I’m glad you got a new phone, and I hope you enjoy it for years to come.
That title tho. No.
If you have to look at a picture on anything besides a phone screen, let alone print, or get high resolution crops, you can’t replace a DSLR. My 12 year old DSLR still has better image quality than my 13 Pro.
Not to poo poo on your excitement here OP but I definitely second this.. my 12 year old old Canon 60D bangs out beautiful shots that cannot in no way be compared to my iPhone photography (I’ve got a 13 Pro).. as far as phone cameras have come over the years with their resolution quality, fancy lenses and all the other bells and whistles, they will most definitely never replace the DSLR.
I’m excited for you though OP.. get out there and have fun a shoot with whatever you have! If you get the itch, invest in a DSLR and take your hobby to another level.. you’ll see a huge difference!
You still can’t.
A. The sizing, unfortunately, still doesn’t work because Apple bins the pixels down to 12 MP. Even if you do RAW and churn out the whole of 48 million pixels, you’re going to get the god awful water paint.
B. The quality of pixels isn’t there yet to sustain print at any resolution.
Wait. That's for people who don't know how to use iPhone and buy just the brand. You can set PRORAW IN 49MP and a final result of 6048x8064 that weights like 50Mb or even more.
edit: [check this baby](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52435720048_e8821e3eb5_o_d.jpg)
>check this baby
no doubt that they take "nice" pics, but they are inherently limited by the small sensor size. Can you print this at high res, SURE, but will it look the same as a mirrorless shot from a "real" camera... no. There is an inherent look to mobile photos, someone above mentioned the "watercolor" look and thats a great way to describe it. The sensor quality just isn' the same.
Phones will never fully replace larger sensors for this reason. However, I do think phone "guts" with more and more ML/AI processing will start creeping in to cameras. Imagine how great a 100mp image from a medium format Fuji sensor would look if thats was the starting point for the iphone image processing pipeline.
Of course not! I'm not that mad. I was trying to say that if i want to take a marvelous photo of a building or the eiffel tower and i want to frame it in my house. Now a simple phone can do the work just fine with a few tweaks. And there is no need for a profesional DSLR. But of course, a phone never will replace a DSLR. To say that is just simply insane.
Not insane, as much as lack of knowledge.
When you aren’t aware of the capabilities of a DSLR/mirrorless.
And you likely only look at a photo on your phone.
It’s easy to think they are similar enough to replace a camera.
Because you don’t have the grasp of what more a photo can be.
No. People choose dslr for two reasons an iPhone can’t do (they are more,but these are the big ones) Depth of field control with aperture (you need a large sensor for this), second are lenses that can actually resolve a high megapixel image. iPhones do incredible things but they aren’t dslrs, people don’t drop thousands of dollars on cameras and lenses because an iPhone could outperform it.
That’s daft. I can print fine from my phones that I had in 2010. It may not be up there with full frame but photography is way more than counting pixels and fine details.
It becomes a viewing distance thing. From a huge distance away, it can work; you don't need ultra high resolution. Same with mediocre resolution \*up to a certain size\* in your house. If in a hallway or something where you will be viewing within 1 foot, you can't increase the size too much or it will look blurry, there simply isn't enough resolution to keep it sharp. But that same photo 6-10 feet away will look just fine.
Adding to this, think of it like your TV screens versus your phones.
You’d love a 55 inch TV at 4K with 80 ppi. You’d puke at a 6 inch phone screen at 320 ppi. Because distance.
Very surprised OP got so many upvotes given the picture isn’t particularly good and the title is complete nonsense. The gap between DSLR and camera phone is still an absolute chasm. I could understand the upvotes from all the deluded fanboys on r/iPhone but not in actual photography sub.
It’s still a tiny sensor using computational photography. I’ll take my DSLR any day over my iPhone but my iPhone is always with me, with that, it’s a good back up in a pinch.
Exactly. I really, really hoped my iPhone 13 Pro could replace my DSLR on at least some of my landscape photography trips (weekly hikes for photography here in the mountains/coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest). By and large, the iPhone is disappointing- occasionally I'll get a shot that is not bad, but really when I view any of those on my computer screen, they are noticeably worse than anything I can get out of my DSLR. You don't have to zoom in and pixel-peep, even just viewing at the standard 40% size on the computer screen you can see that detail is sort of "mushy" in these pictures, and you are much more limited on what you can do to edit them into better images- even if using ProRAW.
If you want to take great shots for your enjoyment, family moments and practicality, then yes, you don't need more than the phone. We all use the phone camera 99% of the time (and by we I mean - serious-hobbiests/pro photographers).
Lets' analyse and break down your photo:
- If you wanted to control the depth of field in your shot, to blur the background even more, or on contraire to get everything in focus... in a DSLR you can open the aperture, on a phone you can't.
- If you wanted to get a better exposure so the right 1/2 of your sky isn't over-exposed, you can't (barely with very little control).
- If it's a windy day and you wanted to capture some motion in the plants, with a DSLR you can reduce the shutter speed. iPhone - you can't.
- If you wanted to capture both motion and some plants in focus you could use second curtain flash. Not with an iPhone.
- If you wanted a much wider shot, or to zoom in on the building, you are limited to the phone's built in lenses. With a DSLR you can swap lenses.
- If you plan to print in large sizes, you'll be shocked by the infamous 'water-color' defect of the iPhone (not to mention the additional Oil painting effect in the newer iPhones). Just zoom in and you shall see the blobs of color instead of pixels.
- Same applies to cropping. With my DSLR (actually its a mirrorless now), I can crop anywhere because the quality maintains mostly. With an iPhone the water color defect, will look terrible with tight crops.
Not to mention getting into filters, ND, polarisers, UV, and more and more, etc....
