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Is a high-end camera needed for photography?

droomph

weeb
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This question comes up a lot for me personally. There first was an article in Times saying that ever since the camera phone and such came out, it's been increasingly used in journalism to take pictures.

Then there's an iPhotography thread, and the pictures are pretty beautiful imo.

So the my question to you today is: Is a high-end camera needed for :non-casual: photography?
 
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Snowdrop

Back and ready to babble!
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If these are just casual photos of family and friends and stuff like that, then using a camera phone is perfectly fine. If you want to take professional-looking photos then you need to use some sort of camera that can take HD pictures. IMO. I personally won't use or pay much mind to any photos that aren't either in HD or close to it. But there are SO many instances and circumstances, so it's hard to give a straight answer to the question. So basically, casual or fun photos = cameraphone, something you want to look professional = high-end camera

Footnote: I'm really low-tech so I don't know how advanced cameraphones are nowadays, I use a camera from my early 2009 phone and the picture quality isn't that good. Ghetto. Also the lighting absolutely sucks.
 

Khawill

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Ok so there are 3 types of main photographing cameras as I see them.
Digital ones that are slim and carried usually in a pocket (these are the ones being replaced by phones) They can take great pictures and are generally high quality, they are pretty cheap too.

There are high end cameras, ranging anywhere from 300-1000$. These feature replaceable lenses, better flash and technology. I don't see smart phones ever replacing these, as they can be customized, attached to bi/tripods ect. I have a canon Powershot myself.

There are the disposable cameras too, used mostly as a cheap way to get photos. I've used some with pretty decent quality (and it can be touched up if you get it digitaly developed)

Main answer, pro cameras won't be replaced because smart phones can't possibly keep up (do you think a smart phone can replace a ps3, or PC/Mac?) but they will drive casual photographers away
 

droomph

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do you think a smart phone can replace a ps3, or PC/Mac?
No, because those three things are completely different, and are not single application tools. However, a camera application on a smart phone and a real camera are no different in concept, so those can be compared. Besides, there is a tool in common - the lens. However, the smartphone and PC have completely different makeup and intended functions. The smartphone is for portable communication, and the PC is for calculations. It's like saying, "Do you think a brick can replace a tablecloth?" So yes, a smartphone, if fast enough, can surpass a real camera.

And as processors get more powerful, more functions will appear, and likely will match or surpass real cameras in quality. A great example is the HDR function in the iPhone 4 and higher. If that is just step one, we should see more and more functions that will make taking professional pictures easier to pick up.

However, I'm not against the normal high-end cameras. If they do work better, it's fine with me. But with the rising speed of computer processors, are they going to be replaced? Anything can happen in the world of technology nowadays.
 

Khawill

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No, because those three things are completely different, and are not single application tools. However, a camera application on a smart phone and a real camera are no different in concept, so those can be compared. Besides, there is a tool in common - the lens. However, the smartphone and PC have completely different makeup and intended functions. The smartphone is for portable communication, and the PC is for calculations. It's like saying, "Do you think a brick can replace a tablecloth?" So yes, a smartphone, if fast enough, can surpass a real camera.

And as processors get more powerful, more functions will appear, and likely will match or surpass real cameras in quality. A great example is the HDR function in the iPhone 4 and higher. If that is just step one, we should see more and more functions that will make taking professional pictures easier to pick up.

However, I'm not against the normal high-end cameras. If they do work better, it's fine with me. But with the rising speed of computer processors, are they going to be replaced? Anything can happen in the world of technology nowadays.

The parentheses were put there as like a "think about it". There is not much of a possibility that Iphone/Android apps could ever take over console gaming (aka the "pro" gamers*) but they can take over mobile gaming, (the "casual" players*). In a same sense the camera can replace digital or "casual" camera, but wouldn't really be up to par with the more expensive "pro" cameras.

*I know that not all console gamers are hardcore and and all mobile gamers are not. What I'm saying is that it will appeal more to the smaller, handheld on the go type people.
 

ShinyUmbreon189

VLONE coming soon
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The answer is no. Just cause you got a high end camera doesn't mean your gonna take good pictures. You gotta know how to take pictures and know techniques to get the best quality. High end cameras are ususally for really good photograhers. Its the same thing as an instrument. The guitar for example. Just cause the guitar is good doesn't mean your gonna sound good. Its the player that makes the sound not the guitar. A good guitar player can sound good on any guitar. Same thing goes for cameras. The photographer takes the pictures not the camera. A good photographer can take a good picture with any camera. So the answer is no.
 

