Electronics

[Moonchilde]

I admit it - the phone on a camera is the most important feature to me. And we all know that whether we agree with it or not, these days phones aren’t created, marketed or sold on their merits as phones, but as cameras, GPS devices and media consumption devices. That’s just the way things have gone with cell phones.

I needed to get a new phone (some may have read previous thread(s) as to why), and within the past 6 months or so and going into November several top-of-the-line flagship phones have been released, all touting their camera’s phone as “clearly the best.”

I did my research, decided what was important to me, and purchased. I’m very happy with my phone and the quality of the photos it takes without editing. Wow.

But I’ve read tons of articles and looked at maaany “photo battles/comparison showdowns” from these phones - and have come to a conclusion - although there will sometimes be a shot or two where one phone camera is clearly superior in a specific situation, these days it boils down to your visual preference, as with most of the best-of-the-best there is very little difference to the naked eye - they’re all good. Very good. So much so that I now find myself looking at comparison shots from three cameras side-by-side and seeing almost no real difference between them, and what difference there might be is so small it’s just what your preference is.

Before I purchased my phone (it wasn’t released yet) I was in the Verizon store and the rep kept showing me how much “better” one brand’s camera was than another. I laughed to myself because, to my eye, I much preferred the photos from the phone he was dissing.

You may love to take a lot of selfies, and the lens and software for selfies and portraits are very important to you; I don’t, and they’re not important to me. You may like your photos with less “pop” and a cool tint; I like mine with a bit of pop and a neutral-to-warm tint. Video is important to some, less so to others. Some want optical zoom, others like wide angle.

Politics are also involved in the “rating” as to who has the “best” camera. Some phone cameras aren’t rated because the companies aren’t paying those who do the rating. The companies who do pay for ratings...they are to some extent paying for a favorable rating, and they get it.

If you’re out looking, go with the phone that looks the best to you. 

[BirkiLady]

Excellent comments. I, too, have been "looking." So far, haven't made a purchase. Still content with my current phone and the photos it takes. Why bother to replace a good thing?

[software]

It's a different day and time, if people buy a phone primarily for the camera, they've never owned a very nice camera.

I just go by megapixels.   The more the better.    Nothing more, nothing less.

I don't do selfies.   Most of the time I take pictures of something instead of making notes.   For example, if I see something in a store I think I would like in the future or to comparison shop, I'll take a picture, including the price.    Then later I'll delete it when I no longer need it.

It's so handy for that.   But for pictures of family or vacations I'd rather use my REAL camera.

@Moonchilde

[hckynut]

@Moonchilde

I agree. Just like audio components, what sounds better to me, may not to you, and that has always been that way, even before stereo hit the scene. Sound is a must for me for my music and tv or movies. If they are broadcast with Dolby Sound, I expect to hear it the same way it was produced.

Cell phones ain't my thing, but with all the BIG things that seem to turn up? Seems like video is also up there when it comes to catching the "unaware"!

hckynut

[Moonchilde]

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@software wrote:

It's a different day and time, if people buy a phone primarily for the camera, they've never owned a very nice camera.

I just go by megapixels.   The more the better.    Nothing more, nothing less.

I don't do selfies.   Most of the time I take pictures of something instead of making notes.   For example, if I see something in a store I think I would like in the future or to comparison shop, I'll take a picture, including the price.    Then later I'll delete it when I no longer need it.

It's so handy for that.   But for pictures of family or vacations I'd rather use my REAL camera.

@Moonchilde

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@software

Throughout the decades, I’ve had my share of expensive, “real” cameras, and own and shoot with one now - for its long zoom lens. But I have no desire to carry an actual camera around with me all the time, and I don’t believe most people do. I don’t do selfies at all; absolutely no desire.

Anyone who knows photography knows there is much more to digital photography than just how many pixels a camera has. The size of the sensor, the size of the individual pixels, and the processing software in the camera all matter as much or more than the pixel count. It’s been demonstrated time and again that 12-14 MP cameras can take shots far superior to 18-20 MP cameras, depending on the camera and its processing software, its sensors, etc.

Huge strides have been made in in-camera processing in the last ten years to the point that to the naked eye, unless you’re talking about routinely blowing up to poster size, some phone cameras can now come extremely close to DSLR quality in the opinion of photography experts.

I love my actual camera, it takes beautiful shots (whenever I post photos on the forums, most peoples’ reactions have consistently been very appreciative of the quality), but in most situations the leading edge phone cameras today take pictures so good you can’t tell the difference. Since I have no need to produce a lot of 16x20 or 24x36 printed photos, they are more than just “good enough” for me, and many professional photography magazines agree.

[hopi]

Love a good photo, love a phone that is intuitive, love good clear sound, love a brilliant screen, love a big screen, love the edgeless look, love good navigation.  The most important thing in a phone to me getting calls , messages in and out with excellent sound and reception and ease.

[Moonchilde]

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@hopi wrote:

Love a good photo, love a phone that is intuitive, love good clear sound, love a brilliant screen, love a big screen, love the edgeless look, love good navigation.  The most important thing in a phone to me getting calls , messages in and out with excellent sound and reception and ease.

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Where I live, in about a 50 mile radius, all cell service is lousy, period, no matter the provider or the device. Anyone who comes to our house who doesn’t have Verizon has no service, and the service we do have is only just functional. But with my new phone it is at least functional - my iPhone was just about completely non-functional here, hence new phone. The new phone is much better - as good as it gets in this area period.  

I don’t need it for navigation as I have a GPS device (free-standing) in the car.

Nothing at all is intuitive for me at this point, moving from iOS to Android ;-(  Still learning.