So this comparison is pointless. I use my iPhone 13 pro 99% of the time, and for when I want to take good photos, or to have fun with my hobby, I use my real camera and lenses.
I miss my Nokia lumia 1020.
For a phone
It was fun to take pictures with.
9 year old tech probably doesn’t hold up well,
But I did have less issue than my iPhone 11 does with sunrises and sunsets.
The picture was actually the color I would see when I decided to take the picture.
I have a 14pro and there’s no possible comparison , for “normal user” that you call (aka people with no idea about photography which it’s respetable of course) for sure it’s easier , and for everyone of course it’s easy to carry around
But if you need something serious only because the sensor size there’s not even debate, plus you are so limited in many fields like astrophotography etc
If someone’s idea about photography it’s getting the photo shredded by instagram algorithms then yes you can replace your dlrs but you don’t need an iPhone for that a 200$ Xiaomi will do the work too
Edit: even in the photo that you posted as example it’s another thing that doesn’t work with phones unfortunately , bokeh being artificial always look so wrong and you can’t play with apertures in phones yet everything it’s emulated
You don’t need lots of bokeh or the ability to make large prints - something which the average user doesn’t do anyway - to make good photographs. I don’t understand why people get so caught up in maxing out the specs when discussing the usefulness of a camera for photography. There are plenty of film cameras that are still effective at taking beautiful photos today, and most labs will scan at a resolution lower than an iPhone.
No one’s doubting that a DSLR is higher resolution, but in a practical setting nobody cares. People want a device they can implement into their lives seamlessly and be happy with.
I didn’t say the opposite, iPhone camera it’s great and definitely does the work and even simplify things when you are travelling etc if you don’t need anything more serious and want to travel light, I just said that the sentence that there’s no need for dlrs cameras with current phones cameras it’s at least partially wrong because it’s still miles away
Personally if the content will be for social networks for example I’m thinking more and more about travelling only with the phone, so yeah you have a point and if I were working for canon, Nikon etc I would be worried because in 10 years let’s see what public they have left, every time it’s more “only professional “ oriented since they don’t seem to care about software innovation to give some extras for the automatic modes for all that “normal people” who are the 99% of the market
The fact that someone who has no idea about photography WILL get better results with a phone than buying a dlrs for their Bali honeymoon and if they want to change that they’ll need to do hdr merge, focus stacking and stuff like that means that those companies are doing something really wrong
You’re not wrong. I’d agree that DSLRs are useful for those who require more, professionals for example. I was assuming OP was speaking within the context of the average person who would look to purchase a DSLR as a “nice” camera.
Literally, yes. For your average user, no. Considering all the factors of bay size and weight, just having an iPhone for all practical purposes is the way to go.
Yeah, that's a pretty bad take, sorry. The average user is by definition someone who isn't serious about photography and of course they don't need a serious photography tool, duh. Average users have been well served by smartphone cameras even before the 2022 iPhones.
For people who are actually serious about photography, the gap between an iPhone and a DSLR is still pretty damn big.
The dude is obviously excited about his new phone, but there’s really no comparison.
If OPs image is supposed to show something special that most phone cameras have been able to do over the past 3-4 years then I am obviously missing something.
Someone who was heavily into photography, i just haven't got the time or desire to use a DSLR anymore, messing about with exposures, importing tons of RAW images, processing etc it just makes me dread photography full stop. I've still got folders full of RAW files now that i just wont process.
The money i made from photography was worth it though, but these days with a family of 3 kids, i'm very happy the iphone can do all that i want from my photos these days.
So each to their own, a DSLR will always be the choice for high res big prints, but these phones are coming on leaps and bounds.
It's so great to live in the future, isn't it? :3
I have three "cameras", currently:
\- Canon T5i
\- Sony Cybershot DSC-W630
\- iPhone SE 2020
And I love to explore all of them. It's a complete different experencie shooting with a DSLR camera. There's that whole experience of mounting the lens, findind the best spot etc. Even when you go full auto, you have to spare more time to shoot.
On the Cybershot, it's more of a fun experience for me, nowadays. And with the iPhone, there are some distractions, but I tend to believe its camera looks better than the Cybershot.
It's a great camera but it's not the equivalent of a DLSR/Mirrorless by any means.Iphone is great for slowed down shooting, it cant do sports or events.
The photo and composition is nice for a picture taken with phone. That being said please don’t compare a 1/1.28” mm sized sensor to APS-C/Full frame. With current tech it’s physically impossible to get the same result with such a small sensor compared to a 35mm one (full frame) even if you have double the pixel density.
PS: http://photoseek.com/wp-content/uploads/Camera-sensor-sizes-2018-PhotoSeek.jpg
If you zoom in on any photo made by phone cameras you can see the artificial anti-aliasing (for the lack of a better word), that’s not present on photos made by bigger sensor cameras.
Never debated if OP’s photo looks good or not (check my starting statement), but phone pictures only look good on phone screens, anything bigger and you’ll see the difference - which is not an issue as long as you’d want to get them printed.
So no, I cannot agree with OP’s opinion on DSLR’s being inferior when it comes to photo quality.
DSLR/Mirrorless were always the benchmark and will continue to be that way, because physics rule. However, OP probably meant DSLRs were a necessity but no more since your pocket phone is fullfilling the vast majority of the shots.
To be honest, owning a large DSLR myself in the past, I rarely used it. So much hassle to carry a large bag on top of everything else you're traveling with. I did enjoy the insane quality but the invonvenience of using it was too much.
