Do you still use a camera other than your phone?

Discussion in 'Chatty Pad' started by dawnmarch, Oct 3, 2022.

  1. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    Phone cameras are amazing, of course, but I'm curious if anyone still shoots with other cameras:

    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera?
    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? :D
    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along?
     
  2. tkradtke

    tkradtke Professional Brainstormer

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    1. YES!! The bulk of my photos are taken with my Canon R Mirrorless camera.
    2. I am not good at phone photos which leads to my answer above ^^ lol! (and I've even taken phone photography classes... sigh)
    3. I have decided that it is almost always worth it BUT part of this has to do with two things:
    • Mirrorless camera: my previous camera was the Canon 5d and that thing was HEAVY. Mirrorless is much lighter.
    • My camera strap: My 5d was a double whammy of being heavy and having a strap that eventually pulled on my neck (even though it was crossbody... it still got uncomfortable after a while). I switched my strap to my ML and it was fine... BUT when my strap finally fell apart I was forced to find a new one and I am sooooo glad that I did! I bought the Black Rapid Sling camera strap and my favorite part is the underarm stabilizer strap. That strap keeps the crossbody strap from ever touching your neck, let alone pull on it. I seriously forget I'm carrying it. I used to be able to handle only a couple of Disney days with my "big camera" before. This past March I carried my big camera all six days in the parks, never leaving it back at the hotel.
    My other justification for big vs. phone camera is that somehow, it's easier for me to quickly get off a shot with my big camera than it is for me to remember which pocket my phone is in :giggle
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2022
  3. elseepe

    elseepe I'll follow the sun

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    I only use my iPhone. I've gotten pretty good at whipping it out pretty quickly to catch quick shots. I recently had my passport photo taken and was surprised to see a little Canon powershot type camera being used for that. I think I still have a couple of those packed away. I loved that camera, but my phone takes higher resolution at this point.

    I do have an older DSLR (also still packed), but it uses those big compact flash cards and I think it was only 8 MP resolution. I'm not sure if it is worth anything to anyone at this point.
     
  4. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    Oh Tracie, you know I want to be you when I grow up and this is just more confirmation. I want a mirrorless Canon! I bought the Fuji Xt-1 when it came out but I just have never really meshed with that camera since the Canon line is like an extension of my being. I still shoot with the Canon D6 which feels like it weighs 85 pounds. :D I will have to check out that camera strap, at the very least, and start putting the mirrorless on my Christmas, birthday and every other holiday lists.
     
  5. michelepixels

    michelepixels A pun is not fully matured until it is full groan.

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    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera? I use a DSLR, but barely anymore. It's a Canon Rebel T1i I bought in 2010. I was studying photography from then until about 2016, mostly at Click (formerly Clickinmoms) and CreativeLIVE. But my favorite subjects (my kids) grew up and photographing them began to feel invasive. For the last several years I've been having a small battle in my mind regarding whether I want to persist with DSLR photography. No other genre has excited me like lifestyle documentary of my own children. But I still pick up my DSLR a few times a year. In fact, this year it has been weekly. I decided to do a Project 52 at Click to see if that would reignite my passion. I have managed to keep up with it every week, but I'm kind of forcing it. I almost feel like I could put away the DSLR for good. EXCEPT phones still have nowhere near as good quality sensors as DSLRs, and there's another factor, for me. Time. During the years I was obsessed with photography, I was a full time homeschooling mom; it was easy to bring along the camera everywhere I took my children and I had plenty of time to process the photos. Now I have a full time job outside the home. I can see myself getting back into photography when my schedule is lighter again someday.
    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? I use some of the same principles I learned while studying photography, such as avoiding clutter intersecting with my subject, using leading lines, framing, lighting, etc. I only have an iPhone 12 Mini though, and constantly feel disappointed when I zoom in, because the resolution just can't be as sharp as a DSLR. It's ok for my journal but what if someday I want to print a photo for the wall or even just filling a scrapbook page? I'm considering making my next phone the top of the line iPhone, but I want to find out more about that camera, and also I really don't want to lug around a huge phone, so I'm conflicted.
    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along? In the past, it was simply worth it because I was obsessed with learning photography and documenting my children's lives. This year, it's only worth it when I want to complete each week's Project 52 theme. Last year, I only bothered lugging it along with me to the Grand Canyon and a couple of other things I've forgotten. Oh! There was one non-P52 thing I used it for this year too: I watched a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean for the first time on July 13.

