I want a camera LIKE THE iPHONE CAM

[blinktank]

I'm a total beginner/novice when it comes to cameras and photography; but I've got to learn. So my first step pretty much is to get a professional-quality camera. How to choose? I've been reading magazines and such, which does teach me some but it's still a lot to take in and nothing compares to hands-on experience.

The only real significant experience I have with one camera is with the one built in to the iPhone. Everyone loves iPhone pics, I'm sure I'm not alone in this; I've adopted a sort of obsession with snapping iPhone pics, and for the following reasons:

1. First of all, they almost always look stunningly perfect, effortlessly. This should be a given for most if not all professional cameras -- all the ones I've seen, the camera is supposed to make the difference (for starters), so I'm assuming this is a given/rule. The iPhone can pick up a great range of color saturation and portray it beautifully. (Excuse my use of terminology etc., I really don't know what I'm talking about, or I don't know how to properly technically convey what I mean to say, so just work with me; constructive criticism and corrections or tips are welcome though, feel free.)
2. The auto-focus/timing is so on point that I can reliably snap a pic of some scenery outside a tunnel, while driving, AS I am ENTERING the tunnel -- like when you would think you'd missed the intended shot/capture -- and the iPhone seemingly never fails. I review my photos, already disappointed because I do not expect my last pic to have come out as I had wished -- but miraculously, it has. It's beautiful. and I swear I snapped the photo upon entering the tunnel. (What is that, super shutter speed? I'm not even positive...)

Those are the primary advantages that I'm such a fan of, I guess. Everything always looks so vibrant and gorgeous/picturesque off the bat. However I'm also aware of the [most basic, i.e. my-level] cons of the iPhone cam: first being obviously that it's not that high-quality, though it does manage for what it is -- you wouldn't be blowing up your iPhone pics (unfortunately); the zoom functionality is near worthless for the sake of image quality loss; and you can't take pics for **** in the dark. If it weren't for those few down sides, the iPhone cam with its default capabilities would be my #1 choice, and I don't know who wouldn't feel the same way.

So if anyone here has any familiarity with the amazing iPhone cam I'm speaking of, I would highly appreciate some suggestions or leads as far as which camera I should be aiming to purchase or what I should be looking for in a camera to achieve this... Maybe they would all just be better, plain and simple, or at least do as well, and more, additionally... but just know I love the pros of the iPhone and how great the pics look, and I would like to know what to look for in a real pro camera that would guarantee a similar [highly satisfactory] feel to my amazing iPhone pics.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dalex100]

If you want a cam like the iPhone's, I think you should get a point and shoot, pocket size. I saw a a good one when I was looking for my camera : Canon Powershot S95. Go take a look, it's a little bit expensive.

 

[o hey tyler]

The only real significant experience I have with one camera is with the one built in to the iPhone. Everyone loves iPhone pics, I'm sure I'm not alone in this; I've adopted a sort of obsession with snapping iPhone pics, and for the following reasons:

1. First of all, they almost always look stunningly perfect, effortlessly. This should be a given for most if not all professional cameras -- all the ones I've seen, the camera is supposed to make the difference (for starters), so I'm assuming this is a given/rule. The iPhone can pick up a great range of color saturation and portray it beautifully. (Excuse my use of terminolog any etc., I really don't know what I'm talking about, or I don't know how to properly technically convey what I mean to say, so just work with me; constructive criticism and corrections or tips are welcome though, feel free.)

If your phone's photos "almost always look stunningly perfect, effortlessly" you have a different perception of 'photographic standards' than the majority of forum goers. Furthermore, the camera isn't "what makes the difference". Knowledge about photography is what makes the difference. Always.

2. The auto-focus/timing is so on point that I can reliably snap a pic of some scenery outside a tunnel, while driving, AS I am ENTERING the tunnel -- like when you would think you'd missed the intended shot/capture -- and the iPhone seemingly never fails. I review my photos, already disappointed because I do not expect my last pic to have come out as I had wished -- but miraculously, it has. It's beautiful. and I swear I snapped the photo upon entering the tunnel. (What is that, super shutter speed? I'm not even positive...)