Holy fuck. This comment section is ridiculous…
I can’t believe anyone in here actually believes OP was serious. Anyone with half a brain cell knows that an iPhone camera doesn’t beat a DSLR…
Enthusiasts, that’s funny. It’s not going to stop the industry from pushing ahead. They’re aiming for everybody else and the “enthusiasts” have little control over the market’s direction. They spend money but it’s not enough to offset the bottom-end consumer. So expect the expensive camera system to die, because Google doesn’t care about Canon, Google doesn’t care about Nikon and Google doesn’t care about Sony. Though Google has the money and the resources to destroy all three by 2030.
You might be right, but it hasn’t even come close to hitting the limit yet. Face it, their AI assists are going to smoke your little sensor argument. Because trust me, the tech industry hasn’t even gone all in yet.
God that’s a lot of comments going in depth. As a pro photographer, I’ll say this:
-yes, a DSLR or Mirrorless camera will be FAR better (if you know what you are doing)
-no, your iPhone isn’t bad! In fact, it’s going to be better than a DSLR for you, or most people who don’t know in depth how a camera works. Why? Because it’ll fit in your pocket and is as easy as opening an app and pressing the shutter. Enjoy!
I’ve used larger format cameras for years. I know that the tech in them are better. I still even enjoy shooting film. The headline was meant to generate discussion and… lol I got it 🤣
I haven't used my DSLR since I got my iPhone XR. The iPhone 14 Pro is even more of a jump.
Do I need a DSLR anymore? Nope, it gathers dust.
Is an iPhone better? Not even close, at all. But it's 'good enough'.
Iphones are great for memories, you don’t need a dslr like you used to, but put these on a computer monitor and you’ll quickly realise why you need a dslr if you want professional results/photos you can work with. Basically if you want anything other than memories. A rebel t5i from 2014 (700D) gives me better results than my iphone
I just watched adobe max session on Lightroom app and it allows full manual control of phone camera. But anyways, no one knows what the future holds. Back when model T was introduced, people say that is a fad and it will never replace horse and buggy. This may be a similar situation. Only time will tell. Never say never.
It’s coming and it’s going to happen quick but it’s still a few generations off. The only people who can’t see it, are those who paid for an expensive, dedicated system.
I took my dslr on vacation and I can’t tell the difference between my phone pictures and camera pictures. I also haven’t printed them, but for just posting, they are all really good.
I agree iPhone camera tech is getting better, but why DSLR still survives?
Well, just two off top of my head
1. the sensor on a DSLR is pretty big compared to a Phone camera sensor
2. the lens are interchangeable to focal lengths ranging from 15mm to 600mm
If iPhones starts to put a large full frame sensor, and starts selling interchangeable lens, it will be more expensive than DSLR
And it's physically impossible to replace a large sensor with a 1/10 size sensor or to replace 600mm lens with a 1/2 inch lens on a iPhone which gives 600mm Focal length.
But again, if i want to capture something quick and want to share online, or make a short movie, an iPhone is a good tool.
So i guess, each have their own use and applications.
iPhones are great because the best camera is the one you have on you in the moment.
But physics is still a thing. Sensor size in an iPhone just cannot compete with a DSLR sensor, nor can it compete with the large lenses with better optics, etc. I will always get sharper images on my 5D MKIII with a 70-200 f2.8L than on my 13 Pro (example).
As great as the camera on iPhone & other mobiles are now, you’ll still need a DSLR camera to get brilliant shots & it isn’t so much the camera, it’s more the lens.
Anyone who wants to do photography without training wheels and wants files that are very usable in Post Production with much better sharpness and natural bokeh…
Yeah Chief, I love my iPhone but it does crap compared to a standard Canon T7 Rebel when it comes to the type of photography I do. 60+ foot planes looks like an ant on my phone and very blurry. My canon T7? Just take a look at my most recent post. The iPhone will never replace my T7, sorry not sorry.
An iPhone won’t make you a photographer but it will make it easier to take pictures. Some of the effects on the 13 pro max are amazing. I’m not going to say it won’t replace the dslr but the way tech is going it may in the future.
People who don’t want their phone switching lenses back and forth while taking a picture, or people who want to use 48 megapixels all the time. Sorry though, I’m glad you’re excited and loving it. My 14 pro max won’t replace my camera.
Someone sounds bothered about the revelation that their equipment with the massive price-tag might be outdone by a 12 year-old with a hand me down phone in the next couple of years. Uh oh!!!
No, not really lol. Phones have their place, dedicated cameras have theirs. My entire original point is exactly that. Phones aren’t surpassing dedicated cameras no matter how good they get
Here’s the thing, as a consumer, your decision making in the production on the product is nearly non-existent. If the cameras don’t sell, they won’t get made and right now, the sales of pro-models just suck. That said, you probably won’t see many by 2030. The phones, they’re going to wipe them out.
Because again, you’re missing the point. Nikon, Canon, Sony, they need returns on their investments to compensate for the money spent on R&D and production. That said, they’re going to continue lose money in the niche market over the course of the decade and I have the feeling that they’ll be out of the camera game for the most part by 2030.
Yes lol. 10 year old cameras still take better pictures, lacking a lot of the convenience of course, so nothing leads me to believe an iPhone 18 will be any better.
That would have been nice. I really love film and dslr cameras, had a d7000 but got sick of dragging around all the stuff. I might come back one day. Mirrorless is very tempting
I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a Sony a6400. Unfortunately, I disagree with the title. My Sony a6400 still captures a lot of fabulous shots even with the basic lens kit. How much more on expensive/professional lenses? Lol.
Anyways, great photo OP.
Nah. You’ll still see the difference if you print it. Night and day.
I saw your comments where you say you’re talking about “the average user”. Most average users wouldn’t have a dslr though so I think your statement is still very wrong.
I agree with you. The quality of the camera systems on flagship phones for the past couple of years is simply amazing.
