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MacDarcy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
1,011
819
I was planning to get my first DSLR, but decided to get an iPod touch 5th gen first. Basically, I want to see if I am worthy of a DSLR. I want to use the iPod touch to teach myself composition and being creative with less before I plunk down a lot of money on a DSLR and expensive lenses.

I've seen some of the Flickr posts of people using the iPod touch as a camera for street photography and was impressed. With its new 5 megapixel camera and larger screen, it's not a bad little camera.

I am definitely going to get one. But I am torn. Do I get the 32 gig? Or spend an extra hundred for the 64gig?

I will only be using the touch as a camera, and don't plan to load my music onto it. I currently don't have a Mac, so I can't unload photos either.

I will load a bunch of photography apps on it however, and plan to shoot tons of pics and video.

I went to the apple store in my area, and noticed the 32 gig display models said they were actually 28gigs and were using an additional 6 gigs for apps and photos. So already they were down to 22 gigs.

Will 32gigs be enough? Or should I go for the 64?

Thanks!
 

TacticalDesire

macrumors 68020
Mar 19, 2012
2,286
23
Michigan
While the iPod Touch does take decent photos. It is nothing compared to a dedicated point and shoot (which are usually cheaper), or a basic but good SLR. As an owner of both a 5th gen touch (which does make a good portable camera especially since it does so much more than just take photos) and an SLR (Cannon Rebel XS and a few lenses, not exactly super high end but still good.)

For what you want to do, and for the money, you'd be much better off getting something like a Cannon Rebel T3 and a 64gb SD card of you want to take lots of photos.

Here are some unedited photos I've taken with both.

iPod Touch
2012-12-16T12-37-53_0_zpsc06d00b8.jpg


2012-12-16T13-00-02_0_zps11dd64c4.jpg


2012-12-16T13-00-02_1_zpsbb487868.jpg




2012-12-16T12-37-53_5_zpsfbe58531.jpg


Indoor leave a lot to be desired. Especially places with florescent lighting such as this hanger
2012-12-16T12-37-53_2_zpsf3ad0662.jpg


2012-12-16T12-37-53_1_zps22c74835.jpg


2012-12-16T12-37-53_3_zps01c56079.jpg


With the XS and the standard 18-55mm lens it ships with
afdas_zpsf6857a9b.jpg


dsf_zps93e1bf57.jpg


Lighting was perfect with this one
sdfsd_zpscbc84deb.jpg


As you can see, while the Touches camera is good, it can not compare with an SLR in roughly the same price range (roughly $400).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753766-REG/Canon_5757B002_EOS_Rebel_T3_Digital.html
 
Last edited:

moldy lunchbox

macrumors 6502a
Sep 9, 2010
777
340
Sunny California
If your goal is getting a DSLR, I think you'll be more satisfied if you just skip the iPod and save up for it. Even gettin' a used DSLR from Craigslist or basic model would teach you more than an iPod ever would. I have an Nikon D40 DSLR that's a couple years old and the difference is crazy between that and my iPhone 4 (basically same camera as iPod 5), I couldn't imagine a newer camera. But if you're dead set on gettin the iPod then I'd go for a 32gb. It'll hold a ton of content and you can put the rest of the money towards a camera or some apps.
 

MacDarcy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
1,011
819
Thanks for the feedback! Good points all.

I definitely agree that indoors or in low light...the iPod touch is...well...pitiful to say the least. Lol.

However...I travel a lot, and mostly plan to use it outside and for street photography, so light shouldn't be an issue...and neither should a little grainy-ness. I like the iPod touch for its stealthy size as well as its ability to immediately upload and share photos.

Again, I am mainly gonna use it to train my eye. I also want to experiment with all the great photo apps out there.

I really think that by doing with less, I will be forced to use my creative brain more. It will be more about the essence of what makes a picture great, than getting caught up in all the technology.

Trust me, I definitely plan to get a DSLR someday...but I was spending sooo much time on thinking about all the lenses and equipment, that I was going a little crazy to be honest. I felt I was losing sight of actual photography.

Going the iPod touch route right now, takes the pressure off me both mentally and financially and allows me to focus(no pun intended) on just taking pics.

I look at it as an experiment of sorts. I really want to have fun with this. With SEEING the world around me with fresh eyes. I think the iPod will free me up to do that.

Plus I think it will also make me better know what kind of DSLR and lenses I want when I am finally am ready to buy a dslr. Not to mention that by the time I do get a DSLR, I will have strengthened my creative eye by having used the iPod touch as a camera.

Thanks again for all the comments.
 

TacticalDesire

macrumors 68020
Mar 19, 2012
2,286
23
Michigan
Having a slr doesn't mean to have to get caught up with the latest and greatest. The photos i posted were taken with the same lens that came with the camera. And I had no real prior photography experience aside from the usual family gatherings and such(they were taken a few years ago). I was still able to experience the world around me and take photos of views that caught my eye. All I'm trying to say is you can accomplish the same with either. And the slr will
give you much more bang for your buck from a pure photography standpoint. Even a point and shoot would. The touch is nice but a lot of the photography apps are kind of shallow in what they do. Not to say they're bad. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Just giving you some insight in what I've learned over the years and having used both devices.
 