The iPhone has a small image sensor by any cameras standards. The reason that the "auto focus" works so quickly is because the majority of the photo is in focus for the most part because the depth of field is quite large. There's no fine tuning of focus manually, because you don't have a small enough depth of field for it to matter. If your photo came out just as you had wished, you had taken it at the proper time. There's no "super shutter speed" for the iPhone. It's just regular camera mathematics. The iPhone possesses no magical ability to take photos.

Those are the primary advantages that I'm such a fan of, I guess. Everything always looks so vibrant and gorgeous/picturesque off the bat. However I'm also aware of the [most basic, i.e. my-level] cons of the iPhone cam: first being obviously that it's not that high-quality, though it does manage for what it is -- you wouldn't be blowing up your iPhone pics (unfortunately); the zoom functionality is near worthless for the sake of image quality loss; and you can't take pics for **** in the dark. If it weren't for those few down sides, the iPhone cam with its default capabilities would be my #1 choice, and I don't know who wouldn't feel the same way.

I personally don't know anyone that would feel the same way.

So if anyone here has any familiarity with the amazing iPhone cam I'm speaking of, I would highly appreciate some suggestions or leads as far as which camera I should be aiming to purchase or what I should be looking for in a camera to achieve this... Maybe they would all just be better, plain and simple, or at least do as well, and more, additionally... but just know I love the pros of the iPhone and how great the pics look, and I would like to know what to look for in a real pro camera that would guarantee a similar [highly satisfactory] feel to my amazing iPhone pics.

I don't think you understand what kind of coinage you'd be dropping for a professional level camera. On top of that, I don't think you are aware of what kind of knowledge you'd need to take amazing photos by a professional DSLR users standards. Photography isn't a "Pick up the camera and let it do all the work" kind of thing. For hobbyists with no desire to learn it may be, but not someone interested in a professional camera. If you want a camera most similar to the iPhone camera, it will be far from professional. However, both Canon and Nikon offer some really good point and shoot cameras. They also offer some super-zoom cameras which are still point and shoot cameras at heart, but have more functionality as well as a longer optical zoom capability.

I've heard great things about Canon's G-Series in particular, and they are generally quite stylish looking.

 

[clanthar]

has to be a troll right?

Joe

 

[cgipson1]

I think he should stick to his Iphone.....

 

[o hey tyler]

has to be a troll right?

Joe

That's what I was thinking too, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has to start their photographic journey somewhere, and their standards will reflect where they are at.

 

[Derrel]

The iPhone 4's camera was recently reviewed by a "major" digital photography web site, Imaging Resource. The reviewers were amazed at how well the camera can shoot; it does after all, have a highly-advanced, 5 Megapixel backside-illuminated sensor, whihc is supposef to be "the next big thing" in sensor development. It has a short 3.25mm lens, as I recall, which opens up to f/2.8. Native ISO is 80, and the ISO seems to run in AUTO ISO uop to 1,000 ISO at f/2.8 at 1/15 second in my experience in lower light. In good light, the 720p HD video images are excellent from the iPhone. The backside-illuminated sensor seems to keep noise levels down quite well. If you add Camera Control Pro to the iPhone 4, you get a VERY good anti-shake system, optional grid lines, better white balance control, as well as a VERY handy option called Big Button, which turns any part of the picture area into a shutter release button--not just that one, small discrete "spot". I am actually pretty impressed with the camera capabilities of the iPhone 4. I've shot about 2,300 pics with mine in a couple of months--some of them absolutely lovely snaps...


Here is the Imaging Resource review of the iPhone 4's camera/video features. as far as it goes, I actually prefer the iPhone 4 to my $400 Panasonic zoom P&S camera for video...AND for wide-angle stills...it's actually a better imager. Better in multiple ways.

Apple iPhone 4 Camera - Express Review

 

[Trever1t]

Stop feeding the Trolls.

 

[KmH]

So my first step pretty much is to get a professional-quality camera.

There aren't many of those, so choosing is pretty simple;

Nikon D3X 24.5MP FX CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)

Nikon D3S 12.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 24fps 720p HD Video Capability (Body Only)

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 1080p HD Video (Body Only)