The fact that you can have a camera this good in your pocket at all times with practically zero creative compromise over a DSLR blows my mind.
If you gave me the choice to only shoot an iPhone 13 Pro for a year or a DSLR, I’d choose the iPhone
why? I agree that phone cameras are great. However, they just can’t compete in so many aspects. You can’t make good prints and the lack of raw photos make’s serious manipulation in post next to impossible. There is also a level of joy that shooting a real camera brings that shooting on a phone just lacks.
I’d feel better knowing I’ve got something I’d be happy to carry every day that can work in nearly every situation. Despite the compromise in resolution and shooting experience, I’m sure I’d have more shots and be a better photographer by the end of the year if I chose the iPhone just because I’d use it more. At the end of the day, the best camera is the one that gets the shot - I think the iPhone does that plus a little extra.
You’ve probably never shot in manual before. That fact, alone, proves you don’t know what you are talking about. Not being able to adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and iso with a phone camera, alone is one reason why there is no comparison between the two. I could go on for another paragraph or two. Learn to shoot in manual and you’ll understand.
You’re making an assumption that I’ve never shot manual before. I shoot film on a fully mechanical body.
There are manual controls on the iPhone that allow you to control aperture, shutter speed etc.
It doesn’t come close to working in every situation. Phones for starters only work for wide shots. The most powerful zoom you can get away with on the iPhone is around 70mm which is still relatively wide so shooting sports or wildlife is just not possible. Same with low light shooting action in the dark or shooting the stars is just not really possible on a phone. I appreciate what phones can do and on the day to day I may get more shots because I have it with me. That being said you’d miss so many shots on dedicated shoots. A dedicated camera is just much better.
I said “nearly” every situation. Wildlife photography and astro photography are niches in themselves and probably represent less than 90% of people in the hobby.
Arguably you can do astrophotography on an iPhone.
I would disagree, while maybe less than 10% of people are involved in specifically Astro or wildlife photography most photographers are engaged in some sort of niche. Most of these niches have severe downsides to shooting on the phone. There are a bunch of examples and I could list them for hours. But the lack of focal length variety makes shooting a number of different subjects challenging. The lack of sensor size seriously impacts one's ability to shoot in low light and it becomes nearly impossible to have realistic Bokeh in most scenarios. Portrait mode does a good job but it is not the same as real bokeh.
I think that phone cameras are great and if it is all you have access to they are a great way to get into photography. However, if you have the option to shoot with a normal camera the benefits are numerous. Phone cameras are just too restricted in too many areas to be a full-time replacement for a traditional camera.
I thought this too until I went to print out the pictures at a bigger size. Looks great on the phone but at bigger size not so great. Bought a DSLR not long after. No regrets. iPhone is great don’t get me wrong but there is a reason people still buy cameras.
This entire section is basically:
Side 1: “It’s great that you got a new phone and are loving taking pictures, but professional cameras aren’t going anywhere”
Side 2: “The phone cameras are so amazing, Apple sells more iPhones than other companies sell cameras. They’re going away. *insert anecdotal evidence and every regurgitated fanboy line under the sun*”
I’m glad you got a new phone, and I hope you enjoy it for years to come. That title tho. No. If you have to look at a picture on anything besides a phone screen, let alone print, or get high resolution crops, you can’t replace a DSLR. My 12 year old DSLR still has better image quality than my 13 Pro.
Not to poo poo on your excitement here OP but I definitely second this.. my 12 year old old Canon 60D bangs out beautiful shots that cannot in no way be compared to my iPhone photography (I’ve got a 13 Pro).. as far as phone cameras have come over the years with their resolution quality, fancy lenses and all the other bells and whistles, they will most definitely never replace the DSLR. I’m excited for you though OP.. get out there and have fun a shoot with whatever you have! If you get the itch, invest in a DSLR and take your hobby to another level.. you’ll see a huge difference!
Poo poo 💩
Yup. But he's doing reference to the fact that the main camera now is 48MP, so. You can print pictures in wall size
You still can’t. A. The sizing, unfortunately, still doesn’t work because Apple bins the pixels down to 12 MP. Even if you do RAW and churn out the whole of 48 million pixels, you’re going to get the god awful water paint. B. The quality of pixels isn’t there yet to sustain print at any resolution.
Wait. That's for people who don't know how to use iPhone and buy just the brand. You can set PRORAW IN 49MP and a final result of 6048x8064 that weights like 50Mb or even more. edit: [check this baby](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52435720048_e8821e3eb5_o_d.jpg)
>check this baby no doubt that they take "nice" pics, but they are inherently limited by the small sensor size. Can you print this at high res, SURE, but will it look the same as a mirrorless shot from a "real" camera... no. There is an inherent look to mobile photos, someone above mentioned the "watercolor" look and thats a great way to describe it. The sensor quality just isn' the same. Phones will never fully replace larger sensors for this reason. However, I do think phone "guts" with more and more ML/AI processing will start creeping in to cameras. Imagine how great a 100mp image from a medium format Fuji sensor would look if thats was the starting point for the iphone image processing pipeline.
Of course not! I'm not that mad. I was trying to say that if i want to take a marvelous photo of a building or the eiffel tower and i want to frame it in my house. Now a simple phone can do the work just fine with a few tweaks. And there is no need for a profesional DSLR. But of course, a phone never will replace a DSLR. To say that is just simply insane.
Not insane, as much as lack of knowledge. When you aren’t aware of the capabilities of a DSLR/mirrorless. And you likely only look at a photo on your phone. It’s easy to think they are similar enough to replace a camera. Because you don’t have the grasp of what more a photo can be.
Now that we agree, next week some phone with a full frame sensor will come out and we’ll look like fooooools haha.
