Buying iPhone 6s Plus or digitial camera

[hajime]

Hello, I have been using Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 as my smartphone for over a year. I am satisfied with it except that whenever I take photos/videos, there is a shutter sound and that after seeing the photos taken by iPhone 6S Plus, the photos taken by my tablet do not look that great especially in dark condition.

Should I spend the money to buy an expensive iPhone 6S Plus or buy a good digital camera of similar or lower price?

I take photos often. I don't mind taking photos/videos using a large tablet.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Hello, I have been using Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 as my smartphone for over a year. I am satisfied with it except that whenever I take photos/videos, there is a shutter sound and that after seeing the photos taken by iPhone 6S Plus, the photos taken by my tablet do not look that great especially in dark condition.

Should I spend the money to buy an expensive iPhone 6S Plus or buy a good digital camera of similar or lower price?

I take photos often. I don't mind taking photos/videos using a large tablet.

Any advice appreciated.

I got the phone, cus it is always with me, and the camera is not, simple enough. The few pix I have taken since owning the camera,(5 days) are beautiful

 

[MRrainer]

DSLRs still make better pictures. The less light and the shorter the exposure, the more obvious this gets. But they're bulkier than an iPhone.
iPhone 6S Plus + one or two of those Ollo lenses might do the trick, for you.

 

[hajime]

DSLRs still make better pictures. The less light and the shorter the exposure, the more obvious this gets. But they're bulkier than an iPhone.
iPhone 6S Plus + one or two of those Ollo lenses might do the trick, for you.

Thanks for the info about the lens. I know nothing about photography. Which one do you recommend?
https://www.olloclip.com/shop/devices/iphone-6-6s-6-6s-plus/

I recall that few years ago, there was some kind of external flash for the iPhone. Is it a good idea to have those? Which one do you guys recommend?

 

[maflynn]

DSLRs still make better pictures.

I think for most people DSLRs are just not a good fit any more.

I recommend a nice mirrorless setup (I have an OMD EM-5), the mirrorless cameras take aweomse shots, are smaller and less expensive then DSLRs and for the most part, unless you're a prosumer, you don't need to spend that much money on a DSLR.

Even with that said, I find myself using my iPhone 6s a lot.

Don't overspend on a camera that you'll not really be taking full advantage of its features.

 

[zachlegomaniac]

I think for most people DSLRs are just not a good fit any more.

I recommend a nice mirrorless setup (I have an OMD EM-5), the mirrorless cameras take aweomse shots, are smaller and less expensive then DSLRs and for the most part, unless you're a prosumer, you don't need to spend that much money on a DSLR.

Even with that said, I find myself using my iPhone 6s a lot.

Don't overspend on a camera that you'll not really be taking full advantage of its features.

Great point. My mirrorless Sony A6000 takes brilliant photos, and I got it for a stellar deal on Amazon.

 

[hajime]

If I am buying a camera, I want one with the ability to take video at high speed as well as the ability to play back in slow motion. Can the 6s Plus do that? I suppose after taking the video, I could import the video to a Mac and play back in slow motion in software. Am I right?

I am considering the Sony RX100-4. How the photo and video quality is like compared with those of the iPhone 6s Plus? Being able to take 4K video is a plus. Wonder if the 6s plus can take video is higher speed than the RX100-4.

 

[Kissaragi]

I cant wait until they figure out how to add a modest optical zoom to smartphones.

 

[glenthompson]

I'm in the both camp with an iPhone that's always with me and a Sony Nex-7 that I use for more serious work or difficult lighting situations. Like Maflynn, I think mirrorless is the way to go if you want an interchangeable lens camera.

 

[jerwin]

I recommend a nice mirrorless setup (I have an OMD EM-5), the mirrorless cameras take aweomse shots, are smaller and less expensive then DSLRs and for the most part, unless you're a prosumer, you don't need to spend that much money on a DSLR.

I'm not sure why DSLRs are known as "the expensive alternative to mirrorless". They aren't, though "full frame" sensors are typically more expensive than the "micro-4/3" sensor found in a great many small mirrorless cameras. On the other hand, the larger the sensor, the better it will be in low-light situations.

Video is a pain with a DSLR-- no electronic viewfinder--and the results can be inferior to an IPhone 6s. But still photography is where a DSLR excels.

The real expense associated with interchangeable lens cameras is "glass". Good, fast primes can be very expensive.

 

[phrehdd]

To the OP, you really need to figure out what you want in an "imaging" device. Things that come to mind -
1) portability (obviously, smart phones are tops)
2) zoom or set focal length
3) ability and ease of doing video (if that is important to you)
4) availability of taking a good photo in low light
5) bells and whistles normally associated with cameras and not smart phones
more...

I use my smart phone if I need a quick pic that has only momentary or topical value. I don't consider the smart phone for my purposes to be in the same league as a decent camera. There are point and shoot cameras with zooms, some cameras with surprisingly good video capabilities, add ons to smart phone such as the DxO camera that uses the smart phone to create the viewing screen and more. I tend to go for the mirror-less cameras as they do admirably and some best typical DSLRs. The Olympus OM series was mentioned, I'll throw in the Fuji series (though not for video), Sony and there are other makers out there.

Having come from film cameras right up to the "must have results now" mindset, it is hard for me to tell someone to get heavily invested in photo gear unless they want to take it up as a hobby. Thus, make a list of needs and wants and perhaps head over to DPreview and other sites to learn a bit more about the cameras and don't discount some of the Youtube "reviews" as starting points.

Just my take here - for smallest sensor you can't beat the Olympus in features and quality, next size up sensor - Fuji hands down for both RAW files and in camera JPEG (the latter most likely you'll find impressive) and for full size sensor - Sony (though its menu and button lay out is a mess).

 

[MRrainer]

Thanks for the info about the lens. I know nothing about photography. Which one do you recommend?
https://www.olloclip.com/shop/devices/iphone-6-6s-6-6s-plus/

I recall that few years ago, there was some kind of external flash for the iPhone. Is it a good idea to have those? Which one do you guys recommend?

I still have an iPhone 4S.
I want to see what Apple's new 4" phone looks like next year before I make a decision.
Also, I buy all my phones without a contract (because my employer pays all my mobile phone bills (within reason).
So, I think really hard before I spend a thousand bucks on a phone. Even if it takes great pictures.
But I'm pretty certain I won't buy a DSLR.