iPhone 12 mini Upgrade from SE just for camera

[lkalliance]

Hi, all, I'm planning my first trip to Europe, visiting Rome and other points in Italy. So normally, I'd take my trusty Canon T4i DSLR. But I have come to understand that when I bring my camera along anywhere, I spend my time in the eyepiece. Either I take my camera and I enjoy the experience of photography, OR I leave my camera at home and enjoy the experience of being at the location and doing things. This time, I'm opting for the latter. I'll rely on my phone for photography.

So I have a 2020 iPhone SE, and I am thinking of upgrading to an iPhone 12 Mini for this reason. I like the camera on the SE, it's certainly better than the camera I had on my original 2016 SE, but I fear it lags in nighttime photography. I don't want to go to the expense of a 12 Pro. So that comes to my question: based on the camera alone and knowing I'm going to be seeing things I've always wanted to see, will I notice a difference between the 12 Mini and the 2020 SE, enough of a difference to do an upgrade?

 

[dukebound85]

Not in my opinion

just use a dedicated camera

 

[LFC2020]

No point upgrading now, iPhone 12s/13 are only 6 month away. 🧐📱

 

[lkalliance]

Not in my opinion

just use a dedicated camera

I completely agree that on the issue of photo quality, the decision of what way to go would be to bring the camera. But I've already decided not to bring it: the photo quality itself isn't the driver of that decision. But given that I've made that decision, now I will try to maximize my joy within that constraint. Part of that WILL be how nice the photos are that I do decide to take, against the cost of upgrading.

No point upgrading now, iPhone 12s/13 are only 6 month away. 🧐📱

Good point.

 

[dk001]

Hi, all, I'm planning my first trip to Europe, visiting Rome and other points in Italy. So normally, I'd take my trusty Canon T4i DSLR. But I have come to understand that when I bring my camera along anywhere, I spend my time in the eyepiece. Either I take my camera and I enjoy the experience of photography, OR I leave my camera at home and enjoy the experience of being at the location and doing things. This time, I'm opting for the latter. I'll rely on my phone for photography.

So I have a 2020 iPhone SE, and I am thinking of upgrading to an iPhone 12 Mini for this reason. I like the camera on the SE, it's certainly better than the camera I had on my original 2016 SE, but I fear it lags in nighttime photography. I don't want to go to the expense of a 12 Pro. So that comes to my question: based on the camera alone and knowing I'm going to be seeing things I've always wanted to see, will I notice a difference between the 12 Mini and the 2020 SE, enough of a difference to do an upgrade?

For vacations I have an instamatic I take and use for “snapshots” in most cases instead of my phone and if I don’t want to haul my DSLR. Small, light and easy to use. swap out the sd card if I need more room and deal with it all when I get back home.