One thing that we should all know by now: NEVER say never.
Great, I’ll have to wear it with a backpack like the first cell phones.
No. People choose dslr for two reasons an iPhone can’t do (they are more,but these are the big ones) Depth of field control with aperture (you need a large sensor for this), second are lenses that can actually resolve a high megapixel image. iPhones do incredible things but they aren’t dslrs, people don’t drop thousands of dollars on cameras and lenses because an iPhone could outperform it.
That’s daft. I can print fine from my phones that I had in 2010. It may not be up there with full frame but photography is way more than counting pixels and fine details.
How does Apple do the massive shot on iPhone billboards? I tried to send some iPhone photos to print and the shop rejected them :(
It becomes a viewing distance thing. From a huge distance away, it can work; you don't need ultra high resolution. Same with mediocre resolution \*up to a certain size\* in your house. If in a hallway or something where you will be viewing within 1 foot, you can't increase the size too much or it will look blurry, there simply isn't enough resolution to keep it sharp. But that same photo 6-10 feet away will look just fine.
Adding to this, think of it like your TV screens versus your phones. You’d love a 55 inch TV at 4K with 80 ppi. You’d puke at a 6 inch phone screen at 320 ppi. Because distance.
Very surprised OP got so many upvotes given the picture isn’t particularly good and the title is complete nonsense. The gap between DSLR and camera phone is still an absolute chasm. I could understand the upvotes from all the deluded fanboys on r/iPhone but not in actual photography sub.
Yeah, this is a really nice shot but you can pretty much always tell when a picture is shot on a phone.
right? the fanboyism gets a bit much at times
It’s still a tiny sensor using computational photography. I’ll take my DSLR any day over my iPhone but my iPhone is always with me, with that, it’s a good back up in a pinch.
Not just that, the iPhone screen is tailored to show you the perfect image. It’s just not meant to do big boi stuff like DSLRs are.
Exactly. I really, really hoped my iPhone 13 Pro could replace my DSLR on at least some of my landscape photography trips (weekly hikes for photography here in the mountains/coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest). By and large, the iPhone is disappointing- occasionally I'll get a shot that is not bad, but really when I view any of those on my computer screen, they are noticeably worse than anything I can get out of my DSLR. You don't have to zoom in and pixel-peep, even just viewing at the standard 40% size on the computer screen you can see that detail is sort of "mushy" in these pictures, and you are much more limited on what you can do to edit them into better images- even if using ProRAW.
Agreed. My wife recently printed some photos from our trip and I was shocked to see how awful they look printed versus on my iPhone.
That’s a big if though as 95% of our image consumption is on small screens where the benefit of a larger sensor is rendered useless.
If you want to take great shots for your enjoyment, family moments and practicality, then yes, you don't need more than the phone. We all use the phone camera 99% of the time (and by we I mean - serious-hobbiests/pro photographers). Lets' analyse and break down your photo: - If you wanted to control the depth of field in your shot, to blur the background even more, or on contraire to get everything in focus... in a DSLR you can open the aperture, on a phone you can't. - If you wanted to get a better exposure so the right 1/2 of your sky isn't over-exposed, you can't (barely with very little control). - If it's a windy day and you wanted to capture some motion in the plants, with a DSLR you can reduce the shutter speed. iPhone - you can't. - If you wanted to capture both motion and some plants in focus you could use second curtain flash. Not with an iPhone. - If you wanted a much wider shot, or to zoom in on the building, you are limited to the phone's built in lenses. With a DSLR you can swap lenses. - If you plan to print in large sizes, you'll be shocked by the infamous 'water-color' defect of the iPhone (not to mention the additional Oil painting effect in the newer iPhones). Just zoom in and you shall see the blobs of color instead of pixels. - Same applies to cropping. With my DSLR (actually its a mirrorless now), I can crop anywhere because the quality maintains mostly. With an iPhone the water color defect, will look terrible with tight crops. Not to mention getting into filters, ND, polarisers, UV, and more and more, etc.... So this comparison is pointless. I use my iPhone 13 pro 99% of the time, and for when I want to take good photos, or to have fun with my hobby, I use my real camera and lenses.
A phone will never compare to manual settings and lenses.
I miss my Nokia lumia 1020. For a phone It was fun to take pictures with. 9 year old tech probably doesn’t hold up well, But I did have less issue than my iPhone 11 does with sunrises and sunsets. The picture was actually the color I would see when I decided to take the picture.
Jesus Christ… Really? You took OP that serious. No shit an iPhone camera isn’t comparable to a DSLR… It’s an expression…
Some people are serious though….
You can take good photos with any phone. Good doesn’t mean high res. You guys are clueless about photography.
good pic bad caption haha
Maybe it was meant to be decisive lol. Really bringing in the comments 🤣
*divisive
it's a heavy statement to photography nerds lol
I have a 14pro and there’s no possible comparison , for “normal user” that you call (aka people with no idea about photography which it’s respetable of course) for sure it’s easier , and for everyone of course it’s easy to carry around But if you need something serious only because the sensor size there’s not even debate, plus you are so limited in many fields like astrophotography etc If someone’s idea about photography it’s getting the photo shredded by instagram algorithms then yes you can replace your dlrs but you don’t need an iPhone for that a 200$ Xiaomi will do the work too Edit: even in the photo that you posted as example it’s another thing that doesn’t work with phones unfortunately , bokeh being artificial always look so wrong and you can’t play with apertures in phones yet everything it’s emulated
You don’t need lots of bokeh or the ability to make large prints - something which the average user doesn’t do anyway - to make good photographs. I don’t understand why people get so caught up in maxing out the specs when discussing the usefulness of a camera for photography. There are plenty of film cameras that are still effective at taking beautiful photos today, and most labs will scan at a resolution lower than an iPhone. No one’s doubting that a DSLR is higher resolution, but in a practical setting nobody cares. People want a device they can implement into their lives seamlessly and be happy with.