    Big important topic for me! Lots to say! :D
     
  6. gonewiththewind

    gonewiththewind I choose joy.

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    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera?

    Yes, I use a Sony a6000 series mirrorless, but I admit that I end up using the camera in my Google Pixel phone.

    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? :D

    I think I take pretty decent photos with my phone. I don't know that they are AMAZING, but I like them! I don't really have any tips. I just use the same ways of framing shots and checking lighting, etc., as I would with a non-phone camera.

    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along?

    Like Tracie said, the mirrorless is so much lighter. I used to decide if it was "worth it" with my Nikon DSLR by literally weighing my options. In 2015, I chose to use just my phone camera (it was a MotoZ) rather than the Nikon at WDW, and I'm still sad about the quality of those photos. But my back pain was pretty intense, and so overall, I'm glad I didn't carry the weight of the DSLR around. Now, my Pixel camera is so good, I often don't even use my mirrorless anymore. Although I put it out so it sits on the ledge my monitors are on . . . to try to make me at least be able to grab it quickly.
     
  7. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    My old Canon used those CF cards and I was mad when they switched to the SD cards (even tho now I know they are so much better). I still have a bunch of the CF cards floating around here, just in case. :D
     
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  8. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    My photography has changed a lot, too, as my kids have gotten older and gone off to college. My daughter still occasionally wants to do a photoshoot but I mostly am photographing different things. I signed up for an advanced photography workshop that meets in person - mostly just for the inspiration to photograph stuff outside of my backyard. :D I agree with you about being disappointed about the quality of phone photos, especially when zoomed. I DID buy the top of the line iphone last year, mostly for the camera, and still am not happy with the quality.

    During the pandemic, I shot a lot more film because it forces you to slow down and think about what you are doing. And I learned to develop b&w film just for fun. One thing I love about photography is that you can always learn and evolve.
     
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  9. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    Yes -- I will stand there and hold one camera in each hand to decide how much heavier the dslr is and whether it's worth it. :giggle
     
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  10. tkradtke

    tkradtke Professional Brainstormer

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    Awww... :blush The ML Canon is amazing! I am change adverse and fought it hard (my 5d was THIRTEEN years old.. eek!), but I finally gave in and wouldn't change a thing!

    That was my 5d for sure... plus the lens! I began to only shoot with my short wide angle because it was the most versatile lens for the weight.

    The camera strap is life changing... at least is was for me! And my birthday is four days after Christmas so my family tends to look for a combo gift which is how I ended up with mine a couple of years ago lol!

    Same. And to be honest, my overall scrapping style has changed because of this. I take photos with my ML because I want to be able to blow them up big to cover a whole 12x12 page sometimes. I'm working on a few scrapping projects right now that are basically photos, word art and journaling, so I want the photos to shine and I can't always do that with my phone photos.
     
  11. jagruti patel

    jagruti patel Me love cookies! Yum! Yum!

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    Yep I still use my dslr! I try to take it all the time...but if it's a place I feel it make seem out of place and I don't feel important...I will rely on cell phone pics. You rarely see cameras now. I even point them out when I see them!

    I've had some parents comment that when they see me with our camera...that their kids have not seen a real camera before...lol
     
  12. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    I was actually thinking when I posted this that there may be some youngsters on here who have never used anything BUT a phone camera! I feel old! :D
     
  13. navaja77

    navaja77 Well-Known Member

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    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera?
    Yes, I have a Nikon d780 dSLR camera. I do alot of sports photography and videography so this serves both needs.

    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? :D
    The secret is to realize that your phone camera is a tool and understanding exposure, light and composition, you can take good photos with any camera.

    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along?
    If I know I need the capabilities of the dSLR, then it's worth it to lug it along. I want to go mirrorless (to save on the weight) but right now, sports photography/videography with a mirrorless is not quite there and also out of my price range.
     
  14. navaja77

    navaja77 Well-Known Member

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    I used to have a 5d. The photos it took had a film look to it. I had it paired with the 40 pancake lens so it ended up being a lighter camera to carry. Sadly, I had to let it go when I needed a camera with faster shutter speed for sports.
     
  15. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    You do such a great job with the sports photography -- I miss doing that. I wanted to experiment with slow shutter sports photography and happened to be passing by a soccer field on a Saturday morning recently, so I stopped. But somehow taking photos of other peoples' kids felt a little too stalker-ish. :rollin
     
  16. dawnmarch

    dawnmarch Actually, no. You are not funny!

