Why would you want to use a DSLR now days! We have iphones that do amazing things.
I recently was having a conversation with someone who wanted to buy a DSLR. I had to ask the question why? It was simple. they had been enjoying using their phone to take photographs but they were wanting to do things that the phone just simply couldn’t do. They really loved taking photographs but they wanted to have more control. They had a good eye that they had trained by using their phone but it was time to really take it to the next level.
There comes a time when you want to have more control over the images that you are taking and you want to PRINT you photographs. Phone technology has come a long way and some are now cameras with a phone in them. But when you want to start using filters on the front of lens’s or do long exposures on tripods the time has come to get either a DSLR or a Mirrorless camera.
The best thing about iphoneography is that it can help you to learn about photography. it gives you a way to start to learn that costs nothing to get started. It is always with me and close at hand if I need it! It can be a little disappointing when I get a shot on there that I adore and the quality won’t let me print it to anything but a small size and I LOVE big prints! this is ususally if i have zoomed in on something. The quality just isnt there like with a DSLR.
Let’s have a look at some examples where the image looks great on screen but when we take a look up closer we can really see the problems.
So let’s look at some examples.
This is the online image that I was pretty happy with
But let’s look at it closer up without its cool Instagram filter.
It’s speckled, and a bit soft on the edges of the blacks.
It’s even worse if you use the zoom on it once it got higher in the sky
lets compare that to the image from the DSLR. Clouds came over by the time I grabbed my trusty DSLR but you can definitely see a difference with them side by side and up a little closer.
Now if you get a great shot and you go to a pro lab they can up size and do all sorts of magic to an iphone photo to get it to print (for a fee!), but if you just want to print it at your regular print shop it just aint going to happen.
So why is this so? its all about the glass!! the lens that is used on the phone is no match for the lens that is on the DSLR. The DSLR photo is so clear even without any sharpening that you can even see the string of the kite!! The lens is what makes all the difference and if you look at the size of the lens on a phone compared to on a camera it makes sense that the quality is going to be compromised.
So in closing, use your phone to really enjoy capturing your daily world, to practice your composition, to be there when a real camera is not available and to call your friends and family. But if you really want to create real magic learn the craft of photography. And remember if you print your work it won’t lie dormant on your hard drive never to see the light of day.