Smartphones are REAL cameras! FIGHT ME!!

"Smartphones aren't real cameras" - I hear it ALL THE TIME. People get mad just because I review them. Photographers CONSTANTLY insist smartphones can't match the i mage quality of "real cameras", especially in low light.
It's nonsense, and I know that because I actually test smartphones like real cameras, side-by-side with traditional cameras. In this video, I'll compare smartphones to "real cameras" and show you real examples and tell you why you need to respect smartphone photographers.

[nancyedwards]

I’ve been making images with SLRs for over 50 years (yes, I’m that old😋). Two points: First, I’ve always heard the statement, “That’s an incredible photo, you must have a really good (expensive) camera.” That’s the same dogmatic belief that many, in spite of the proof, will hang onto. Second, this year, I accepted an iPhone 365 challenge and, wow, have I learned bucketloads! One is, you’re right, smartphones are REAL cameras! Another is, it’s the artist, the professional, the experience BEHIND the camera that makes the difference, not the camera itself. I’ll never give up my DSLR but then I’ll never be without my iPhone either! (Thanks for letting me rant!🙂)

[STACYBURK]

When you shoot a portrait with a sony, nikon, canon, olympus, etc. professional camera at 1.8 aperture outdoors or indoors... it blows away any smart phone. I've tried and there's no comparison.

[michawilke]

For me the most important takeaway of this video is: If camera manufacturers don't implement computational photography in their products AND better wireless connections they will lose even more photographers to smartphones than they already have. The compact cameras are dead and the entry level and midrange mirrorless cameras are about to vanish.

I want state of the art bracketed wide dynamic RAW photos ooc, not just lousy JPGs... NOW!

[atlantamx]

LOL this was just a vehicle for Tony to blast Camera manufacturers for their lack of security features. I knew that was coming.

[dsdddsdwe]

I got started with photography when I was 14 years old back in highschool. I'm going on 28 today and it is amazing where camera technology has come.
As a working professional, I think it is great that more capable cameras are in people's hands than ever before.

I remember taking my DSLR camera with me on vacation to capture trips. Now, an iPhone 13 Pro Max is more than sufficient. iCloud immediately backups photos and videos. If stolen, Apple Care can get me another phone within a day. Photos and videos can be shared instantly with family members around the world. Not to mention, the 13 Pro Max has insane battery life and I could also video call anyone in HD.

This is a golden age of technology. I would love for Apple or Google to partner with Canon or Nikon on a camera one today, something like Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

[christopherwelch]

In 2020 I took a special topics: photography class in grad school as part of my Masters program. I did a photo assignment for it using my iPhone 6. I don't own a digital camera, this is what I had. I took the photos through the camera function of Lightroom for iPhone, set to high contrast black and white. I didn't do any post work, only presented the photos that came out great. My classmates thought I had shot all my photos in film. They were surprised it was an old iPhone and Lightroom. It really doesn't matter what camera you use. What matters is the art you make with it.

[ohmartinbronson]

For a lot of people, photography is not just the what but the how. I just don't like how it feels taking pictures with my cellphone, even though it takes great pictures. I like the tactile feeling of making images with a "proper" camera heh

[christophermorris]

Once you wrap your mind around the fact, you have a Camera that has a phone 📞 in it, and not a phone with a camera. This really is quite liberating. I came to this realization back in 2016 while in a major magazine assignment, when sets locations were being assembled with lights. I went with my subject and she laid down to rest. I only had my iPhone 5s with me. The images produced. We’re actually phenomenal with multiple images chosen for the magazine layout. It was this day I realized I had a camera with a phone in it.

[tpanant]

Agree that Smart phone cameras are much better nowadays and hence can be used in most of situations. Having said that, I would want to see Tony stop using those 'Real Cameras' and completely switch over to smartphones for his professional work.

