Level of smartphone photography

[jonnybaz]

Thank you all for your feedback. My wife has a Vivo X80 Pro so I had an idea of smartphone photography on the top tier. But I wanted more opinions from people with other flagships. I'm more interesting on landscape and portrait. I think that I will keep my humble smartphone and go towards a midrange aps-c camera within a year from now. AI is a prospect for smartphones but I think it is not so enjoyable and will have a degree of artificial looking for two or three years yet.

 

[Stic2]

If I don't have either of my camera's with me, just the phone, I just don't bother taking an image...no matter what the subject is...it's a waste of time...

 

[SunriseAvenue]

I have Poco x3 and GCam mod installed and I'm quite happy with the level of photos I get. Snapseed is enough for lighter editing and major issues, shall they apper, could be fixed in Photoworks no problem. However, I wouldn't want to give up my classic camera, because camera photography and smartphone photography serve different purposes and while both might be great, they are great for different things and can't actually replace one another.

 

[Dikkie]

I'm using the Pocophone F1 now for 4 years. Pretty happy with the results.
I more often let my heavy DSLR at home now.
But it's not replacing it, as I still have some pictures to make that I cannot achieve with my smartphone. Maybe with lots of editing, but it's better to have a good result as a basis to work with.
It all depends on the purposes, what end result do you need?
I prefer my DSLR for long exposure shots, night, bokeh, ... on tripod. I do more 'slow photography' with a decent camera.
and I prefer my phone for not to carry heavy weight with me while cycling or commuting to work, or being late in a pub... and all other snapshot related stuff. Although the quality is pretty good for prints mostly.

 

[Peter.]

Smartphones have destroyed the camera market with sales down about 90% in 15 years. That probably speaks for itself.

With sensors in phones becoming larger - up to about 1" now - fewer will bother about buying a camera. Certainly the market for compacts is dead as a dodo. Interchangeable lens cameras are hanging in there although sales of those have also plummeted.

On a site like this, of course, one would not expect people to willingly accept the above. But I guess that "good enough" - not to mention instant sharing - rules the market now rather than any striving for perfection. That is left (largely) to those who still manage to make a living from photography.

 

[AlanKlein]

Smartphones have destroyed the camera market with sales down about 90% in 15 years. That probably speaks for itself.

With sensors in phones becoming larger - up to about 1" now - fewer will bother about buying a camera. Certainly the market for compacts is dead as a dodo. Interchangeable lens cameras are hanging in there although sales of those have also plummeted.

On a site like this, of course, one would not expect people to willingly accept the above. But I guess that "good enough" - not to mention instant sharing - rules the market now rather than any striving for perfection. That is left (largely) to those who still manage to make a living from photography.

Who makes 1" sensors?

 

[Peter.]

Xiaomi and Oppo to name but two.

My Samsung S21 Ultra has a 1/1.3" sensor which is not far off.

 

[AlanKlein]

Xiaomi and Oppo to name but two.

My Samsung S21 Ultra has a 1/1.3" sensor which is not far off.

What's the size of your 1/1.3 sensor?

The 1" sensor is:

1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm) dimension

15.86 mm diagonal

116.16 mm² area

3:2 aspect ratio

 

[Ysarex]

Smartphones have destroyed the camera market with sales down about 90% in 15 years. That probably speaks for itself.

With sensors in phones becoming larger - up to about 1" now - fewer will bother about buying a camera. Certainly the market for compacts is dead as a dodo. Interchangeable lens cameras are hanging in there although sales of those have also plummeted.

I don't think that's too accurate: "Fast forward to 2023, and the digital camera industry is experiencing an unexpected renaissance. Unit sales have stabilized, and the overall sales value is on an upward trajectory. Japanese camera manufacturers have reason to be optimistic, now holding over 90% of the global market share. Canon, Sony, and Fujifilm, notable names in the industry, have introduced mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. These cutting-edge devices offer capabilities beyond the reach of cell phone cameras, contributing significantly to the recent surge in sales. Japan observed a notable surge in shipments of cameras equipped with interchangeable lenses, marking a 10.8% increase to 5.9 million units. This surge propelled the total value of shipments by an impressive 39.4%....

As of June 2023, the 18-29 age group emerged as the driving force behind the surge in digital camera purchases."

