The advantage of the cellphone

<p>It is always with you ...<br>

<a href="http://connect.dpreview.com/sample-galleries/1249312809/connect-picture-of-the-day/3728184524">http://connect.dpreview.com/sample-galleries/1249312809/connect-picture-of-the-day/3728184524</a></p>

<blockquote>

<p>It is always with you ...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't think that is precisely the advantage. One can always carry a p&s as well. The advantages are the (web) connectivity, various apps and ubiquity. </p>

<p>Not me. Actually I'm more likely to be carrying my camera than my cell phone.</p>

<p>The Samsung Galaxy<em><strong> camera</strong></em> has web connectivity, runs apps and can operate over WiFi, 3G or 4G wireless. </p>

<p>Ubiquity is the cell phone camera's major "advantage". It may not be good, but it's better than nothing (though that's not exactly the best slogan for marketing...)</p>

<p><em>"Ubiquity is the cell phone camera's major "advantage". It may not be good, but it's better than nothing (though that's not exactly the best slogan for marketing...)"</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

<em><br /></em>Good enough works for many. Besides, "f8 and be there" now is "carry an iPhone or Galaxy and know how to use it."</p>

My favourite wide angle photograph I grabbed with my Galaxy S2.

The point and shoot comes second. Only recently I got a dslr and

the difference was clearer to me. Low light and I get pictures that

were impossible before. I can now pick more interesting selections

from most surroundings using the longer zoom. I believe the tool

influences the images you look for and not only because of angle of view. For low angle close views the phone can occupy points of view the dslr cannot fit in. Except now my cat turns his head from the phone in case the LED shines in his eyes again.

<p>Sorry but the connect picture is not exactly blindingly good quality is it. I do carry a cellphone but would only use its camera to make a record where photo quality was not an issue. I also carry a camera most of the time, I can get my NEX 7 and two zoom lenses in the pockets of an anorak or I carry a small shoulder bag. One day maybe cellphones will catch up with cameras for quality but not yet I think. Until then I will use mine for making phone calls, its damn good at that!</p>

<p>Ubiquity is overrated. Mostly what it means is there are a whole lot of lousy pictures being made . . . conveniently. Paint by numbers accomplished that decades ago for "painters."</p>

<p>Discernment and purpose are also worthwhile photographic qualities.</p>

<p>That being said, I think there's great potential for photographers to make great photos with cell phones, and I've seen some. Probably, though, not mostly because of the ubiquity factor. It will be a vision and an experimentation thing.</p>

<p>A little clarification...</p>

<p>When I said ubiquity, I was thinking specifically as a street photographer. </p>

<p>Amongst all the rubbish, my opinion :-) , there were some worthwhile images, don't ask me which, but I don't regret scrolling through them. People who experiment would get similar images with P&S or LF camera let alone a DSLR, APS or FF :-) The cellphone, if you can work out how to satisfactorilly work the trigger, makes it easy ... Mine lives in my trouser pocket 24/7 being rarely used for photography though I picked the model becuase it claimed a 3Mp camera ...WOW! .. a whole 3Mp compared with my old 0.4Mp which I took for an accidental swim :-( I was fully dressed when the yacht moved away from the pontoon and let me in between :-) I had one leg on each!</p>

<p>I guess to use all of these "advantages," you'd have to own a cell phone - I don't.</p>

<p>I suspect that most of the folks who use a cell phone exclusively as their "camera" do so primarily so they can post the resultant pictures on Facebook or some other social media site where there's little discussion about the IQ of that little JPEG.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>It is always with you ...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not with me.</p>

<p>I don't have one and have no intention of changing that situation.</p>

<center>

.

<P>

<img src= "http://citysnaps.net/2013%20photos/Heads.jpg"><BR>

<i>

Mission District, San Francisco • ©2012 Brad Evans

</i>

<P>

.

<P> </center>

<P>

 

 

>>> It is always with you ...<P>

 

 

For me it is much more than that - it's like a photographic Swiss Army knife.

 

A lot of other important features besides the camera are built-in and support how I shoot: gps,

post- processing, maps, subject note taking, research, social media, email, web access, appointments,

reminders, realtime transit information, music, etc.

 

All of that takes just a little room in my jeans pocket.

<p>I love watching on TV or in the movies where a character produces his phone from a pocket and is immediately taping an incident as it unfolds. It takes me at least 10 seconds to produce the thing, push the exterior button I've programmed for the camera and then a few more while I wait for it to cycle and then invariably I've accidentally touched the 'mouse' (control button?) and the cursor has moved to the GPS or Flash settings and it doesn't fire at all. I've been using it for 11 months now (Blackberry Curve) and have been pleased with some of my results, but it isn't as smart as those ones on TV. </p>