camera v. phone camera

PPhoto · May 30, 2014

I'm new here and to photography in general, so apologies in advance for such a basic question. I've always been interested in photography and now I finally have time for this interest.
A few years ago I received a Canon Powershot A3100 IS, but unfortunately haven't used it much. Lately I've been taking photos with my phone, a GalaxyS4, and decided to start using my Canon to take better pictures on a camera. A friend commented that my phone is a better camera than the Canon because it has more megapixels. He's right in that the phone has 13 megapixels while the camera has 12.1 mp. Surely there must be a benefit to the camera v. the phone...but what is that benefit? Thanks.

Scatterbrained · May 30, 2014

Megapickles aren't the determinant of camera quality. If Mp were the only benchmark then the Nokia Lumia would be better than every DSLR and mirrorless camera on the market.

Sensor size, AF, lens quality, color depth, controls, etc. There are a lot of factors that determine a quality camera, megapixels is just one aspect; taken on it's own it doesn't mean much.

tirediron · May 30, 2014

I've not used either the Powershot or Galaxy S4, but I'd be willing to bet six months of your chum's salary that the Powershot will produce better images since it has a larger sensor, better lens, etc, etc...

IzzieK · May 31, 2014

And don't forget the photographer makes the shot not the camera...my vote goes for the Powershot.

ShaneF · May 31, 2014

I have a 650D and a Galaxy S4, if my 650D could text and make calls i would toss my S4. Maybe canon will put that in the T6.

PPhoto · May 31, 2014

Thanks for your answers. I'm so new here that I don't understand the significance of the terms use above: Sensor size, AF, lens quality, color depth, controls. Can someone recommend a basic book or website to me? Thank you again!

clickwell · May 31, 2014

Smart phones of today are typically designed with a built-in camera that would level the playing field for most of the ordinary digital compact camera. In all key aspects, the camera features of most smart phones today could either be in the same level with any digital compact camera or even more. In your case, I believe it will all boil down to the sensor size and type that will make the big differences. Do take note that a picture taken with a smaller sensor would produce a low quality image even at the same pixel size (e.g 5Mp). This will become more obvious if your intention is to produce a large copy of your image later. The Canon digital camera to me would out perform your smart phone still in the design given the specs that the canon have including lens constructions, flash power (in terms of range), lens angle capability (i.e. wide angle), shutter speed etc. Hope this helps.

IzzieK · May 31, 2014

While waiting for your camera, google the terms you cannot comprehend. It is easier because you can choose your own level of understanding. There are some who can explain it well and there are some...who just go on tirades like as if you already understand most terms. It is what I do when I encounter an unknown term or phrases that goes over my head. One question will lead to the other and before you know it, your brain just want to sleep it over for a while until it gets in your dreams and have nightmares about it.

480sparky · May 31, 2014

PPhoto said:
Thanks for your answers. I'm so new here that I don't understand the significance of the terms use above: Sensor size, AF, lens quality, color depth, controls. Can someone recommend a basic book or website to me? Thank you again!

That's a tall order for one sentence. Answering each would be a topic for a thread on itself.

TCampbell · May 31, 2014

Which camera is a better camera depends a lot on WHY you want a camera and how you intend to use it. My partner always uses his iPhone. I never use my iPhone (I think I once used it to sneak into a tight space to take a photo of a mechanical part I needed to replace ... so I could take the photo to the hardware store. I do not use the iPhone for regular photography.)

Some people just want a snapshot to capture memories. Some people think of the photography as an art. The difference is that for the latter... there are a lot of qualities of the image that will be very important. To the former... they just want something recognizable.

Assuming you're trying to have the most control over the image quality, then the order of importance will be:

1) The skill of the photographer.
2) The lighting.
3) The lens.
4) The camera body.

We could go on for days about #1.

Skipping down to #2... you can't have good lighting without good shadows. To have shadows you want the light to appear to originate from a different angle vs. the position of the lens. In other words we want the light off the camera. That's tricky to do with a camera phone or even a basic point & shoot.

As for #3... it's not just about the focal length and zoom factor that matter. The focal ratio of the lens determines a few factors... one of which is how much light the camera can collect when the shutter is open (lower focal ratio lenses do better in low light situations) and also controls the depth of field... the range at which subjects appear to be in acceptable focus. But photographers who care about the art are ALSO concerned with the quality of the out of focus areas as well.

And lastly... #4 the camera body. A physically larger sensor with physically larger photo-sites (the light sensitive points which will ultimately translate into pixels) are more efficient at capturing light than smaller ones. This means the ISO sensitivity can be increased and you'll get less "noise" in the image (particularly the dark areas of the image). Some sensors are also better at dynamic range (achieved by having increased "well depth" on the sensor). When you take a photo that has both bright and dark areas, sometimes it is not possible to have detail in both the bright and dark areas in the SAME image. A camera with better dynamic range will capture more detail in those areas.

Notice, in all of this... that megapixels don't make the list. They used to make the list back when camera sensors were all sub 10 megapixels. But today the megapixel count of virtually every sensor is so high that unless you are making physically large photographic prints to hang on your wall... you're probably not using all the megapixels you have. Any camera is good enough in that respect.

Derrel · May 31, 2014

Sony Xperia Z1S

Worlds LARGEST sensor in a phone; the fairly standard digital P&S sensor size of 1/2.3 inches; 20.7 megapixels; fully waterproof and submersible. Fast f/2.0 all-glass lens. Shoots high grade video. It's a far better-spec'd camera than many digital point and shoots ever were. TPF member JakeK has one...it shoots pretty impressive pictures.

Scatterbrained · May 31, 2014

Derrel said:
Sony Xperia Z1S

Worlds LARGEST sensor in a phone; the fairly standard digital P&S sensor size of 1/2.3 inches; 20.7 megapixels; fully waterproof and submersible. Fast f/2.0 all-glass lens. Shoots high grade video. It's a far better-spec'd camera than many digital point and shoots ever were. TPF member JakeK has one...it shoots pretty impressive pictures.

Have you seen the Samsung Galaxy s4 Zoom? 1/2.3" sensor with a 10x optical zoom P&S lens grafted on the back, with an aperture wheel. :lol:

photoguy99 · May 31, 2014

I encourage people to use their phone. It's the camera they have. Often it's fully capable of producing excellent results, and even old phones can make interesting photos.

You can refine your seeing, the hard part, without worrying about technical details.