New iPhone: Final Nail in the Coffin

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GMCPhotographics said:
If you think a mobile phone will ever get close to the photographic beauty of a full frame DSLR...dream on. It's a bit like saying an ipad strum along software will replace a top Stradivarius Violin.

Imagine the Scots Guard, led into battle by a piper using a bagpipe app on an iPhone :)

I think everyone will agree that an iPhone pales in comparison to a DSLR for picture quality, but many times it is good enough for the job at hand. For some people convenience is more important that image quality, and that's one area where the iPhones far exceed DSLR's.
 
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The iPhone, like many smartphones is quickly closing in on the lower end of the market of many types of device, and in some ways, providing an end result which is good enough for everyone but an enthusiast. Plus the fact that these are all blended together so well into one slick, easy to use device, the experience can be better than a collection of dedicated devices.

I own an iPhone 5, and as a result I have no need for a pager, Sat Nav system, MP3 player, PDA, portable games console, calculator or train timetable. Even products such as a compass, torch and a wife tracking device I can now make do without.

However, unlike the average person, I'm into my photography. So for my needs, the iPhone 5 and 5s both fall far short of my expectations - but I have reached the point now where my S90 stays at home all the time. If I want better quality than the iPhone, the S90 just doesn't do it for me.

I can see little point in the average consumer buying a point and shoot in this day and age. They are currently selling to people that don't own smartphones, people that don't realise how little difference in quality there is, or people that need zooms/waterproof cameras.

For me, two big factors that influence image quality are control over depth of field and light gathering abilities. Both of those are directly influenced by the physical diameter of the aperture, no matter how small the sensor. So no smartphone will ever rival a DSLR with a big lens on it, unless the smartphone has an equally big lens on it.
 
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I think you're giving the iPhone way too much credit. I think Apple are only playing catch up on features with other phone makers such as Samsung. Each manufacturer is trying something a bit different (Nokia 41mp, HTC ultrapixel + Zoe,...) to try and jump ahead of the other. However, I don't buy a phone because of the camera features, I buy it for the phone and data features. If its got an ok camera fine, but its not a deal breaker if it doesn't. I've seen phone pics win open photo comps but they were taken under perfect conditions. To me they are only good for social media and the occasional ebay ad shot because the IQ is inferior and they have no reach.

I've been to a lot of concerts over the last 12 months or so and a phone just doesn't cut it. Unless you're close to the stage, phone camera shots are good for location but none are really worth keeping. I took my old Fuji P&S to a couple of shows, including The Wall, and got some shots that are definitely keepers. On the other hand, I snuck my 60d into a Springsteen concert and most of the shots were keepers even though I was just using the kit 55-250.
 
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Pi said:
GMCPhotographics said:
If you think a mobile phone will ever get close to the photographic beauty of a full frame DSLR...dream on. It's a bit like saying an ipad strum along software will replace a top Stradivarius Violin.

I think one of the points being made here is that for many people, the Stradivarius does not really sound better than an ipad. :)

I think one of the points being made here is that for many people, the Stradivarius does not really sound better than an ipad
at busy airport terminal. ;D
(to be fair)
 
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I agree camera phones are getting better. Look at the Nokia Lumia. It won't replace my 5D3+lenses, which gives me versatility and customisations that a phone cannot do (at this point). My phone (HTC One) has a pretty good camera and when I don't have my 5D3 on me, I use it instead. Do I wish I had my 5D3 instead? Hell yes. But it compliments it, it doesn't replace it.
 
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I think it would be safe to say that flash gels might go extinct if the auto balancing flash takes off.

Could you imagine if you could develop a flash with super bright Red/Green/Blue bulbs and could do any light colour you want without gel?

That would be awesome.
 
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Pi said:
GMCPhotographics said:
If you think a mobile phone will ever get close to the photographic beauty of a full frame DSLR...dream on. It's a bit like saying an ipad strum along software will replace a top Stradivarius Violin.

I think one of the points being made here is that for many people, the Stradivarius does not really sound better than an ipad. :)

That rather depends upon who's playing it, but then there are those who can create a lot of noise with anything, even a Canon.
 
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Sporgon said:
Pi said:
GMCPhotographics said:
If you think a mobile phone will ever get close to the photographic beauty of a full frame DSLR...dream on. It's a bit like saying an ipad strum along software will replace a top Stradivarius Violin.

I think one of the points being made here is that for many people, the Stradivarius does not really sound better than an ipad. :)

That rather depends upon who's playing it, but then there are those who can create a lot of noise with anything, even a Canon.
As someone who works on a military site.... right beside the firing range, I would like to add that a CANNON makes a lot more noise than a Stradivarius.....
 
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Guess who?


"A new True Tone Flash tops off the features. When you take a flash picture, the usual problem is that the ambient light varies in color temperature—fluorescent is cooler and bluer; incandescent is yellower. The new flash in iPhone 5S solves such problems with two LEDs, one a cooler white one and another a warmer one. Over 1000 unique variations of the two give you the appropriate color flash for wherever you're shooting, Schiller said."



Botts said:
I think it would be safe to say that flash gels might go extinct if the auto balancing flash takes off.

Could you imagine if you could develop a flash with super bright Red/Green/Blue bulbs and could do any light colour you want without gel?

That would be awesome.
 
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Forgive me if someone already kvetched on this point four pages ago...

At least a few more potential real estate clients will try to go it alone with each improvement" in always-with-me cameras. I console myself (and adjust my sales message) with the realization that they were not good client match in that case.

I have to aim at the need/client which has to be illustrated/served by skills that aren't coming from the camera itself.

So, not the *final* nail in the coffin.
 
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DPR now has sample images up. There is little improvement over the iphone 5 as far as IQ goes, compare it with the Galaxy S4. The S4 wins pulling away.

The minimal improvement in the camera will not impact sales, there are a huge number who must have the latest thing. Most of them can sell or trade in their old phone, and up for 2 more years with little or no out of pocket cash, so its not a final nail in Apple's coffin.
 
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My wife just got a new iPhone 5S yesterday and I am very impressed with its camera ... OK, I know it is no DSLR, but the IQ is quite good for such a small device ... the slow-mo video feature is AWESOME ... I can think of many uses for that slow-mo feature ... good work Apple!
 
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I just got a new Android smartphone, tap camera, tap camera, tap camera, loading loading loading loading, frame shot, focusing focusing, hit shutter button, did it work?, hit shutter button, ok I think it worked that time, nice an 8MP picture of what I didn't want. Sure iPhones work a lot faster (though my droid has a dual core processor) but overall smartphones don't even come close to a P&S for simple speed of use.
 
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