With the decline of traditional cameras a couple of years back and the steady rise of smartphones and digital cameras, the consumer has a tough decision to make. Should you opt for a good smartphone with a capability of capturing high-quality pictures or should you opt for a digital camera designed specifically for capturing and manipulating images? Most people are torn between the two and they have a hard time choosing the one that best fits their needs. Let us look at some of the differences of taking photos with a smartphone versus digital camera.
Convenience of Smart Phone Photography
When you consider the convenience of taking the photos, then you can’t beat smart phone photography. Smartphones are very easy to understand. You don’t have to set complex settings to capture your images. You just tap the camera, input simple settings that will output your desired picture quality and you’ll be ready to capture instant snaps. Also, smartphones are not bulky, they are easily portable and it’s easy to share the images with your family and friends. However, if you are concerned more about functionality rather than convenience, then digital photography can take your photo skills to the next level.
Functionality
The smartphone camera is limited in terms of functionality and versatility as compared to a digital camera. A digital camera has complex settings and has much functionality that contributes to a quality picture. With a digital camera, you can interchange the lens in different photography scenarios. However, a smartphone has a built-in camera which doesn’t allow for the interchanging of the lens. Let us look at other differences in terms of functionality.
• Zooming in: When it comes to zooming in, the smartphone is also disadvantaged because when you pinch to zoom, you’ll simply be cropping the subject in front of you. This will result in blurriness and lack of detail. However, a high-quality optic zoom lens in a digital camera offers sharper colors, great detail, and clarity.
• Low light shooting scenarios: shooting in low light is also difficult with a smartphone camera because the photos will be affected by red-eye effect and poorly lighted images. A digital camera has an external flash designed for taking better low light images.
Picture Quality
With a digital camera, you are guaranteed of one thing, cleaner and high-quality images than those of a smartphone. This doesn’t mean that smart phones produce low-quality images, but digital cameras capture sharper images as compared to smartphones. When you compare the two, a digital camera produces photos with a more range of colors while smartphone photos appear washed out. Also, when you zoom in photos captured using a phone, they may appear to be pixelated. Photography enthusiasts who are not much after quality opt for camera phones, but professional photographers who look to create dramatic and well-refined images opt for digital cameras.
Memory or Storage
One key problem that affects smartphones is the limited storage space. You want to capture an instant photo, but a message pops up saying that you are allowed since there is no memory space. Digital cameras are specialized for images and videos, thus they allow for more space to take new photos. If one is shooting videos, then an SD card may prove very beneficial to expand the memory storage space.
Cost
In most cases, the determining factor is usually the price. High-quality digital cameras are a bit more expensive as compared to smartphones. But, if you go for a digital camera, you will be making a wise decision in terms of quality, functionality, and storage.
Wrapping Up! Which Is Better? Smartphone or Digital Camera?
The answer to this question depends entirely on your needs. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you simply want to capture, edit and send photos, then a smartphone may be the best alternative for you. If you want to become a professional photographer and capture accomplished photos, then it would be great if you consider a digital camera.