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Example of what iPhone has done for photography

E

elvineet

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 17, 2006
119
18
IMG_0334-2.jpg


I took this picture using an iPhone 4S while on a flight from Fresno to Dallas.

It is quite amazing to realize that only ten years ago, the blue Nokia 3310 that had a monochrome LCD screen and no camera was ubiquitous. I ended up switching to a Sanyo 8100 with Sprint just for its color screen.

As a disclaimer, I did use Lightroom to reduce the size to 2 megapixels and for some enhancements.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
People around here get into so many arguments over cell phone camera quality but the fact is, the iPhone 4S has a better camera than the camera I bought in 2003 specifically to take on my honeymoon.

Pretty amazing if you ask me.
 
Of course 10 years ago they'd have given you a free meal and you'd be too busy to take pictures. ;)

Seriously though, great picture.
 
Thank you Sony for a decent camera on the 4S. If it wasn't for your efforts and innovations, millions of iphone user would not have had the complete experience with their Samsung powered iPhones. Thanks again.
 
Great capture! I think the camera is pretty amazing. Considering most of us are using apps to degrade the quality and adding retro filters to the photos.
 
Lol at this thread.

It is not hard to take nice pictures of subjects with plenty of lighting that don't move.

The iphone is no nicer than a low end point and shoot camera.

Any modern Sony/Canon/Nikon $90 camera could take the picture in the top post (but with better sharpness and contrast).

Go ahead and fawn over your cell phone camera, but there is a reason that people keep snickering at you when you do it.

Also,what's up with comparing a 2003 device to a 2011 device?
 
Tarzanman said:
Lol at this thread.

It is not hard to take nice pictures of subjects with plenty of lighting that don't move.

The iphone is no nicer than a low end point and shoot camera.

Any modern Sony/Canon/Nikon $90 camera could take the picture in the top post (but with better sharpness and contrast).

Go ahead and fawn over your cell phone camera, but there is a reason that people keep snickering at you when you do it.

Also,what's up with comparing a 2003 device to a 2011 device?
Click to expand...

I think the point is the iPhone and other modern smart phones are taking photos that are good enough and that is wonderful.
 
The iPhone takes great pictures but has destroyed photography with the advent of instagram and its hipster filters. Sepia? COOOOOOL!! (sarcasm)
 
Azadre said:
I think the point is the iPhone and other modern smart phones are taking photos that are good enough and that is wonderful.
Click to expand...

Good enough is a subjective term. If a fixed f/2.8 aperture, fixed focal length, horrible flash and tiny sensor are good enough for some people then more power to them.

However, the title of the thread is 'what the iphone has done for photography'. Well, its put a low end POS in the hands of people who don't know much about cameras.

Fuji and Casio have been doing that for many many years now.
 
elvineet said:
IMG_0334-2.jpg


I took this picture using an iPhone 4S while on a flight from Fresno to Dallas.

It is quite amazing to realize that only ten years ago, the blue Nokia 3310 that had a monochrome LCD screen and no camera was ubiquitous. I ended up switching to a Sanyo 8100 with Sprint just for its color screen.

As a disclaimer, I did use Lightroom to reduce the size to 2 megapixels and for some enhancements.
Click to expand...

Great picture. But what part of Dallas is this? :p
 
While the iPhone 4S does have an impressive camera for a cell phone, and built-in apps that can improve on the photos it can take, it CAN be a replacement for a P&S for most people. However, photographers know that you cannot get the same versatility out of a cell phone that you can get out of a P&S. Until they fit an optical zoom on a cell phone, along with a big enough sensor, the iPhone will always be on the outside looking into the P&S world. The iPhone is more of a convenience being it has constant internet connectivity, built-in apps that can manipulate the photos you take on the fly, etc. While I have taken some impressive photos with my iPhone, I don't think it can replace my Nikon P&S, and far from replace my Nikon DSLR.


Taking landscapes in bright sunlight is easy with any camera. But I feel you can get much more control under reduced conditions with a P&S and get similar results whereas the iPhone would struggle. Go ahead and adjust the ISO, WB, and DOF on an iPhone. Sorry, you can't.
 
Tarzanman said:
Lol at this thread.

It is not hard to take nice pictures of subjects with plenty of lighting that don't move.

The iphone is no nicer than a low end point and shoot camera.

Any modern Sony/Canon/Nikon $90 camera could take the picture in the top post (but with better sharpness and contrast).

Go ahead and fawn over your cell phone camera, but there is a reason that people keep snickering at you when you do it.

Also,what's up with comparing a 2003 device to a 2011 device?
Click to expand...

The best camera is the one you have with you

I think the point is a good one. 7 or so years ago, to capture a picture of that quality you would have needed to carry around a big bag filled with equipment. It's an interesting observation.

