Comments on: Digital Cameras

By: Casey

Casey — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:50:29 +0000

It’s very easy to turn off GPS, as well as preventing location data being gathered, when taking a picture with a smartphone.

Then again, I didn’t buy my phone for the camera. Good thing.

By: Larry J

Larry J — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:09:08 +0000

It isn’t just the zoom capability although that’s nice. It’s the overall higher quality of the images with a dedicated camera over what I have in my iPhone 4. I know there are smart phones with higher resolution but other features of dedicated cameras just aren’t there, at least on my phone. I’m talking about different exposure modes and features that result in higher quality photos. There’s no beating the convenience of a smart phone camera but, in my experience, the photo quality isn’t nearly as good.

By: cthulhu

cthulhu — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:13:01 +0000

I can see where having zoom would be a big deal for Yellowstone, but for us, the iPhones work well for the basics, and having a decent camera “always available” is really nice. YMMV of course…

By: Larry J

Larry J — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:29:48 +0000

My wife and I moved back to my hometown to take a job last year. We had a new home built for us. During construction, I visited the site almost every day and took pictures with my iPhone, over 800 of them. I captured construction details that may later prove useful (like where the pipes and electrical lines were run) as well as problems that I directed to the contractor. It was very handy and cost nothing. It’s been a while, but how much would it have cost to take those photos using 35mm film?

My phone is a tool, not a religion. I last lived here over 29 years ago and things have changed a lot, so having a GPS in my phone has proven very useful. So has being able to look up the names, phone numbers and locations of stores, doctor’s offices and the like. Like I said, it’s a tool and has proven quite useful for me but your mileage may vary.

By: Josh Reiter

Josh Reiter — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:55:16 +0000

Cell phone cameras just don’t have enough focal length to capture the light from distant objects very well. Distant objects start to look flat, washed out, and lacking in detail. And if you throw some action in there, like when I tried to use my Winphone to take pictures of planes flying at an airshow, it’s just terrible. But when I turned around and got close to an jet parked on the tarmac and filled the whole frame of the shot up with just the aircraft, it would make a decent shot. The camera phones just flatly focus across the whole picture so there’s no way to just focus in on one distant object and blur out the rest of the background to help emphasize what your trying to take a picture of. They work best when the subject is close, well lit, and takes up the entire picture frame. And I’m not a big fan of the LCD flash. They brightly light just one pinpoint spot and then the rest of the photo becomes quickly underexposed. They make better flashlights IMHO.

But the plus side of a camera phone is that, well, the best camera is the one you have on you. Also, because the phone is small you can get in close and find an interesting angle on a subject to add some composition to the shot. The LCD panel also helps a great deal with making sure the shot level and well framed. Not to mention that you can do macro shots fairly decently as well. I had a part that I needed a serial # off of and I was having a hard time reading it because the print was so small. So, I took a picture of it and then zoomed in on the picture to make the numbers bigger. Also, I believe that they make cases for Iphones that let you attach bigger lens over the camera to let you bring distant objects into focus better.

By: Der Schtumpy

Der Schtumpy — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:12:17 +0000

I hate digital cameras. I still use my SLR 35mm for taking ‘pictures’. And if it’s not 35mm worthy, I don’t take the picture.

Of course, I’m a cell phone for phone calls ONLY person.

I’ve never taken a picture with my phone. I’ve never sent the first text message. I have Z-E-R-O interest in a smart phone so that I can surf the net for the latest Buck Wild news flash, or play Angry Birds or take pictures of Elvis in the Weinermobile while I sit at a stop light.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:02:50 +0000

True — but in 9 years of carrying a phone, I’ve never had either of those things happen. As much as these things cost, and as much as I rely on my current one for so many things, “careful” doesn’t begin to cover it.

By: Larry J

Larry J — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:12:49 +0000

Compared to a good, even basic digital camera, the quality of the photos taken with my iPhone 4 are poor. My iPhone is good for snapshots of unimportant things and is very handy, but if I want to take good photos (like my trip to Yellowstone last year), there’s not yet a good substitute for a dedicated camera.

By: Bill Twist

Bill Twist — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:38:40 +0000

The best argument for having a separate phone, gps, and camera is that if one of them breaks or is otherwise disabled, you can still use the others. If you have a single device that does it all, and it breaks or the battery dies, you lose all functionality.

By: Darkstar

Darkstar — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:58:03 +0000

O.O Wow, the things I learn reading this blog! A camera with Android and WiFi. You’d have to carry a mobile hot-spot with you for uploading, something I happen to be thinking about getting.