MacDarcy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
1,011
819
I totally hear what you are saying. I'm gonna get the iPod touch for now. But I am gonna get either the Canon t5i when it comes out or go FF with the canon 6d when it comes down in price.

If I go with the canon 5ti, I will get it with the canon 28mmf1.8 for street photography, the canon 50mm f1.8 for street portraits and the canon 10-22mm for landscape.

If I go with the canon 6d down the road, I will get it with the canon 28mm f1.8 for landscapes and street, the 50mm f1.8 for street, and the canon 85mm f1.8 for portrait.

Gonna keep it simple.

Until then, the iPod touch will be my weapon of choice. :)
 

raccoonboy

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2012
918
5
i heard that indoor photo for Ipod touch 5 is not that good, lots of noise.

stand alone point and shoot 10MP+ are pretty cheap nowadays. the device is called "ipod" touch for a reason. It is mainly for music.
 

Aniseedvan

macrumors 65816
May 14, 2012
1,251
402
UK
It sounds like you're already set on the ipod touch, but I'd vote for a cheap SLR as well. It'll serve you for much longer.

I still have my Nikon D40, and the point being coupled with say the 1.4 50mm, it's a nice street combo as the camera body itself is tiny (compared to my D700).

I personally like my Olympus Pen for street photography. Great fun and the newer primes focus as fast as a DSLR.
And yes I am lucky to have the choice, but I do some paid portrait work - which I started out doing with the D40 and the 50mm combo, which has slowly paid for me to add to my gear.

If you go with the ipod touch you will have fun, but I think the lack of controls will frustrate you quite quickly.
In terms of apps, Camera+ is great fun. You should check out some of the community photos groups such as flickr to subscribe up to. The micro 4/3s forum was a revelation to me for street photography inspiration from some truly talented photographers. I think I need to find a iPhone type flickr challenge group for next year for a bit of fun (not sure I am up to a 365 though!)
 

725032

Guest
Aug 5, 2012
724
0
OP what are you thinking?!

The touch would be a huge mistake for your wants/needs

It cant be used as a teaching aid for better photography

Prepare yourself with the correct kit or be prepared to fail
 

MacDarcy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
1,011
819
OP what are you thinking?!

The touch would be a huge mistake for your wants/needs

It cant be used as a teaching aid for better photography

Prepare yourself with the correct kit or be prepared to fail

I take offense to your comment.. Wether you are trying t make a point or not, it comes across as not only arrogant, but kinda condescending.

I will fail? Excuse me? Lol. Sorry for being blunt pal...your comment fails. It fails because you obviously don't know much about the artistic eye.

Is the iPod touch limited compared to a DSLR...technically yes. Duh. Of course it is. But artistically? There are no limits.

But thanks for your comment. :)
 

joanhunter

macrumors newbie
Dec 20, 2012
3
0
I think is would be a much better idea to skip the iPod and just buy a dslr camera since you can practice with it and enhance your photography skills. The iPod could be really quite pricey so just save up for the DSLR or if you want just buy a digital camera which is much more affordable than an iPod touch.
 

Christoffee

Contributor
Jul 26, 2012
545
1,202
UK
Photos on my iPhone 4S are about 4-5MB. Lets say 5MB.

1024MB in a GB, so that's about 200 photos per GB.
 

malnar

macrumors 6502a
Aug 20, 2008
634
60
I'm going to go with pretty much everyone else here and say skip the iPod Touch and go with an affordable DSLR, and I'll one more thing: Adobe Lightroom. With that DLSR's RAW photos in Lightroom, you can do things that will blow your mind, and from there you WILL train your brain to photograph in creative ways because you will be thinking of what Lightroom can do. This is really more how a photographer works than simply using a camera - it's a combination of the camera in hand and the work afterward to produce the pictures you see. iOS apps are fun but working on a 4" screen is pretty dismal, and you really suffer not having the kinds of tools that Lightroom (or, I suppose, Aperture) has available. It's the closest you can get to working with chemicals in a darkroom, and kind of better in some ways.

An iPod or iPhone's camera is fine if it's all you've got with you (like the quote above you says) but if you have the choice, by all means, buy something truly good. I understand the desire to be connected all the time, but with a touch, you're really not - you have to be on wifi to do anything with your finished photos. I use my iPhone all the time to capture quick shots, but I won't rely on it for things I care about or to take really great photos. That's what my NEX-7 is for, and I love it. It's bigger and bulkier, but what it can do is amazing, and it teaches me something every time I use it. Much as I love it, I can't really say I feel like I learn anything taking photos on the iPhone.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
I have been studying photography since I was in middle school, and I'm also going to tell you the same thing - Stay away from the iPod.

