

 

[mom2rtk]

Which will you regret more? Not bringing the camera and getting less than satisfactory photos? Or taking the camera and having to carry it around? Each person's answer to this will be different.

It also depends on the type of photos you want to take. A phone will do well outdoors in good light, but lowlight is another matter.

 

[Skywise]

It's really a matter of personal preference. I've got an iPhone 4 and it takes OK shots. If the intent is just to capture happy family faces in front of interesting places for basic scrapbooking (ala like ye olde Polaroid cameras) then the camera on the phone will probably be fine. (In daylight. )

As a bit of a photo nut though I carry my DSLR around with me on trips and it never leaves my hip (in fact I left my camera at the room on the first day of my last trip because I had taken thousands of shots of the area and she said it didn't feel like vacation until I had my camera on on the next day.) (The irony is she whines when I stop to take so many photos!) Do I take BETTER happy family face photos in front of interesting places with my DSLR? (in daylight? ) Not really... they're a little sharper and the color is a little richer but the images are pretty much the same. But... I take BEAUTIFUL shots of family members in other ways that I couldn't get with a smartphone camera. I got one of my uncle sitting in the shade of a water fountain in a flower garden with the sun beaming a ray of light right on him through the foliage. A dark scene with spot lights that plays havoc with a smartphone's camera but is child's play for a DSLR with the right settings. I happened to walk by, saw the shot line up in my minds eye and had the camera up to my eye without even thinking (thank you BR strap!) and *bam* instant enhanced memory that's going to stay on the uncle's fireplace for awhile.

 

[ponyboy]

No way I would carry a camera. I'm so glad they've done away with all of the cards now and I only have to worry about a magic band. If they could figure out how to put a camera in the magic band so that I didn't even have to carry a phone then everything would be right with the world.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I don't think the pictures taken on phones are that great. I'd much rather have my camera.

And this includes my husbands Iphone 5 and my Samsung Galaxy S4. The phones are fine for quick want to post to facebook pictures but not for my want to put in photo album pictures.

I am picky about my picture quality so I'm sure that makes a difference. My husband thinks his Iphone 5 takes just fine pictures.

So if you aren't as picky as me, your Iphone will work for you.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I recently bought a Cannon Rebel that takes great pics. But it so cumbersome to lug around.

I just got the newest Rebel and not only are the pictures beautiful, but the video feature is excellent. I'm using it for my new web series. ^_^

 

[lustergirl]

I don't think the pictures taken on phones are that great. I'd much rather have my camera.

And this includes my husbands Iphone 5 and my Samsung Galaxy S4. The phones are fine for quick want to post to facebook pictures but not for my want to put in photo album pictures.

I am picky about my picture quality so I'm sure that makes a difference. My husband thinks his Iphone 5 takes just fine pictures.

So if you aren't as picky as me, your Iphone will work for you.

Oh I am a picky person and decent photos are a part of my job and everyday life. I am a forensic investigator for the state and teach part time at a local college in forensics. I use my new camera for that purpose. You should see the getup that the crime scene unit people carry, that camera and equipment cost about 8 grand total. They are really high tech. In of the classes that I took getting my masters in Forensics we had to use the tripod and full gadgets. These were used to photograph fingerprints off the sides of wine bottles. You want to talk about picky and having to angle your shots just right.
I do use my camera quite a lot and it would be nice not to have to take it to Disney. I guess my original post was centered around this idea of not having it in my life during my Disney trip.

 

[CinderElsa]

Every photographer (professional and otherwise) has always told me that "the best camera is the one you have with you." Having great equipment is all well and good, but in the end, knowing how to compose a shot is the single most important part of photography. (Protip: Turn the grid feature on, and Google why you should use it.)

Personally, I would much rather have a small, multi-purpose device that takes decent photos rather than having to lug around something larger that does literally one thing. So yes, I'd rather take my iPhone and use that for photos. And just about every iPhone can take really great pictures, so I'd say they'd be good enough.

At the very least, make sure to make use of the Photopass photographers, even if you didn't buy Photopass. You never know when they'll take a great shot that you missed, and you can always buy (at a premium, of course) after the fact. Just remember that for the most part, Photopass photogs are not "professional" in the sense that we think. They're usually enthusiastic amateurs with decent equipment. But every so often, they get a great shot.

One last tip ... if you do decide to use your iPhone, consider paying a few bucks for a third-party camera app. I used Camera+, and it has some outstanding features for only $1.99. The Stabilization feature alone is great ... it waits to take the picture until the gyroscope/accelerometer says that your hands aren't shaking. It's saved a LOT of pictures for me.

Just wanted to add another vote for Camera+ - I LOVE this app. It has built-in editing features that allow cropping, brightening, corrections, etc. I no longer feel the need to bring a separate camera on vacations.

 

[handicap18]

As others have said, it comes down to personal preference.

Many people back in the day were fine with those throwaway camera's with film. Today it seems as though many people are perfectly satisfied with pictures taken with a phone.

While I like that my phone has a camera I would never use it to take pictures where it is the main camera used. But that is me. I have no issues carrying around my dSLR. I love to take pictures and have many of those images enlarged and hanging on the walls around my house. A family photo in front of Cinderella Castle taken with an iPhone that could possibly be enlarged to 11x14 to display in our living room? Nope not me. I will take pictures using my phone so that I can upload it right away to Facebook, but for every picture I'll take with my phone, I'll take 100 or more with my camera.

I use my phone for video more than still images.