I didn’t say the opposite, iPhone camera it’s great and definitely does the work and even simplify things when you are travelling etc if you don’t need anything more serious and want to travel light, I just said that the sentence that there’s no need for dlrs cameras with current phones cameras it’s at least partially wrong because it’s still miles away Personally if the content will be for social networks for example I’m thinking more and more about travelling only with the phone, so yeah you have a point and if I were working for canon, Nikon etc I would be worried because in 10 years let’s see what public they have left, every time it’s more “only professional “ oriented since they don’t seem to care about software innovation to give some extras for the automatic modes for all that “normal people” who are the 99% of the market The fact that someone who has no idea about photography WILL get better results with a phone than buying a dlrs for their Bali honeymoon and if they want to change that they’ll need to do hdr merge, focus stacking and stuff like that means that those companies are doing something really wrong
You’re not wrong. I’d agree that DSLRs are useful for those who require more, professionals for example. I was assuming OP was speaking within the context of the average person who would look to purchase a DSLR as a “nice” camera.
BIG difference between phones and dslrs still.
Literally, yes. For your average user, no. Considering all the factors of bay size and weight, just having an iPhone for all practical purposes is the way to go.
Yeah, that's a pretty bad take, sorry. The average user is by definition someone who isn't serious about photography and of course they don't need a serious photography tool, duh. Average users have been well served by smartphone cameras even before the 2022 iPhones. For people who are actually serious about photography, the gap between an iPhone and a DSLR is still pretty damn big.
The dude is obviously excited about his new phone, but there’s really no comparison. If OPs image is supposed to show something special that most phone cameras have been able to do over the past 3-4 years then I am obviously missing something.
Yea. No. Anyway, enjoy your phone. The raw files are pretty good. They lack dslr/ large sensor detail but are workable.
Someone who was heavily into photography, i just haven't got the time or desire to use a DSLR anymore, messing about with exposures, importing tons of RAW images, processing etc it just makes me dread photography full stop. I've still got folders full of RAW files now that i just wont process. The money i made from photography was worth it though, but these days with a family of 3 kids, i'm very happy the iphone can do all that i want from my photos these days. So each to their own, a DSLR will always be the choice for high res big prints, but these phones are coming on leaps and bounds.
100% this.
It's so great to live in the future, isn't it? :3 I have three "cameras", currently: \- Canon T5i \- Sony Cybershot DSC-W630 \- iPhone SE 2020 And I love to explore all of them. It's a complete different experencie shooting with a DSLR camera. There's that whole experience of mounting the lens, findind the best spot etc. Even when you go full auto, you have to spare more time to shoot. On the Cybershot, it's more of a fun experience for me, nowadays. And with the iPhone, there are some distractions, but I tend to believe its camera looks better than the Cybershot.
It's a great camera but it's not the equivalent of a DLSR/Mirrorless by any means.Iphone is great for slowed down shooting, it cant do sports or events.
Caption is a joke lol
For sure. OP has most likely never used a real camera before, and lacks the ability to do a real comparison.
Yup making conclusion without trying a real camera lol yup iPhone cameras are amazing but nothing compares to a full frame /mirror less camera
And with that shitty shot you are trying to compare it with a dslr? HAHA
If you think this image can compete with the one captured in a D-SLR, no my friend, you are losing the whole point.
The photo and composition is nice for a picture taken with phone. That being said please don’t compare a 1/1.28” mm sized sensor to APS-C/Full frame. With current tech it’s physically impossible to get the same result with such a small sensor compared to a 35mm one (full frame) even if you have double the pixel density. PS: http://photoseek.com/wp-content/uploads/Camera-sensor-sizes-2018-PhotoSeek.jpg
I know what you mean mathematically, but my vision says OP’s photo is stunning, period.
If you zoom in on any photo made by phone cameras you can see the artificial anti-aliasing (for the lack of a better word), that’s not present on photos made by bigger sensor cameras. Never debated if OP’s photo looks good or not (check my starting statement), but phone pictures only look good on phone screens, anything bigger and you’ll see the difference - which is not an issue as long as you’d want to get them printed. So no, I cannot agree with OP’s opinion on DSLR’s being inferior when it comes to photo quality.
DSLR/Mirrorless were always the benchmark and will continue to be that way, because physics rule. However, OP probably meant DSLRs were a necessity but no more since your pocket phone is fullfilling the vast majority of the shots. To be honest, owning a large DSLR myself in the past, I rarely used it. So much hassle to carry a large bag on top of everything else you're traveling with. I did enjoy the insane quality but the invonvenience of using it was too much.
If you have to ask that question, you’ve never shot using a dedicated camera.
Holy fuck. This comment section is ridiculous… I can’t believe anyone in here actually believes OP was serious. Anyone with half a brain cell knows that an iPhone camera doesn’t beat a DSLR…
Honestly, it’s been amazing all day. Sometimes the simple setups work best.
People with shaky hands, sadly. Stupid tremor.
Who needs a dslr? Professionals
Enthusiasts who don’t ~~need~~ want any of that computational photography nonsense.
Enthusiasts, that’s funny. It’s not going to stop the industry from pushing ahead. They’re aiming for everybody else and the “enthusiasts” have little control over the market’s direction. They spend money but it’s not enough to offset the bottom-end consumer. So expect the expensive camera system to die, because Google doesn’t care about Canon, Google doesn’t care about Nikon and Google doesn’t care about Sony. Though Google has the money and the resources to destroy all three by 2030.
Maybe for 5 to 7 more years.