Digital Cameras are Making a Comeback

The arrival of smartphones in the early 2000s marked a watershed moment in the world of photography. Film and digital cameras, once the unrivaled champions, suddenly faced formidable competition. In a

globaledge.msu.edu

On a site like this, of course, one would not expect people to willingly accept the above.

Because it wasn't correct.

But I guess that "good enough" - not to mention instant sharing - rules the market now rather than any striving for perfection. That is left (largely) to those who still manage to make a living from photography.

 

[Stic2]

The cell phone hasn't replaced the dedicated camera, and it never will!

What HAS happened, as with many other things in the 20/21st century, is that the general public have become very entitled and lazy, expecting everything to be instant and easy, and have just decided to accept a much lower quality of photography, for the convenience and lack of input from themselves…

A professional (or even hobbyist) racecar driver will select a vehicle fit for performance, and further adapt it to fit his/her needs...where as, your mum drives a simple to operate and park, generic vehicle, likely also selected for price....

They are not the same devices because the expectations and performance requirements are not the same...

Younger generations don't use phones for photography because they are better, or even as good; it's so whatever image they do capture can be shared with everyone they know instantly...

 

[AlanKlein]

The cell phone hasn't replaced the dedicated camera, and it never will!

What HAS happened, as with many other things in the 20/21st century, is that the general public have become very entitled and lazy, expecting everything to be instant and easy, and have just decided to accept a much lower quality of photography, for the convenience and lack of input from themselves…

A professional (or even hobbyist) racecar driver will select a vehicle fit for performance, and further adapt it to fit his/her needs...where as, your mum drives a simple to operate and park, generic vehicle, likely also selected for price....

They are not the same devices because the expectations and performance requirements are not the same...

Younger generations don't use phones for photography because they are better, or even as good; it's so whatever image they do capture can be shared with everyone they know instantly...

Your post is full of contradictions. Most people aren't professionals either with cameras or race cars. People aren't lazy because they switch to modern devices that are convenient and fill expectations that other devices can't. Do you drive a pickup truck to the market or will a small car do the job? What is your point?

 

[Stic2]

No contradiction there...

Again, most people, as you say, aren't professionals...

They are not trying to do anything but capture a simple image and therefore, are happy to settle for a cellphone image.

I didn't say they are lazy because they switch to a 'modern' device' I said they are lazy so accept an inferiour device that delivers an inferiour product because it's both easier and cheaper...

A cellphone will NEVER be able to match or replace the camera and lens options I use, to capture the images I capture; this is also true for anyone who actually understands basic photography.

A cellphone is only convenient if you want to capture a basic image.

A Nissan Micra is perfect for bringing shopping home from the supermarket, but it's not going to put you on the podium at a track day...

Right tool for the right job...

 

[AlanKlein]

No contradiction there...

Again, most people, as you say, aren't professionals...

They are not trying to do anything but capture a simple image and therefore, are happy to settle for a cellphone image.

I didn't say they are lazy because they switch to a 'modern' device' I said they are lazy so accept an inferiour device that delivers an inferiour product because it's both easier and cheaper...

A cellphone will NEVER be able to match or replace the camera and lens options I use, to capture the images I capture; this is also true for anyone who actually understands basic photography.

A cellphone is only convenient if you want to capture a basic image.

A Nissan Micra is perfect for bringing shopping home from the supermarket, but it's not going to put you on the podium at a track day...

Right tool for the right job...

Being efficient isn't lazy. Not everyone has your needs.

 

[jeffashman]

The cellphone camera is the instamatic pocket cam of our time. It's convenient and takes "good enough" photos to record a vacation, or a special event, or an interesting thing, when a regular camera is not available or feasible. This is especially true if one has one of the new 48 MP cameras. They have their place, and for most folks, they are all that is required.

 

[Stic2]

You're both missing the point...

I said that the çell phone hasn't REPLACED the dedicated camera...

You simply CAN't argue with that...it hasn't, and, I propose that it never will...

Again, teens and people needing a quick image may resort to them, but, they DO NOT replace what an interchangable lens camera can do...

And, even if 90% of all images on the planet originate from a cell phone, that STILL doesn't mean dedicated camera's are dead...

There's still a need for them, and they are still being, not just made and sold, but further developed...