Great thread with really good responses!
I would offer a couple of comments.
First: what is your intended output for the images? Sharing on social media? Email? Posting on the web? Printing at small sizes? Printing at big sizes? iPhone images vs images from a dedicated camera may differ in noticeable quality depending on intended output (and on the camera/lens used at the time of capture).
Second: what are your thresholds for what you consider āgood enoughā for your intended output? Independent of the RAW vs JPEG argument, phone camera files may be fine for you. Or they may not. It depends on your personal sense of what is āgood enoughā.
Third: what types of subjects are you shooting? Do they lend themselves to the limitations of a phone camera (small sensor coupled to a lens with a very small focal length in traditional 35mm terms)? Are you trying to isolate the subject from the background (something phone cameras arenāt good at because of their tiny focal lengths, unless you are shooting *very* close). On the other hand, phone cameras have a massive depth of field for more distant subjects because of their tiny focal length lens which can be advantageous compared to dedicated cameras with larger sensors.
Fourth: what lighting are you usually shooting in? In good lighting, phone cameras tend to do well. In poor lighting their files suffer.
Fifth: how important is external lighting (meaning strobes/flashes, ability to control the lighting) to the images you want to create?
Sixth: what focal lengths do you need for the subjects you are shooting? Do you need wide or ultra-wide? Do you need moderate or more extreme telephoto? Do you need a zoom lens to cover the focal lengths you usually shoot? A phone camera may or may not be able offer the focal length you need for your photography.
Seventh: do you need specialty lenses or specific lenses to achieve your creative goal? Photographing sports. Macro. Architecture.
All cameras are tools. Like any tool, there are pluses and minuses. There are trade offs in convenience, cost, quality, ease of use, etc.
There are certainly image quality differences between an iPhone and a dedicated camera (depending on the camera/lens, obviously). These differences can become more apparent when comparing professional gear to files from a phone. The better gear may let you capture an image that wouldnāt be possible with a phone camera. Or it may give you a file that is salvageable in post where the phone camera file isnāt.
I have a specific comparison in mind, but my MBP died yesterday so I canāt share. Two shots taken on a cruise with my son jumping across a round window indoors. One with my Nikon D850 and Sigma 40mm f/1.4 lens. The other taken by my mom with her iPhone. The former is a keeper, the latter is garbage. The iPhone just wasnāt the right tool for the job. And nothing would have made it the right tool for the job.
Ultimately there is no one-size-fits-all.
For me personally, I donāt use my iPhone that often as a camera. I have better tools at my disposal to achieve my creative goals. I use it to document where I parked my car prior to a plane trip. Iām not saying it canāt be a viable creative tool, but I have better creative tools available to me that I use regularly.
I'm so sorry that I missed your post! Thank you for taking the time to go through the thread as well as provide food for thought. I'll try and answer your questions now.
Intended output: I'd say personal viewing, social media and web. I don't use an image sharing platform other than Instagram and we know what the quality is there. I would however, for select photos, like to be be able to print should I wish, but then again, no large prints. The last print I did was an A3 B&W from my Ricoh GR. So: personal viewing, memories and at the most a 4x6 to mail to someone.
Quality: I'm fairly happy with phone IQ these days. The most I've ever had is my Ricoh, and in both instances I've shot JPEG until this thread. I feel this ties in with my output.
Subjects and lighting: Everyday stuff
š Could be a lamp post, a sunset, street photography. I usually shoot with good lighting and again, have not felt too limited by dark scenes. I'm aware that dim but evocative scenes such as a neon lit side alley will be better captured by a dedicated camera. I'm also not a fan of the artificially brightened 'night mode' output that flagship phones have nowadays. I don't use external lighting as I've not felt the need for it.
Lenses and focal lengths: Again, not something that I particularly put much thought into seeing as I'm more interested in testing the limits of what I have on hand, than exploring the potential of what I can invest in monetarily. I don't like too wide angled and don't require a long telephoto.
I suppose by now you will have gathered that while I like and enjoy photography, for the moment I'm most interested in seeing which phone might be best for the purpose, as that new device will become my primary camera. There are times when I take out my GR and enjoy the different experience, however, I'm not too sure if I'll invest in an ILC until I feel the need to make use of the benefits a dedicated camera provides. Or to put it another way, for now, I'm more keen on spending on a 16" MBP such as the one I'm typing on, or a holiday, than a camera body. I see shooting with phones as a fun endeavor to challenge its limitations and perceptions as a photography tool, and given that I was mulling purchasing my first iPhone, I wondered how it would be camera-wise. I guess the parallel would be one who uses an SLR but then finds joy in a disposable point and shoot. Inherently more limited, but fun because of it
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But, this is what I wanted to hear, from people such as you who are passionate about photography, have the right tools AND have an iPhone too.
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