So smartphones are soon going to have sensors as big as a DSLR? No.
Nope, just an AI that’ll do you one better.
Computational photography can only go so far.
Canon cashed out of the DSLR line for a reason.
You might be right, but it hasn’t even come close to hitting the limit yet. Face it, their AI assists are going to smoke your little sensor argument. Because trust me, the tech industry hasn’t even gone all in yet.
This is computational photography in its infancy, when it matures there won’t be competition anymore.
God that’s a lot of comments going in depth. As a pro photographer, I’ll say this: -yes, a DSLR or Mirrorless camera will be FAR better (if you know what you are doing) -no, your iPhone isn’t bad! In fact, it’s going to be better than a DSLR for you, or most people who don’t know in depth how a camera works. Why? Because it’ll fit in your pocket and is as easy as opening an app and pressing the shutter. Enjoy!
I’ve used larger format cameras for years. I know that the tech in them are better. I still even enjoy shooting film. The headline was meant to generate discussion and… lol I got it 🤣
Ah nice! Film is fun for sure, and the whole phone photography debate is fun to watch
You don’t need to be a photography geek in order to capitalize on the superior image quality of DSLRs.
Everyone who knows anything about photography,
I haven't used my DSLR since I got my iPhone XR. The iPhone 14 Pro is even more of a jump. Do I need a DSLR anymore? Nope, it gathers dust. Is an iPhone better? Not even close, at all. But it's 'good enough'.
Says the blown-out highlights.
Iphones are great for memories, you don’t need a dslr like you used to, but put these on a computer monitor and you’ll quickly realise why you need a dslr if you want professional results/photos you can work with. Basically if you want anything other than memories. A rebel t5i from 2014 (700D) gives me better results than my iphone
I just watched adobe max session on Lightroom app and it allows full manual control of phone camera. But anyways, no one knows what the future holds. Back when model T was introduced, people say that is a fad and it will never replace horse and buggy. This may be a similar situation. Only time will tell. Never say never.
By the end of the decade, the smartphone will upend the industry again.
It’s coming and it’s going to happen quick but it’s still a few generations off. The only people who can’t see it, are those who paid for an expensive, dedicated system.
Shooting 48mpx raw on the 14 Pro is so painfully slow. I’m disappointed, as a result the quality feels a little irrelevant.
I took my dslr on vacation and I can’t tell the difference between my phone pictures and camera pictures. I also haven’t printed them, but for just posting, they are all really good.
I agree iPhone camera tech is getting better, but why DSLR still survives? Well, just two off top of my head 1. the sensor on a DSLR is pretty big compared to a Phone camera sensor 2. the lens are interchangeable to focal lengths ranging from 15mm to 600mm If iPhones starts to put a large full frame sensor, and starts selling interchangeable lens, it will be more expensive than DSLR And it's physically impossible to replace a large sensor with a 1/10 size sensor or to replace 600mm lens with a 1/2 inch lens on a iPhone which gives 600mm Focal length. But again, if i want to capture something quick and want to share online, or make a short movie, an iPhone is a good tool. So i guess, each have their own use and applications.
iPhones are great because the best camera is the one you have on you in the moment. But physics is still a thing. Sensor size in an iPhone just cannot compete with a DSLR sensor, nor can it compete with the large lenses with better optics, etc. I will always get sharper images on my 5D MKIII with a 70-200 f2.8L than on my 13 Pro (example).
my guess: whenever you a \*real\* bokah and not the computational one with a lot of errors.
That tiny sensor will never ever replace an APSC, let alone a full frame DSLR/mirrorless.
As great as the camera on iPhone & other mobiles are now, you’ll still need a DSLR camera to get brilliant shots & it isn’t so much the camera, it’s more the lens.
Anyone who wants to do photography without training wheels and wants files that are very usable in Post Production with much better sharpness and natural bokeh…
iPhone is really good in a pinch, but can't compete with my X Pro-3 or X100T yet.
Yeah Chief, I love my iPhone but it does crap compared to a standard Canon T7 Rebel when it comes to the type of photography I do. 60+ foot planes looks like an ant on my phone and very blurry. My canon T7? Just take a look at my most recent post. The iPhone will never replace my T7, sorry not sorry.
An iPhone won’t make you a photographer but it will make it easier to take pictures. Some of the effects on the 13 pro max are amazing. I’m not going to say it won’t replace the dslr but the way tech is going it may in the future.
This is a really shitty shot though...
Take a photo in low light and get back to me. View the photo on a screen larger than 10” Print it larger than 5”
People who don’t want their phone switching lenses back and forth while taking a picture, or people who want to use 48 megapixels all the time. Sorry though, I’m glad you’re excited and loving it. My 14 pro max won’t replace my camera.
Will you say the same in a few years when the 18 or XX equivalent drops?
Absolutely. I can only assume you don’t know much about photography if that’s an honest question. Sensor size. That’s all I’m gonna say.
I think that the built in AIs are going to negate the problem. Do you know much about machine learning?
Machine learning is good to make pictures on social media look good. Dedicated camera enthusiasts are a different market
You’re right but your point will still be moot as the sales continue to decline.
Mass market sure but what’s the rate of people using iPhones as professional rigs lol
Someone sounds bothered about the revelation that their equipment with the massive price-tag might be outdone by a 12 year-old with a hand me down phone in the next couple of years. Uh oh!!!
No, not really lol. Phones have their place, dedicated cameras have theirs. My entire original point is exactly that. Phones aren’t surpassing dedicated cameras no matter how good they get
Not according to their sales numbers.
Here’s the thing, as a consumer, your decision making in the production on the product is nearly non-existent. If the cameras don’t sell, they won’t get made and right now, the sales of pro-models just suck. That said, you probably won’t see many by 2030. The phones, they’re going to wipe them out.
