Should I buy a camera for my next trip?
As a travel photographer, one of the most common questions I get is about cameras. “Should I buy a camera for my trip, or is my cell phone good enough?” It’s a good question and it gets harder and harder to answer as mobile devices seem to be on an exponential path of improvement in the context of imaging. In fact, when we talk about upgrading our phones these days, it often reflects a simple desire to upgrade our camera….since other than the cameras, mobile devices are (arguably) not really evolving in meaningful ways. During a recent trip to Lisbon, I met a professional that does a majority of his work on an iPhone (and not a new model). So, what separates your phone from a dedicated camera these days? Why would you want to spend the extra money or carry the extra weight?
When I use the term dedicated camera, I am referring to what we call an “Interchangeable Lens Camera” (ILC). These cameras have two components: the body and the lens. With an ILC, you change the lenses depending on what kind of shot you are taking. Perhaps you would use a macro lens to take pictures of an insect, or a telephoto lens to capture an image of a distant bird. Below, I will discuss certain situations in which an ILC is superior to a phone camera. Hopefully, this can help you decide if carrying an ILC on your next vacation makes sense for you.
Image quality. Let me start with the good news. If I took your cell phone and a $5000 Leica Camera into your backyard and took a photo of your house on a sunny day, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two images. In most cases, the ILC will have a higher resolution then your phone, but this only comes into play if you intend to blow the image up or print it at an exceptionally large size. Most of us are just sharing our photos online. So in this context, why would you need an ILC? One of the main reasons you might want to consider an ILC is if you plan to take a lot of photos in low light. The small image sensors in phones produce what we call “noise” in low light. It’s a bit like “grain” back in the film days. Although modern phones use built-in software to smooth out the images, the smoothing itself can cause you to lose detail. Now that you know this, you have to ask yourself if you care. Photo nerds like me are often “pixel peepers”, meaning that we obsess over any fault in the final rendering of the image. We are a bit odd. You don’t need to be like us.
Flexibility. In my opinion, this is probably the main issue for most people. For an ILC photographer, lenses are tools, and every job needs the right tool. As I mentioned above, if you are taking a photo of a butterfly, a macro (close-up) lens might be the correct tool. With a cell phone of course, you are stuck with the lens(es) integrated into your phone. Just how much of a limitation is this? Well, recent phones from the major manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung have addressed this by integrating multiple lenses into the phone. The latest iPhone, for example, provides a stunning built-in wide-angle lens, as well as a modest telephoto lens for magnifying more distant subjects. In other words, cell phones continue to narrow this gap, providing users with a wider array of built-in “optics”. So why would you want an ILC in this context? One of the main reasons would be if you want to do dedicated telephoto work, photographing subjects at a distance. This could be wildlife or sports. You might even be in an urban environment where you want to capture a scene taking place at a distance. Cell phone users can often “zoom in digitally” to get the shot, but the image will suffer a noticeable loss of resolution. If you want to do long-distance work, a dedicated telephoto lens is still much superior. I must say that the cell phone companies know that this is a weakness and are making extraordinary advances with both software and optics to close the gap. Another reason that ILC systems have been superior in the past is their ability to “isolate” subjects. Do you know what I mean? Its nice to see a portrait of someone where the subject is in focus, but the background is blurred out. Although ILC’s still have the advantage here, most cell phones have introduced a “portrait mode” that replicates the look of an expensive ILC portrait lens. To conclude this topic, I will say that if you are willing to carry a full array of lenses with you, the ILC is much more flexible then a cell phone. The cell phone is a jackknife. The ILC is a set of Ginsus. Do you really need a Ginsu to cut that string?
Autofocus. If I am taking a photo of your house, autofocus speed is not really an issue. There’s no real advantage to having an ILC camera in this case. That being said, capturing a crisp image of a running dog is a very different process. In fact, even the best ILC bodies and lenses are challenged by fast-moving subjects, and even more so in low light. This one is pretty simple. If you are heading to Pamplona to photograph The Running of the Bulls, bring an ILC.
Photography. What do I mean here? Well, I mean to say that if your intent is simply to capture an image, then your cell phone may be the best device. However, if the process of capturing the image is important to you, then an ILC is superior. In no means do I want to imply that you need to appreciate the process of photography. Modern technology allows us to capture great images by simply pressing a button, and photo geeks like me spend way too much time and money to capture images that may be 10% better than the one you get on your phone. And in the end, it’s the photo that lasts. So everyone is going to have a different approach to this. I’m OK. You’re OK.
If you are a photo nerd reading this, you’ll have plenty of things to add. Things that ILC’s do better, or new smartphone features that are making my points above less relevant. The situation really is fluid and I don't pretend to have all the answers. Let me conclude this post by providing a few reasons that might justify you relying solely on your phone for your next vacation:
Photography is not the primary purpose of your vacation. It is just a way of capturing and sharing memories.
You intend to do a majority of your photography outdoors during the day.
You don’t intend to shoot a lot of sports/wildlife/or other distant subjects.
The primary purpose of your photography is to share on-line.
If this is you, consider carrying only your phone. Your back will thank you, and you’ll get some great photos. In future posts, I’ll talk about how to get the most of your phone’s camera, as well as how to edit and share your memories. And one more thing. No matter what you use to take photos, the best way to get better is to: a) understand your tool (yes, even read the instructions) and b) practice! Have fun!
Taken in Lisbon with iPhone X
