Use your phone camera much?

I know this is more a serious photography group. I have pretty much been that type stay home and only go out in good light at sunrise and sunset or walk about for some street with a manual focus SLR with Ilford HP5+. I was then asked by someone to take a b/w picture each day for the next 7 days. Can get some pretty cool images and get more involved with photography even if it is just that 3min per day. There is also Adobe Photoshop Express one can download for devices. Lots of individuals that does this style also.

 

They say the best camera is the one that is with you right ....

 

How much use do you get out of your camera phone?

 

Cheers.

I use mine only when I don't have another camera with me. I carry my Canon G7x in my backpack, so it's with me whenever I'm out of the house and within short reach when I'm in the house.

 

So, not so much. But when I need a quick photo in the shop or yard, just to document something, then I'll use the phone.

Never. I suppose I would at an auto accident or similar if I was without a camera. Even when i was required to carry one for work, I doubt I used it as a camera half a dozen times over as many years. Then again, nowadays I almost never carry one.

The phone camera is great for sharing with family and friends. I use it a couple times a week.

no msg Edited October 30, 2017 by GerrySiegel

I use my phone quite a bit. It feels like more casual shooting and I see a little differently when I'm using it, which is one reason I like it. I'm still not usually happy with the technical look of the photos, especially when light is low, but I use it for other reasons. I think when I have my next show, I'll have a small section of phone pics. Honestly, a few of my favorite photos of the last year were taken with my phone. Those were during the day and I think the finished result will be ok. I haven't printed them yet. I can no longer carry around my dslr when I'm out for a full day of walking, because it hurts my shoulder too much. But, I use the dslr for most planned shoots and more serious stuff. Nice to have both options.

It's nice to me cos ... you might be out for a coffee or pickup lunch on a workday and something arises as a decent shot .....

 

At one point I actually did take my SLR with one lens with me every day to work and took it out every day I got out of the office for a lunch time walk, the other bag carried my work laptop and my pack lunch from home. But that didn't last long. When the dSLR got too large, I took the manual film body.

Edited October 30, 2017 by RaymondC

Yes, I do use it a lot, and I use it with the same deliberation as my normal cameras. Not because it's good, but because it's good enough, and it's always with me. I have an app called Pro Cam which lets you manually set controls. For me, the most important thing to control is white balance. AWB is a feature that I really do not want, thanks very much.

 

I am not sure why you would want to bother with retouching/compositing software when the colour (from the iPhone at least) is so good. IMHO, one advantage of using a phone is to liberate yourself from RAW converters and so forth. It's true that even the best iPhone output is nowhere near as good as a proper camera, but it's good enough for its intended use, and can't be improved with software.

I use it when I don't have another camera with me which is most of the time. As long as the lighting is OK and the subject isn't too far away, the results are good enough for my needs.

 

There's times that for various reasons that I want to use a better camera and in those cases I'll bring a dedicated camera along.

I am not sure why you would want to bother with retouching/compositing software when the colour (from the iPhone at least) is so good.

 

I only have a Xiaomi phone, so the filters are few. I use the other app to use the b/w presets and other color presets.

IMHO, one advantage of using a phone is to liberate yourself from RAW converters and so forth.

That has nothing to do with why I use a phone. I don't need liberation from RAW converters and post processing. It's part of my creative workflow and I LOVE converting and making choices and bringing things out in my photos beyond the picture that the camera takes. To each his own, of course.

I don't usually take a regular camera when I'm just running errands (like grocery shopping). My phone is always with me and is there when I see something I like. So, yes, I use mine a lot. I have several apps for post-processing and one really good one for HDR (Vivid HDR). I have an iPhone 7, so the camera in it is pretty good. No, I don't do selfies except on very rare occasions.

Daily. Cameras are communication devices. Next?

In a way, it's a bit of a non-question because we always have the phone with us therefore, it's the one camera that is always there. However, if one goes out to shoot a particular subject a good DSRL would be *my* choice. But, they are not the same and not meant to do the same thing, even though they both "take pictures".

No, I use the phone camera very infrequently, mostly for documentary purposes and virtually never for anything I normally would use a DSLR or mirrorless for.

It must have been years since I made a cell phone call. I got disenchanted with the tech, when smart(ish?) phones still had real buttons to press. Since then I got 2 updates 1 less spectacular hand me down and a seasoned bread & butter tablet on retirement sale out. During that period I shot the Nokia N80 once for documentary (which cable where) and explored the Samsung and Medion tablet to know they suck.

My life doesn't need a cellphone. When a memory crutch or text extension for an email are needed tiny unspectacular P&Ss do a better job than similarly inexpensive phones. What I like about them:

• No PIN requested while powering up
  
• lanyard lugs
  
• user interchangeable batteries & memory cards.
  
• Cost factor.
  

I'm not living under a stone. I know people do amazing things with their decent phones. - iPhone 4 blows my old P&Ss out of the water as a tourist cam, later ones must be better but the packages suck.

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I absolutely recommend shooting more.

But: Think, calculate, grab what you want and need instead of what Apple consider best.

My dream of a camera phone would be a dumb battery grip with (covered?) num pad for dialing: Enough power, big enough to spot & socially perfect: "Can we limit this call? - I have 70-200/2.8 attached..." + "This is my phone. - Discrimination!?!"

I use mine frequently, and against my own earlier expectations, camera quality has become a serious factor for my smartphone choices. I do use it in a different way than I use my cameras, much more casual from-the-hip shooting, but exactly that makes it a valuable addition in my view.

I've used it for both off-the-cuff landscape as well as street shots. It's handy. I do find it ergonomically deficient. It's hard to see the display and handling it is difficult for ease of use.

Cellphone

Some weeks ago I was on a 6 days hike in France and couldn't be bothered to take even my m43 with me. So I took my phone. The results are o.k., but I simply missed my camera. Low light is a problem. Portraits are difficult. But I liked that I didn't have to think about weight and space in my back pack.

 

Vogesen Querung

Think, calculate, grab what you want and need instead of what Apple consider best.

YES! And think, calculate, grab what you want and need instead of what Nikon or Canon consider best as well.

 

By the way, I forgot to mention that my iPhone has a very handy on/off switch, so when I don't want to use it or hear it ring, I can turn it off (or leave it home).

Forgot to mention. My limited eye sight means, I have to shoot from the hip. I definitely need a view finder.

I use my iPhone for quick shots where a camera would be an encumbrance

(great BBQ)

 

and for quick video where the camera is otherwise engaged (Yellowstone, India).

I don't have a smartphone. Not snobbery, since I've seen amazing pictures taken with them, but for me personally, I can't see the use of one. And I confess, it sometimes bothers me to see people staring at their phones when Real Life is going on around them.

And I confess, it sometimes bothers me to see people staring at their phones when Real Life is going on around them.

Les, interestingly, I've heard people say the same about photographers in general. Why take a picture when you could be participating in real life. My usual response is, taking pictures is real life. So is staring at a phone, a TV, a movie screen, a concert stage, going to the bathroom, sleeping, eating, and working at a soup kitchen. So many choices, so little time! :)

I can't see the use of one

 

I felt that way until I discovered Googlemaps. I don't call much, and usually have the privacy mode turned on for incoming;, but the ability to do queries, find out where things are, and be directed to that spot is incredibly useful.

 

The rest is lagniappe.