Mobile Phone Camera

**Rik** · 28 August 2016, 10:18 PM

I think it's amazing, how good the cameras on mobile phones are, these days.

This is a picture I took in Plymouth, UK.
You can see that I'm facing into the sun, and yet, look at the detail on the shadow side.

**gwpriester** · 29 August 2016, 12:11 AM

The cameras in cell phones are quite extraordinary. What is missing however is depth of field, or any of the more traditional camera controls.

I have a Canon DSLR which I love and that takes really nice photos and gives me a lot of control. But I use my iPhone for about 95% of my photography.

Xara's Photo Tool > Panorama does a fine job stitching photos together, but the iPhone's Pano options creates incredible panoramas without the need to assemble the images in a software program.

**Big Frank** · 29 August 2016, 03:52 PM

i saw that photo and got the smell of fish and diesel fumes and the sound of seagulls
if that isn't the sign of a well-taken photo what is?

any idiot can point a camera and press click
far fewer people can take good photos
as always talent isn't part of the package when you buy a camera/phone

**buckobeck** · 02 September 2016, 01:12 AM

That is a very nice photo Rik. Shots like these make me want to sell all of my camera gear and buy a cell phone with a camera.

**pauland** · 02 September 2016, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by buckobeck

That is a very nice photo Rik. Shots like these make me want to sell all of my camera gear and buy a cell phone with a camera.

Definitely don't sell your camera gear.
I didn't think anyone had a cell phone without a camera these days!

Camera phones are great, but in general they have limitations compared to the more sophisticated cameras.

For example, no optical zoom, limited pixel capacity and less capable in low light.

That's not to disparage cellphone cameras - they do an excellent job, they are usually with you in your pocket (a massive bonus) and you can get great results, as Rik says. A really big bonus of cellphone cameras is that they are so pervasive that great candid, informal shots are very easy ( holding up a DSLR can put people on edge or make people 'pose' when you wanted a candid shot ).

Don't sell that camera Mark, but a big cheer for the cellphone.

**gwpriester** · 02 September 2016, 12:52 PM

I just gave away my Minolta SRT-101 that I purchased in the PX when I was stationed in Korea in 1969. Along with the camera and a metal case, I had a half dozen lenses and as many filters. The camera is virtually worthless these days even though it is a really lovely camera. My friend's son is 35 a film cameraman in New York and thinks it would be amusing to have a film camera. So at least it is going to someone who will appreciate what a great camera it was.

I use my Canon for about 25% of my photographs, mostly sunsets and landscapes or something that requires a very tight focus. For everything else, is use my iPhone 6s though I think my 5s which took an 8MP phone too a sharper photo than my 6s 12MP.

**pauland** · 02 September 2016, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

I just gave away my Minolta SRT-101 that I purchased in the PX when I was stationed in Korea in 1969.

Wow. Memories.

Any pictures you'd care to share?

I just finished reading "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West".

**gwpriester** · 02 September 2016, 04:21 PM

My Korean photos were a little more mundane. Me sitting beneath a clock that I had added a Micky Mouse to in the Corps Engineer's office. Or the lack of humor on the colonel's face when he said, "Dammit Priester," (he must have thought Dammit was my first name for he called me that all the time) "Take that damn thing off the damn clock!"

I was only there for 6 months and then I got out of the Army.

**Dahho** · 17 October 2016, 05:47 AM

I have the camera on the phone is not very good. But sometimes turn out beautiful pictures)

**browj2** · 17 October 2016, 11:46 AM

Since a newbie brought this to the top of the list, I thought I'd comment.

I'm presently in the wilds of southern Africa and only brought my cell phone, my tablet, and my new Surface Pro 4. As most of you have pointed out, the cell phones now take good quality photos and videos, but as Paul noted, short on controls. Walking around here taking photos and videos is less obvious than using my DSRL or video camera would be, but in some cases, my optical zoom lenses would help. My wife's cell does 4k (not with me), which gets even better quality than mine.

As most of my photos end up in videos, I can use either Xara (with Paint Shop Pro at home) or Video Pro X (Magix) to improve the quality. As Rik noted, there is a lot of detail in the shadows. I use the HDR Gamma feature or Gamma Low in VPX to boost the shadows. Worked great until Magix broke HDR in the latest patch. I wandered around at dusk last evening taking photos and I am always amazed at the low light capabilities of these cameras. But to top it off, photos on the cell phone, at least on mine, have geo-coordinates embedded in them. Movie Edit Pro and VPX have an app called Travel Route Animation. Just put 2 of these photos side by side on the timeline, open the app, and the map is opened, zoomed in to where you are in the world, with pins for the locations of the 2 photos and a line between them. Then add in intermediate points for the route taken, optional icon for means of travel, export animation and it shows up on the timeline between the two photos. I just discovered this photo geo-coordinate feature. An alternative is to export the map image with the pins and line, open it in Xara and add the images. Fun stuff!

I have Xara DPX365, Video Pro X8, MusicMaker, Samplitude Pro X3 Suite on my Surface Pro, so I can create videos in my spare time, and post them for family and friends.

Nice photo Rik.