Are camera phones as good as digital cameras?

[JasonDNeel]

NO, because Camera phones do not have a big sensor and resolution as digital camera.

"The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has some cameras that mean serious business. The main camera has an unprecedented 108MP camera, which earns it a spot amongst the phone cameras with the highest number of megapixels"

That's pretty reasonable for a phone! Granted a phone and a DSLR can't compete on many levels but still

 

[Lez325]

Depends what you are trying to accomplish. If you don't plan on printing your work and just taking general snapshots down the street you may not notice the difference if viewing on your monitor, if lighting is good in both scenes. Phones take great pics when you have the correct lighting. If you make a living shooting wildlife, product photography, sports, or need large prints for a client, camera phones will not cut it.

Nail on the head 100%

 

[SpenserEller]

A while back I decided to do a comparison between my Olympus EM5 Mk ii and my Galaxy S20 Ultra. I took similar pictures under the same lighting. The first image is from the Olympus. the second is from the Galaxy using the 108MP setting. The pictures below have not been edited. In my opinion, the quality of the Olympus is considerably better.

OMD EM5 Mk ii

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

 

[mrca]

Convenience, easy to carry, always have it with you adequate for on line photos, yes, low light, shallow depth of field, control of exposure, No. If you want to ape what is in front of you, yes, but your creative control is diminished.

 

[AlanKlein]

I find ergonomics of cellphone isn't too good. You can't see the screen in sunlight and it's awkward to hold and snap. But it is handy.

 

[luckypiglive]

my cellphone camera works great for me. its a note ultra 20.

 

[flyingPhoto]

all the camera phones i have dealt with cannot deal well with huge contrast in a scene, and have this wierd issue.

The MANUAL mode does not jive with the AUTO EXPOSURE mode data.

Meaning if i do a shot of a still life on auto mode, the exif data for shutter speed, etc cannot be entered into the manual mode and get the same result for a photo.

 

[ac12]

I saw something the other night that has me wondering.
When an iPhone could take a pic with no flash, and my EM10-mk2 HAD to fire the flash, I wonder.
Without a flash I would have a very underexposed pic, whereas on the iPhone I could see that it saw well without a flash.
So a decently good image on the phone vs. nothing on the EM10. The phone wins.

 

[Strodav]

I saw something the other night that has me wondering.
When an iPhone could take a pic with no flash, and my EM10-mk2 HAD to fire the flash, I wonder.
Without a flash I would have a very underexposed pic, whereas on the iPhone I could see that it saw well without a flash.
So a decently good image on the phone vs. nothing on the EM10. The phone wins.

I recently bought an iphone 12 pro max and know they increased the size of their 12mp sensors for better low light performance and significantly improved their in camera post processing software. They are also allowing access to the raw sensor data in addition to the jpgs. For family events, the iphone images are so good for social media I'm leaving the dslr at home and using the iphone. I'm also taking more video with the iphone than I take with the dslr. What I don't like about the iphone is the ergonomics. Holding it steady, zooming, and using the shutter button is problematic compared to my dslr bodies. Although you can stitch smartphone images together to make larger files, I get 45.7mp out my D850 with every click of the shutter. If you need longer focal lengths, you need a dslr or milc. My dslrs and lenses give me a lot more flexibility than the iphone, so I won't be getting rid of my cameras any time soon.

 

[ac12]

The other thing is my iPhone can take a panorama, by simply panning the phone. The the sw in the phone does the heavy work of making the pano. And it is so easy to do, that it is frustrating, because . . .
I can't do that with my mirrorless camera, I have to stitch the images in post. And even then it does not look anywhere as good.

 

[zombiesniper]

The camera in a phone for the most part is 95% as good. Where the phone lags behind is the lens. Not that they don't have quality lenses but a 120mm lens is still 120mm and who wants that having off their phone.

 

[Lez325]

I have a Samsung Galaxy s21 Ultra 5G- great camera, howvers it does not and will not, come close to my Sony a7Riv and Sony 600mm lens

Les

 

[Braineack]

The old adage: size doesn't matter, doesn't apply to camera sensors.

 

[JoeW]

Here is a paraphrase of what the OP is effectively asking: are hammers as good as saws? And anyone being asked that question would reply "it depends upon what you're using it for."

A camera is a tool. And you use different tools for different jobs. I can't use my Nikon D4 to make calls. I can't use it to get on Instagram. But my iPhone-12 won't take photos of Bald Eagles 600 meters away. It won't shoot multiple frames per second. It won't shoot in near darkness because the ISO won't go up to some obscenely high number. I can't change the white balance on my phone.

It doesn't matter if the technology on hammers is going up, it's still not a saw. Use the right tool for the right job.

 

[unpopular]

While maybe not the best comparison, here are a few photos of my children. Please forgive that the eyes are oof, they're just snapshots.

This is of my daughter which I just took using an apple 12 Pro Max using portrait mode.



Here is one I took a couple yers back with the then, and certainly now, antique a900 and a cheap plastic fantastic 35mm:



Perhaps if I set the focus properly the phone would have shined, but I feel like the DSLR is more lifelike, with better edge separation and overall sharpness. The LiDAR does an OK job emulating depth of field, but I don't feel like it's as good as the real thing.

Certainly for snapshots like these the phone is WAY more convenient, faster and in general more fun and spontaneous. But quality-wise? Well, I guess "close but no cigar" ... and that's using some pretty old equipment.