Anyone can capture great images if they are in the right place at the right time. I think the point is you normally have your iPhone with you at all times which doubles up as a very credible camera.
 
bp1000 said:
The best camera is the one you have with you

I think the point is a good one. 7 or so years ago, to capture a picture of that quality you would have needed to carry around a big bag filled with equipment. It's an interesting observation.

Anyone can capture great images if they are in the right place at the right time. I think the point is you normally have your iPhone with you at all times which doubles up as a very credible camera.
Click to expand...

I think a high end point and shoot could've produced a picture of similar or better quality even 7 year ago. Resolution might not have been as high, but that picture was scaled down to 2MP anyway. Certainly wouldn't require a "big bag filled with equipment"

With that said, the iPhone 4S' camera is impressive for such a small device. It has for the most part replaced my P&S, mostly because I'm not trying to take amazing photos with a P&S. Cell phones will of course never compete with dSLRs (even my 40D which is pretty old by today's standards).
 
Tarzanman said:
Good enough is a subjective term. If a fixed f/2.8 aperture, fixed focal length, horrible flash and tiny sensor are good enough for some people then more power to them.
Click to expand...

I think you are misunderstanding the term "good enough".

I don't think it was meant to mean good enough for some people with low standards but rather good enough for the task in hand.

Sometimes the quality of a camera phone IS good enough. If someone falls on their arse and you capture it with the 4S and your mates have a good laugh at the photo then that is good enough. It's infinitely better than having a 22mp DSLR at home but missing the shot because you don't have it with you.

There are millions of photos taken every day by opportunists that wouldn't exist if it were not for camera phones. The iPhone has made these lucky shots much better quality.

Bearing all THAT in mind, re-read the original post in that context and you will see what was meant.

No one is saying that an iPhone gives better results than a DSLR and lens combo that costs 10 times more.
 
iHateMacs said:
I think you are misunderstanding the term "good enough".
Click to expand...


There's no misunderstanding. The author is fawning over a photo which any $80 camera in the last 4 years could have taken, with the title "example of what the iPhone has done for photography".

I already gave my response in my earlier posts. Please refer to them.
 
Tarzanman said:
There's no misunderstanding. The author is fawning over a photo which any $80 camera in the last 4 years could have taken, with the title "example of what the iPhone has done for photography".

I already gave my response in my earlier posts. Please refer to them.
Click to expand...

my iPhone 4S takes amazing pictures.
 
What I take from this thread, and the iphone camera in general, is not that it's the BEST camera available, but that it is good enough to replace a p&s for most peoples' needs. Getting that good of a camera on your cell phone is pretty amazing, and I think justifies the title of the thread. For those who are 'serious' about photography, you can get a DSLR (I did) for those 'serious' shots - but having a great quality p&s caliber camera on the iphone is great for those casual fb pics, and means I don't have to carry around a 3rd device (traditional p&s) to get decent casual pics.
 
Sunsean said:
What I take from this thread, and the iphone camera in general, is not that it's the BEST camera available, but that it is good enough to replace a p&s for most peoples' needs. Getting that good of a camera on your cell phone is pretty amazing, and I think justifies the title of the thread. For those who are 'serious' about photography, you can get a DSLR (I did) for those 'serious' shots - but having a great quality p&s caliber camera on the iphone is great for those casual fb pics, and means I don't have to carry around a 3rd device (traditional p&s) to get decent casual pics.
Click to expand...

Exactly. For the average person, high-end smartphones have good enough cameras to replace the P&S in everyday life. For those who are serious about photography, they still serve a place as a daily driver when you don't want to carry a DSLR around with you. But if you are serious about photography an iPhone will not cut it as your only device, and likely never will.
 
boss.king said:
Exactly. For the average person, high-end smartphones have good enough cameras to replace the P&S in everyday life. For those who are serious about photography, they still serve a place as a daily driver when you don't want to carry a DSLR around with you. But if you are serious about photography an iPhone will not cut it as your only device, and likely never will.
Click to expand...

If you are serious about photography, then you won't be relying on your cell phone as your primary camera, no matter what kind it is. The iphone won't replace high-end single lens reflex any time soon, if ever - but it excels as an integrated p&s.

I think the thread should really be "What smartphones have done to make point and shoot cameras obsolete" lol
 
no matter what, whether its how good the iPhones camera is, or how nice the new iPads screen is etc...there is always going to be haters. people get off at being different and not conforming lol. get a life
 
Used a filter on Instagram and turned out really nice. I don't use Instagram much but I really liked how this turned out.

I had my friend bounce the basketball into the shot
2zdpp9s.jpg
 
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