Cell Phone cameras:
I learned a long time ago, you can’t download a photographic memory! You can remember things and recall memories in your mind. You can describe things as best as you can. But you can’t actually show anyone anything. That’s where the camera comes in.
We have to start by asking what our goal is and what we plan on shooting the most. Knowing this will help guide you in your purchases. For instance, a missionary might photograph a lot of people and street scenes. You might look for a camera with a good telephoto zoom lens. Maybe you want to focus on nature… a camera you can put into manual and a wide angle to medium zoom may be a good start. Think through all of the areas you want to photograph and prioritize each area so you can select the equipment you need and not just what sounds good. Remember, the more you buy, the more you will be carrying and that can get very heavy!
Okay, The camera. The truth is, this is probably the second most important piece of equipment, but it is the first thing we think of when we talk photo equipment. The only thing more important is the lens and how it is made, the quality of glass, and it’s functions.
We will discuss three different classes of cameras; the cell phone (here), digital SLR’s (the next post), and bridge cameras (after that). Each play and important part in our equipment selection.
The Cell Phone Camera:
In this post, we will talk a little about cell phone cameras. Let’s get started.
Let’s start out simple – your smart phone. It’s small, light, easy to carry, and you have it almost everywhere you go. These days, the quality of the image is a lot better than it used to be. You can take relatively high resolution images and 4k video (even higher on some phones). Many of them even have built in stabilization which will help make your videos smooth and easy to watch and help with camera shake.
In fact, you can often go into your settings and fine tune how your camera and video will work.
There are apps that you can install that will add functions to your camera. You can make manual adjustments and control backgrounds. Your cell phone camera is a powerful tool to get to know.
Tip: you may have the best camera in the world, but if it isn’t with you or it’s not convenient to pull out, you could miss the shot. It’s better to get the picture with a little less quality than to miss it all together!
Another benefit to the cell phone and its size is the intimidation factor. People have become so accustomed to cell phones that they don’t think twice about it. On the other hand, when you pull out a digital camera with a big lens on it, they become nervous and self conscious. They don’t really think about the fact that the larger camera may make them look a little better!
Then there’s the stealth factor… you can easily hide the fact that you are photographing people and things with your cell phone. That’s a little harder to do with a larger camera. A larger camera tends to draw attention to yourself and makes people nervous… not to mention attracts bad guys who want your camera.
You can also add accessories to your phone. For instance, you can add an external mic for better sound when recording video and doing interviews. You can mount your phone on a tripod or a gimbal. There are so many options we can’t cover all of them here.
One word of caution: be careful of digital zoom (bad) vs optical zoom (good). With optical zoom, the lens and camera are doing all of the work so the quality of the photo stays sharp and good. When you exceed your lens ability and the camera or software allow you to make it bigger, you are making the pixels larger and any defect you may have in the photo will be enlarged as well. You will also end up with pixelation (choppy looking photos).
Memory… try to keep your camera memory as clear as possible. Get the videos and photos off of your camera so you always have room for more. Also, 4k video takes up a lot of memory and battery power so be aware and keep track of these things.
The bottom line: smart phone cameras are great and there are people who have developed whole business models around their cell phones. They may not be your first choice if you intend to make large prints (though they still do pretty well), but they are very effective for missionary trips, street photography, and snap-and-grab photos and videos. They are also great to practice your composition and other photo techniques. Like I said, they are a great tool that you can carry with you everywhere and the worst shot you’ll ever encounter is the one you can’t get because you don’t have a camera with you.
In the next post, we will talk more about the DSLR/Mirrorless cameras and the benefits of each.