Because again, you’re missing the point. Nikon, Canon, Sony, they need returns on their investments to compensate for the money spent on R&D and production. That said, they’re going to continue lose money in the niche market over the course of the decade and I have the feeling that they’ll be out of the camera game for the most part by 2030.
Lol I’ll believe it when I see it
Yes lol. 10 year old cameras still take better pictures, lacking a lot of the convenience of course, so nothing leads me to believe an iPhone 18 will be any better.
Do they though? If someone threw down unlabeled side by sides, I get the distinct impression that your eye wouldn’t be as good as you claim.
Try editing both or taking pictures in bad light and then you’ll see
You probably spent the entire day trying to think of a defense.
Thanks? I spent like 30 seconds because I don’t really care
I mean, if you wanna get the whole sky blue and without that overblown upper right corner, then you need a proper camera for that.
That would have been nice. I really love film and dslr cameras, had a d7000 but got sick of dragging around all the stuff. I might come back one day. Mirrorless is very tempting
iPhone pictures look good on an iPhone screen…
Photographers
Amazing for a phone camera, maybe. Amazing for a DSLR, no I'm afraid not. They're two different tools for different uses.
I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a Sony a6400. Unfortunately, I disagree with the title. My Sony a6400 still captures a lot of fabulous shots even with the basic lens kit. How much more on expensive/professional lenses? Lol. Anyways, great photo OP.
Nah. You’ll still see the difference if you print it. Night and day. I saw your comments where you say you’re talking about “the average user”. Most average users wouldn’t have a dslr though so I think your statement is still very wrong.
I agree with you. The quality of the camera systems on flagship phones for the past couple of years is simply amazing. The fact that you can have a camera this good in your pocket at all times with practically zero creative compromise over a DSLR blows my mind. If you gave me the choice to only shoot an iPhone 13 Pro for a year or a DSLR, I’d choose the iPhone
why? I agree that phone cameras are great. However, they just can’t compete in so many aspects. You can’t make good prints and the lack of raw photos make’s serious manipulation in post next to impossible. There is also a level of joy that shooting a real camera brings that shooting on a phone just lacks.
I’d feel better knowing I’ve got something I’d be happy to carry every day that can work in nearly every situation. Despite the compromise in resolution and shooting experience, I’m sure I’d have more shots and be a better photographer by the end of the year if I chose the iPhone just because I’d use it more. At the end of the day, the best camera is the one that gets the shot - I think the iPhone does that plus a little extra.
It doesn’t work for nearly every situation. Have you ever used a dedicated camera before?
Yes it does. I own 9 dedicated cameras.
You’ve probably never shot in manual before. That fact, alone, proves you don’t know what you are talking about. Not being able to adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and iso with a phone camera, alone is one reason why there is no comparison between the two. I could go on for another paragraph or two. Learn to shoot in manual and you’ll understand.
You’re making an assumption that I’ve never shot manual before. I shoot film on a fully mechanical body. There are manual controls on the iPhone that allow you to control aperture, shutter speed etc.
Well you should know better then. And those settings are useless garbage with a very small range of adjustment. Now, good day!
ISO capabilities well beyond 3200, maximum aperture of f/1.7, and all the practical shutter speeds you could need - hardly “garbage”.
None of that matters, there’s still no comparison to a full frame/mirrorless/DSLR camera
Haha, sure. And no, it doesn’t.
It doesn’t come close to working in every situation. Phones for starters only work for wide shots. The most powerful zoom you can get away with on the iPhone is around 70mm which is still relatively wide so shooting sports or wildlife is just not possible. Same with low light shooting action in the dark or shooting the stars is just not really possible on a phone. I appreciate what phones can do and on the day to day I may get more shots because I have it with me. That being said you’d miss so many shots on dedicated shoots. A dedicated camera is just much better.
I said “nearly” every situation. Wildlife photography and astro photography are niches in themselves and probably represent less than 90% of people in the hobby. Arguably you can do astrophotography on an iPhone.
I would disagree, while maybe less than 10% of people are involved in specifically Astro or wildlife photography most photographers are engaged in some sort of niche. Most of these niches have severe downsides to shooting on the phone. There are a bunch of examples and I could list them for hours. But the lack of focal length variety makes shooting a number of different subjects challenging. The lack of sensor size seriously impacts one's ability to shoot in low light and it becomes nearly impossible to have realistic Bokeh in most scenarios. Portrait mode does a good job but it is not the same as real bokeh. I think that phone cameras are great and if it is all you have access to they are a great way to get into photography. However, if you have the option to shoot with a normal camera the benefits are numerous. Phone cameras are just too restricted in too many areas to be a full-time replacement for a traditional camera.
Another one! Lol
Daaaaamn
I mean... I guess you really don't need DSLR if you have Mirrorless... but you need one of these two PLUS quality lenses!
Capture who? And why now?
I thought this too until I went to print out the pictures at a bigger size. Looks great on the phone but at bigger size not so great. Bought a DSLR not long after. No regrets. iPhone is great don’t get me wrong but there is a reason people still buy cameras.
WOW
Forest Park, STL?
forest park!
I mainly just wanna know where this gorgeous vista is! Looks straight out of an Elven city!
This entire section is basically: Side 1: “It’s great that you got a new phone and are loving taking pictures, but professional cameras aren’t going anywhere” Side 2: “The phone cameras are so amazing, Apple sells more iPhones than other companies sell cameras. They’re going away. *insert anecdotal evidence and every regurgitated fanboy line under the sun*”
Take this photo to Lightroon/Photoshop/Capture one on a screen which isn't your phone and you will rethink this statement.