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    That's good to know. My 5D is still my favorite camera of all time; I liked it more than I like my current 6D although the 6D has some capabilities the 5D didn't. There was just something about those 5D pictures . . .
     
  17. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera?
    I have a Nikon 7500 with multiple lens. I use it occasionally. Not as much as I have in the past.

    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? :D
    I do better with landscapes and non-people pictures. I have taken multiple photography classes through our community college and it has helped a lot on composition, lighting, etc. I even took a phone photography course. Bottom line - the best camera is the one you have with you, which might be a phone.

    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along?
    When it is somewhere I haven't been before. When it is somewhere I know I will regret later that I didn't take it. So I lugged it all the way from the USA to NZ and AUS, but I only took my 18-200mm lens and I took a small camera backpack to carry it in. I also use a cross-body strap and that really helps carry it.
     
  18. rach3975

    rach3975 Well-Known Member

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    1. Do you use a non-phone camera like a dSLR, point-and-shoot or (gasp!) even a film camera?
    Once in a while. I have an Olympus mirrorless, but these days I only use it a handful of times a year. I was always more into photographing my family than photography in general. They're older now and don't want to be photographed much, so I take a lot fewer photos than I used to. Why lug around the big camera when I know they'll only let me take a handful of photos? Plus they can stay still for a photo better than they did as tiny kids, so I don't feel like I need the advantages of a "real" camera as much anymore.

    2. I see some AMAZING phone photos online but I confess that I'm a way better photographer with almost any other kind of camera. Are you good a phone photography? What are your secrets? :D
    No secrets here, LOL. But I absolutely think that the phone itself makes a difference. Interestingly, my Samsung Galaxy S9+ took better photos than my S21+. The 9+ had a real optical zoom and it didn't overprocess photos as much. I seriously dislike the camera on my 21+. Unlike what the reviewers said, the "hybrid" zoom is useless and doesn't focus well--the photos taken with it are basically unscrappable. I try not to use it unless I'm in conditions where any lens will give me grainy, somewhat unfocused photos. There's a mode where I can shoot in RAW on my phone, but I find myself not taking the time to process the photos when I use it.
    Now that there's also an Ultra line of Galaxy phones I couldn't justify the extra money to get that instead of the Plus, but I may get a Google Pixel next time. I've heard good things about their cameras, so next summer I'll research before I upgrade. (We usually go 3 years between upgrades, but I think I'm only waiting 2 this time. As soon as this phone is paid off, I want one whose camera I'll love!)

    3. If you shoot with a non-phone camera, how do you decide when it's "worth it" to lug it along?
    Mostly by how many photos I'll be taking, whether I'll want/need a good zoom lens, and whether my brother will be there! (His side business is wedding photography, so if it's a family event I let him handle the nice photos and just use my phone.) If we're on a vacation where I'll be taking a lot of photos, I bring the real camera and the phone and switch off. Each of them works better in certain circumstances, and sometimes they surprise me so I want some with each. The rest of the time it's mostly phone photos. My mirrorless is old enough now (purchased late 2015) that it isn't as clear a winner as it used to be in photo quality. I can't justify upgrading it--I've already decided that I'm going to put that money toward a better phone camera.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2022
  19. Memaw2Wm

    Memaw2Wm Well-Known Member

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    I pulled out my Canon T4i dSLR this past weekend to take Homecoming photos. And I’m glad I did. My granddaughter suggested I take a photo of her brother and his date on a bridge … from across a small pond. No way I could have taken that with my phone. (iPhone SE 2020).

    I take adequate photos with my phone, but for zooming and sports photos my dSLR wins hands down.

    I’m debating on moving to a mirror less Canon … lighter weight, plus my T4i doesn’t have WiFi or Bluetooth. I love the idea of being able to send photos from my camera to my phone.
     
  20. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    I gave up my camera when I switched to my iphone 13 last Christmas. I'm a retired professional (worked in the business for 6 years following college graduation) and I messed up my back so much carrying equipment that a while back I realized I needed to downsize my equipment. I went to smaller a dslr, then to a point and shoot. The problem with them is they aren't made to last and I was tired of researching/purchasing something new every two years.

    I've been loving my iphone. It takes such amazing nighttime/dark light photos that I'll never go back. Plus the convenience of having such a small thing to carry make it perfect.
     

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