If you seriously want to learn how to take pictures, get the DSLR, or even a basic Nikon COOLPIX or similar. Because when you do decide you want to move onto the DSLR from a iPod, you're going to be clueless. Composition is only one part of photography, the other is learning about which settings work best in this situation. You aren't learning anything when the software is doing it all for you.
 

chickenwingfly

macrumors 6502a
Mar 8, 2012
633
22
You probably won't read this by now, but anyway, interesting topic and just wanted to say... SKIP the DSLR and get a MIRRORLESS, when the time comes.

DSLR are bulky and technology out the door.
No, this is not Timmy and Jony releasing a new product every 15 days, but the true story of a new technology that is better and will be with us for the years to come (mirrorless) vs the old one now being slowly out-phased, if not for the pro photographers who already have a good investment of lenses and whatnot (on their DSLR).
 

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
Okay first to answer your direct question. 32GB or 64GB? Will you be using it for Music? Apps? Will you keep using it after you get a D-SLR? If so you might want to consider the 64GB version.

As for whether it's a bad idea or not. In some ways the people say it's not a good idea are right, but since you're trying to train your eye and an iPod Touch is something you'll have with you more often than not, it's a good idea.

You already see the limitations indoors although you can fix some of it afterwards, and that will help your photo editing touch up skills.

Now if your plan is to use the iPod for only a few months and never use it again, then it is a bad idea.
 

midwestfisherma

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2012
431
68
S.E. Mich
Why not go with a good point and shoot camera? I just bought my wife a $300 Lumix for $179 on sale. It has a 20x zoom and 14.1 mega pixels. A lot less than the iPod and I think more versatile. You'll have much more money to start your savings for the DSLR.
 

magpunky

macrumors newbie
Aug 13, 2013
1
0
iPod-ography

If I may...
Go for what you feel.

I bought an iPod 5th gen and I live happily with its limitations. I would recommand to install Blux Pro to get fabulous pre-fx (meaning that you shoot in the FX and don't add them after).

The iPod is really slick, weights nothing so you have to learn how to steady your hand... If you need it is has a flash. You could also buy a 20 mgpx Coolpix with 5or 7 optical zoom and carry it with your iPod (for about 100$)... Which I did. Further more the iPod offers many apps which no SLR does!

I always carry the iPod. It opens in a snap (not so for a cam) and is fastly used. It is also more "discreet".

Grainy photo is not a crime it can eaven be very artistic. The photo was taken with the iPod this afternoon, in my room, no extra light than daylight, no added FX. No tripod.
 

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Sepultura

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2013
157
1
I would never use an iPod or camera phone for amateur photography. Sure they have gotten better over the years, but a cheap point and shoot will beat them regardless.

The shots may look ok when they are a thumbnail or half size posted on Instagram, but blow them up to the original size and it all goes out the window.

Plus all these camera phones take horrible shots in low light conditions. A lot of grain, fuzz, and just noise in the pictures.

Also megapixels isn't everything.
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
While the iPod Touch does take decent photos. It is nothing compared to a dedicated point and shoot (which are usually cheaper), or a basic but good SLR. As an owner of both a 5th gen touch (which does make a good portable camera especially since it does so much more than just take photos) and an SLR (Cannon Rebel XS and a few lenses, not exactly super high end but still good.)

For what you want to do, and for the money, you'd be much better off getting something like a Cannon Rebel T3 and a 64gb SD card of you want to take lots of photos.

Here are some unedited photos I've taken with both.

iPod Touch
Image

Image

Image



Image

Indoor leave a lot to be desired. Especially places with florescent lighting such as this hanger
Image

Image

Image

With the XS and the standard 18-55mm lens it ships with
Image

Image

Lighting was perfect with this one
Image

As you can see, while the Touches camera is good, it can not compare with an SLR in roughly the same price range (roughly $400).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753766-REG/Canon_5757B002_EOS_Rebel_T3_Digital.html

Aviation?
 

FrankB1191

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2013
722
1
Pennsylvania
If I may...
Go for what you feel.

I bought an iPod 5th gen and I live happily with its limitations. I would recommand to install Blux Pro to get fabulous pre-fx (meaning that you shoot in the FX and don't add them after).

The iPod is really slick, weights nothing so you have to learn how to steady your hand... If you need it is has a flash. You could also buy a 20 mgpx Coolpix with 5or 7 optical zoom and carry it with your iPod (for about 100$)... Which I did. Further more the iPod offers many apps which no SLR does!

I always carry the iPod. It opens in a snap (not so for a cam) and is fastly used. It is also more "discreet".

Grainy photo is not a crime it can eaven be very artistic. The photo was taken with the iPod this afternoon, in my room, no extra light than daylight, no added FX. No tripod.

This is a very good idea. I do use my iPod 5G 64GB for outdoor pics, but bought a really nice Nikon for half price from Best Buy ($159). The Nikon takes much better pics, and the iPod works much better as a portable media device. I always have the ipod with me, and that's important if the need presents itself.
 

Joyo

macrumors newbie
Aug 18, 2013
5
0
yes. iPod works much better as a portable media device. Personally I'd buy the 64GB.
 
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