From iOS to Android, every flagship smartphone model has some of the world’s most advanced cameras and computational power available at your fingertips. There’s no doubt that you can take stunning photos using your phone – but how do they compare to a digital camera?
Should I buy a camera or use my phone? Is it worth investing in a DSLR or mirrorless digital camera? What about the quality of pictures, image options and printing?
Let’s compare an advanced smartphone camera with a digital camera on the metrics and functions that matter most:
File Size And Quality of a Smartphone vs. Digital Cameras
- Winner: Digital Cameras
- Both are fine for most applications
- Digital cameras have the more mega pixels, bigger files
- Photographers prefer cameras because photos can be enlarged
An entry level DSLR is still going to be shooting images with more megapixels. You’re looking at between 24 – 32 megapixels on your digital camera compared to between 10 and 16 depending on the smartphone. For the vast majority of applications 10 to 16 megapixels is an ample amount of definition, however, if you want to blow up your image for a very large print a picture taken with a DSLR will have close to double the information compared to a smartphone.
Smartphones also automatically compress files to save storage space and as soon as some compression is applied, the image loses quality and information. You can typically change the photo file compression settings in your phone, so you can still get a JPEG around 2 – 5Mb (about the same file size as a digital camera) which prevents this loss of quality.
Where a digital camera always used to win out in terms of photo quality was the ability to take RAW images. These are the very large format photos that professionals prefer because it gives them so much more detail in the image. With some better camera apps you can buy for a smartphone, you can shoot in RAW format and export those images for editing on your computer.
Zooming In
- Winner: Digital Cameras
- Digital cameras use an optical zoom
- Smartphones use a digital zoom
- Optical zoom doesn’t sacrifice image quality
This is still one area where a smartphone just can’t compete with a digital camera with optical zoom. Phones with two or three cameras give you some options in terms of how close you can get to a subject, or how wide you can shoot. Other than that, you’re working with digital zoom. This means you’re losing out on quality when you take a picture.
Even a camera with a built-in lens offers you a significant amount of optical zoom, which allows you to get much closer to a subject without compromising on image quality compared to a digital zoom. When you get into the fancier cameras with interchangeable lenses, you can get a lot closer, and achieve so much more.
There are some lens manufacturers who make clip-on lenses for smartphones. These have come a long way—especially if you go for one of the more reputable brands—but they still won’t give you the same flexibility and functionality as a digital camera.
Camera controls: Options & Presets
- Winner: Both
- Both offer high levels of control to users
- Both allow for point-and-shoot modes
- Both are good for different reasons
Smartphones and digital cameras allow users to customize their experience and photos in similar yet slightly different ways. Most native camera apps on a smartphone offer you a degree of control for focus and exposure. This is great for the average person who wants to get good point and click photographs. For those who want more in-depth control, you need to buy a camera that allows this. The good news is they have become incredibly advanced, and offer you detailed control to get just the right shot.
An entry-level DSLR or mirrorless digital camera will automatically offer you full manual control, and several scene modes that you can select depending on the shooting situation. You can also set the device to full auto and happily snap away if you don’t know what to do with the manual.
Aperture: Fixed Vs. Variable
On a digital camera like a DSLR or mirrorless, you can change this aperture and enjoy greater control over the depth of field in your image. Some higher-end smartphones try to trick their way through this by using two lenses on the back of the device. They combine the two images taken by the lenses to create a softer background and a sharp-focus foreground for portrait shots.
- Winner: Digital Cameras
- Digital cameras have variable apertures
- Smartphones have fixed apertures
- Variable apertures provide more control to photographers
Comparing smartphone vs. digital camera when it comes to aperture, a digital camera is still way ahead of a smartphone because the aperture on a smartphone is fixed. This is the opening that lets light into the camera in order to capture the image. So if you can’t change the size of the physical aperture of the lens you can’t do as much with your photographs.
To compensate for this, smartphones have adapted to change shutter speeds and ISO to let in more or less light. Low-light or night photography on smartphones has improved greatly over the years. On a smartphone with full manual control apps, you can change the shutter speed and ISO to let in more or less light.
Portability and Convenience
- Winner: Smartphones
- Smartphones are more portable and discreet
- Digital cameras have longer-lasting batteries
- Smartphones are more convenient to travel with
Smartphones have a clear advantage when it comes to portability and convenience. Most people carry their smartphones with them everywhere, making it easy to capture spontaneous moments without the need to carry additional equipment. Smartphones are also generally more discreet and less obtrusive than digital cameras, which can be an advantage in certain situations.
That said, digital cameras generally have longer-lasting batteries and more storage capacity than smartphones. This can be particularly important for photographers who need to shoot for extended periods or capture large numbers of high-quality images without running out of battery or storage space.
Computational Photography: Pre Or Post Or Both
- Winner: Smartphones
- Smartphones show you the effects of computations on your photos in real time
- Digital cameras must do much of this computation afterward
- Smartphones can also make adjustments afterward
While digital cameras still have an edge in terms of overall image quality, smartphones have made significant strides in computational photography taking advantage of the advanced computer chip that powers the phone. Smartphone photo features like night mode, portrait mode, and advanced HDR processing done right on your phone can produce impressive results that were previously only achievable with dedicated cameras and post-processing software.
Much of the computational photography you see happening on your phone can also be applied to an image file from a digital camera, however, on a smartphone you can see these changes and make adjustments as you go or after, not just after the photoshoot like with a digital camera.
Smartphone vs. Digital Camera, And The Winner Is?
- Winner: Digital camera
- More megapixels and better image quality
- Optical zoom and variable aperture
- Better for photo prints
- Better for online display
For a professional photographer showcasing their work in an online portfolio or gallery, a proper digital camera is the clear winner. If you’re interested in photography or an enthusiastic hobbyist using a digital camera may still be a good choice because, beyond the image quality, you have more control over your photos with zooms, apertures, and lenses. Is it worth the money – that’s a question for you and your budget, but a digital camera is the best device for photography.
If you’re just looking to snap some pics of some cute doggos or a lovely naturescape, a smartphone camera is a great option – after all, it’s already in your pocket. You can still take good photos, and it’ll be cheaper than buying a digital camera to learn the basics and get your eye in. However, a smartphone can only take you so far. If you become serious about photography, a digital camera is the way to go.
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If you need guidance on what would work best for you, contact ArtisanHD at (877) 948-0009 or email us!
Lorie is a full time writer and editor with a background in logistics management and freight forwarding, covering a variety of topics and news within the industry.
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