For those who used to take a digital camera on holiday, do you now use your smartphone instead?

Forums › Digital Imaging › For those who used to take a digital camera on holiday, do you now use your smartphone instead?

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17 posts

Geek

#1768558 21-Apr-2017 18:52

Camera.

A phone is great for taking a shot that you want to share, so easy. Cameras have so much more to offer in terms of control - if you like that sort of thing.

No substitute for big glass.

TwoSeven

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#1768559 21-Apr-2017 18:54

I use my iPhone 7 for most indoor photos and a small digicam for when I am out and about (it has a good battery). I am not a DSLR person, I still use my box brownie and film.

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davidcole

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#1768560 21-Apr-2017 18:58

I'd never use my dslr if I could get right up to the face shots from my phone.

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amiga500

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#1768648 21-Apr-2017 22:54

I have a Galaxy S3 which is 5 yr old technology & a little Panasonic tough camera. In good lighting they both take really good photos. The advantage of the S3 for me is being able to back up the photos effortlessly to Google drive & dropbox using hotel or cafe wifi which is exactly what I did recently. I did not miss having a zoom. And the S3 does nicer video than the little compact anyway, and has a really good burst rate. I took photos at the Skope car races with the S3 & the little Panasonic and was pleased with the results from both. To my eyes they the photos looked equally good. So when I went on holiday the camera did not get into my bag!

Camden

115 posts

Master Geek

#1768660 22-Apr-2017 00:26

I am currently 2/3rds of the way through a five week trip in Japan. In the past I have always taken my Nikon 5600 reflex camera with a 18 to 105 lens on it. However this trip I have gone "camera light" using a Sony DX100 mk5. Also I am using a Panasonic HC-X920m video camera but I wish I left it at home as the wee Sony takes excellent video as well. I have also bought my cell phone, about a three year old HTC one with a 5 inch screen. I only use it as camera as a last resort but however I download a lot of photos into it taken with my other cameras and use it as an device to show people family photos etc.

I like using a "proper" camera to take photos and will always travel with one. But yes I do miss the Nikon just because it is a great camera to use and I feel comfortable with it, but no, I don't miss it's weight and bulk on this trip as I am constantly on the move. The Sony is a good compromise as it has at least got a reasonable v/finder.

Overall it is a personal preference. My wife now only uses an iPhone 6 it I must admit the images are not to bad, but it lacks the versatility of a separate camera.

psychrn

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#1768665 22-Apr-2017 00:58

I am more and more tending to use my Galaxy Note 5 camera for day to day photos. We are off to the US in a few weeks on a Motorcycle tour and then a bus tour so we will take with us a mixture of a Gopro for the MC tour, Panasonic Lumix point and shoot, partners Nikon point and shoot all with reasonable optical zoom. Then the thing is having organising the memory cards etc and photo storarage

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amiga500

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#1768766 22-Apr-2017 10:36

In this excellent article from 2014 they show the difference between smartphones and cameras when shooting a a bright outdoor scene. It's really worth a read & look! The author also points out that the old Canon 10D and 20D are nearly as good as the latest 2014 Canon DSLR.

If most of your holiday photos are taken outdoors there will be fairly good light most of the time, & with smartphones now getting fast lenses such as f1.8, f2.0 light is less of an issue.

And with smartphones having 16mp sensors it is possible to a little bit of digital zooming or cropping & still have a nice photo. Heck, even Nikon was suggesting this to customers when they brought out the Nikon D3200.

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/5533410947/smartphones-versus-dslr-versus-film/2

Also worth a look is kenrockwell.com where he has plenty of fantastic Iphone photo galleries, many of them vacation type shots.

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amiga500

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#1768794 22-Apr-2017 11:24

This pro photographer went on holiday to Vietnam & only took his Iphone, see what you think...

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/2863436371/leaving-my-dslr-at-home-iphone-experiment

driller2000

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#1768800 22-Apr-2017 11:44

As most others have commented - phone for quick happy snaps - DSLR for more important photos - esp if we may print some for display / family etc.

heavenlywild

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#1768812 22-Apr-2017 12:34

amiga500:

This pro photographer went on holiday to Vietnam & only took his Iphone, see what you think...

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/2863436371/leaving-my-dslr-at-home-iphone-experiment

Great share, such an awesome perspective. I think a phone camera really makes you enjoy the moment rather than fussing over settings and gear.

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pctek

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#1768949 22-Apr-2017 16:01

Dont own a smartphone

murl

17 posts

Geek

#1768995 22-Apr-2017 18:12

driller2000:

As most others have commented - phone for quick happy snaps - DSLR for more important photos - esp if we may print some for display / family etc.

In my case, the camera is for taking photos for the sake of photography.

Phones take great shots, and are far less disruptive of the moment, but I have more fun as a photographer with a camera.

davidcole

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#1768998 22-Apr-2017 18:29

murl:
driller2000:

As most others have commented - phone for quick happy snaps - DSLR for more important photos - esp if we may print some for display / family etc.

In my case, the camera is for taking photos for the sake of photography.

Phones take great shots, and are far less disruptive of the moment, but I have more fun as a photographer with a camera.

I find the opposite. I like taking longish range shots of say my boy playing on a jungle gym. He's less likely than notice ce when I'm about 10-15m away. Rather than right in front of him.

murl

17 posts

Geek

#1769000 22-Apr-2017 18:49

davidcole:

I find the opposite. I like taking longish range shots of say my boy playing on a jungle gym. He's less likely than notice ce when I'm about 10-15m away. Rather than right in front of him.

There is that

With me, I think the form of the phone keeps things simple, it is pretty much frame the shot and bang, done. Whereas a camera has more options. Plus for adults at least, it is more imposing, that big lens poking out, peering like an obtrusive eye. For kids of a certain age, it is really great to be able to step back a distance and capture their nature.

amiga500

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#1769002 22-Apr-2017 19:13

Simple is often better. My first decent camera was a Pentax K1000. It had three things you could change. 1.) Set the film speed 2.) Change the aperture. 3.) Change the shutter speed It had centre weighted metering & by changing the aperture or shutter speed the needle in the viewfinder would move to the middle. Apple is on the right track keeping their camera app relatively simple. And the K1000 was just about the perfect camera to take on holiday with its 50mm lens and fairly fast f2.0 aperture.

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