[tc]

I have been impressed lately by smartphone photos. I have not looked at them as deeply as you have, but everyday, around the house, normal lense type stuff, my daughters IPhone blows me away. It takes the shot and does the post processing. I struggle to get similar shots and the effort it takes is depressing.
However, stopping action, or long telephoto work is not as good. In my experience low light is poor also, but I will look at this closer. I imagine they will improve as AI improves. I used to carry a camera with a long lense and a second camera with a short lense on wildlife outings. I am relying more and more on my cell phone as a second camera and I don't have the latest and greatest phone. At family functions, I am the one that gathers the photos from everyone and puts the albums together. I am the only "real camera" user. In general, the photos from my "real camera" are more usable, but, there are a lot of better compositions from the cell phones just because they are so much more convenient.

[youngThrashbarg]

That is such a broad statement, when the price range of smartphones goes from 200 to 2000 dollars.

[brucec]

Those phones you used must be about 10 times as good as my year old s21. I recently did a similar test between my phone, a Canon point and shoot and a Canon rebel and there was no comparison. The phone pics looked great on the screen but had tons of weird artifacts and unrealistic colors when enlarged compared to the dedicated cameras

[keithbrown]

Tremendous and good breakdown of the conventional camera and the cellphone camera. I votes yes for cellphone cameras being a real camera because they are. I love my Samsung Galaxy Ultra S21, NikonD7200, and Nikon P1000. Use whatever you want.

[Jviotr]

Each year more "real" photographers get frustrated that their aunt (who knows nothing about real photography) can magically take a photo with their new smart phone that the rest of the family thinks looks just as good as the photos from the "real" camera. Unless the camera makers start building in smartphone features and image processing, this trend won't stop soon.

[atulupadhyay]

Most photographer who disagree because they already invested thousand of dollars in the convention camera and lens so when they find out that a smartphone could easily match most of the result from camera they tend to get frustrated and hence to make there purchase valid they usually disagree with this topic

[greysuit]

Seriously though…. I hate using my phone for photos, my “ real camera” is fun. I get more joy out of my mirrorless than my phone. The other reality is I’m not going to plunk down $1500 on a fantastic smartphone/camera….I’ve already got a smartphone and yeah it’s top for iPhone but I still just hate it for photography. All the reasons you state why it’s a real camera is true in one sense but doesn’t change the feeling. Also I don’t get amazing bokeh with my smartphone…computational dog crap is what it is. Do I use my smartphone, yeah but I hate it.

[kappax]

Undeniably there's a place for smartphone photography, everything where content is the main point of interest, it doesn't matter if it's shot on a smartphone, or on a super expensive interchangeable lens camera.

[musicmaestro]

Lack of physical dials and a real grip kills it for me. There is a big difference (in my world view) between having an interest in "pics" and learning "photography".

[DirectorDavoPaul]

I sell prints up to 16X20 sometimes 20x30 shot with my iPhone 11 Pro Max all the time. My best seller is a phone shot.

[DaveHaynie]

Two immediate observations on this. Yes, a $1000-ish flagship smartphone will "beat" a $500 DSLR kit on straight-out-of-the-camera images. But this is all due toc computational photography. The iPhone in low light is taking nine shots with an f/1.8 lens (f/8.0 to f/16 FF depending on which camera you're using, applying crop factor) versus that one shot on an APS-C kit lens at f/3.5-f/6.3 (f/7.0-f/12.5 FF) again depending on the particulars. The sensor is 8-10x the area. The smartphone wins for a novice.

But if you know what you're doing, you're going to know when you need to stack photos, when to bracket, etc. You will be able to get a better image with the APS-C consumer kit IF you're willing to put in the time. Sure, I'd pick a pro camera and pro lens, and you probably would too. It's true that currently, consumer DSLRs and mirrorless are not automating things the way phones do, and perhaps they ought to.

I'd also agree that a smartphone can be a "real" camera. So can a DSLR, mirrorless, P&S, pinhole, film, anything you'd like to pick up. It's what's behind the camera that matters. In lieu of a real photographer's brain behind the camera, the phone will always do better. Hand that R5 to a novice and they're not going to get a better image than they would with the iPhone Pro, in all likelihood. That's the AIs replacing the need for a photographer's brain. If you can't do better on your own, maybe it's time to learn photography a bit better. Big camera shooters are no more immune to relying on tech to replace knowledge than smartphone shooters.