Ho-Oh

used Sacred Fire!
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...me being the one to own the iPhotography thread, ofc I think you can take great photos without a great camera. XD

While I'd love to have a DSLR I think I can do just as well in most cases with an iPhone. While it doesn't have the greatest megapixels ever, I think the quality of the photos is just as great if not better than an actual camera which cost idk $400, or whatever I brought it for. Of course it wasn't a DSLR, but still.

Honestly it just depends on skill/knowledge as people have said. I take better photos now than I did like a few years back on that camera in particular I mentioned, and I've seen people have good-ish cameras but take terrible photos. It just takes time/experience.
 
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  • Seen Aug 31, 2012
i remember i saw a video on youtube about this once, they were using an old iphone camera to proof that it is indeed possible to shot great photos without a professional camera, they used a very interesting lightning technique and put the iphone on a tripod, the final results were astonishing

however, even though it is possible to take good quality photos with regular cameras, it is still advisable to invest on a professional camera if you want to remove a lot of the limits of regular cameras, also higher resolution makes it easier to edit the photo, so its not like professional cameras are useless, its just they are not required to take good photos, in my humble opinion, a good composition is much more important than the camera.

the thing is, as an amateur u might want to start working on some composition, lightning and editing skills before u feel the need of investing on a good camera, i used a point&shoot camera for like 2 years before i decided to invest on a pro camera, i ended up getting the Canon 60D and to be honest if i could go to the past, i wouldn't wait 2 years to get it :D.
 

Khawill

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Okay so I was fiddling with my Canon and I realized that it also takes really nice, clean videos. Here is an example on this link
The video shows a pretty good image, and pictures are a bit better so if you wanted pics AND the option for video, then a canon is better. As Xeinnex said a pro camera is, for pros. (The camera he has is an upgraded version of mine I believe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1sdYizvEUs
 
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I've been into photography for quite a long.... 6 years in fact.... time. And I must say the answear is bot yes and no.

The main question that needs to be asked, is what type of photography we are talking about? Street journalism? Nope, the smaller the camera, the better the effect because people will behave in their most natural manner. Landscapes/Macro? Yes, a high-end camera will greatly improve the quality of your work done
 

Nihilego

[color=#95b4d4]ユービーゼロイチ パラサイト[/color]
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The bottom line is that having good tools doesn't make you any better at the job. Until you're confident that you can take good photos with the camera you currently have, you don't need a new one. If you want to become good at photography then use any camera; if you want to take higher quality pictures (notice that this is different to 'good' pictures) then get a DSLR. I can't stress enough that you don't want to get high-end gear and expect it to make you good. It won't. When you want to do things with your pictures which your current camera simply won't allow or when you feel you're taking excellent shots but the camera itself is stopping them from being perfect, it's time to upgrade. The only thing that looks professional or skilful about a poor photographer with a good camera is the camera itself.

Requility said:
While I'd love to have a DSLR I think I can do just as well in most cases with an iPhone. While it doesn't have the greatest megapixels ever, I think the quality of the photos is just as great if not better than an actual camera which cost idk $400, or whatever I brought it for. Of course it wasn't a DSLR, but still.

Megapixels are only reference to the number of pixels captured in the image and don't effect how good it actually looks, just how much detail there is in it, and I sorta feel like the importance of having many megapixels in a camera is overblown given that most screens can't even display anything in fullscreen above 2.3mpx (putting this into perspective, the 3GS shoots at 3.2mpx, the 4 at 5mpx and the 4S at 8mpx) at a resolution of 1920x1200, although it does give you more detail to manipulate if you're working with it at a level beyond point-and-shoot. Having used both and being fairly alright with photography (lol immodest) I can certainly say that a DSLR will blow the iPhone to pieces in terms of image quality. But if you're good with an iPhone then the pictures you take will be better than those of someone who is bad with a DSLR (or any other superior camera for that matter such as the one you mentioned); again, skill > gear.

droomph said:
A great example is the HDR function in the iPhone 4 and higher.

I always thought that the HDR feature was there to compensate for poor shots but made good ones look pretty dead and unrealistic. Preference, I guess. *shrug*
 
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