advertisement


Should I sell DSLR for mobile phone camera?

Fatmarley

Fatmarley

"It appears my intelligence circuits have melted"
After receiving my Google Pixel 3a XL mobile phone, I'm seriously tempted to sell my Canon 70d, Speedlite 430ex 2, 17-55 f2.8 lens, and buy a Huawei p40 pro (would probably give the Pixel to the GF). I'm sure my keeper rate is higher with this mobile, and that's with not even having to think about the shot.

I only get the DSLR out for special occasions, holidays, and days out etc. It can take wonderful photos, but it's a pain carrying a big lump around my neck on holiday. The advantage of having it around my neck is I hardly miss anything, and if I'd just had a mobile phone I would have probably missed some nice shots by the time I got it out my pocket and unlocked it etc.
If only you could fit a strap to hang a mobile around your neck and have much quicker way to take photos (something like a second fingerprint sensor that puts it straight into camera mode).

Think I may have answered my own question but I'll post it just in case anyone has any bright ideas.
 
I don't really use my mobile for photo's all that much although it is quite capable. Part of that is the lack of a viewfinder, so as a half-way house to carrying my DSLR I got a Sony RX100 and that gets a lot of use. I tend to carry it in a small case attached to my belt so it's quick to use.
 
I find the lack of a viewfinder is the killer for me. I'm long sighted and wear varifocals. I need to find the sweet spot to see the screen, not natural as the lenses are set up for reading where you are normally looking down. In bright sun I can't see enough to properly compose a decent shot.

I also find zooming a pain as it is less natural and miss having a physical shutter button. I never feel that I can hold my phone as steady as my camera. I'm old school starting with a Canon AT-1 back in the day.

A question about the Pixel 3a, how much lag does the shutter have. My Moto G5 has enough lag to annoy me. With my Lumix G80 I can be on half pressure and know exactly when I'm going to take the image.

Looking at the Huawei cost I would consider a compact such as the Lumix TZ100. Great little camera and easy to carry, I have a small pouch round my neck. It is not a good idea to keep this type of camera in your pocket uncovered as pocket lint can easily get into the camera when it opens and closes.

Check out the restrictions on the apps you can use on the Huawei, no Zoom, no WhatsApp etc.
 
SteveG said:
I don't really use my mobile for photo's all that much although it is quite capable. Part of that is the lack of a viewfinder, so as a half-way house to carrying my DSLR I got a Sony RX100 and that gets a lot of use. I tend to carry it in a small case attached to my belt so it's quick to use.
Click to expand...


I had one of those when they first came out but wasn't too keen on it (Again, too slow IIRC). The guy I sold it too thought I was mad and said it was a great camera.
 
cctaylor said:
I find the lack of a viewfinder is the killer for me. I'm long sighted and wear varifocals. I need to find the sweet spot to see the screen, not natural as the lenses are set up for reading where you are normally looking down. In bright sun I can't see enough to properly compose a decent shot.

I also find zooming a pain as it is less natural and miss having a physical shutter button. I never feel that I can hold my phone as steady as my camera. I'm old school starting with a Canon AT-1 back in the day.

A question about the Pixel 3a, how much lag does the shutter have. My Moto G5 has enough lag to annoy me. With my Lumix G80 I can be on half pressure and know exactly when I'm going to take the image.

Looking at the Huawei cost I would consider a compact such as the Lumix TZ100. Great little camera and easy to carry, I have a small pouch round my neck. It is not a good idea to keep this type of camera in your pocket uncovered as pocket lint can easily get into the camera when it opens and closes.

Check out the restrictions on the apps you can use on the Huawei, no Zoom, no WhatsApp etc.
Click to expand...

I can cope without a proper viewfinder, but do prefer one.

Again, I can cope with the mobile phone zoom, but yes, it's better to have the twisty lens zoom on the Canon, and the shutter button.

Can't say I have any problems holding the mobile phone steady though.

I don't notice any shutter lag on the Pixel, It's instant.
 
Fatmarley said:
Reviews look good but how's the autofocus? Amazon review "Autofocus can be slow and face detect is a little clunky at times"

I really need super fast AF for a hyper active toddler.
Click to expand...

If you want fast AF and reliable tracking, then the RX100 vii is a good option, I know you dismissed the RX100 from above posts, but the latest versions have the same algorithms as some of Sony's latest DSLRs - I've got a ZV-1 and although thats a video orientated version of an RX100 family camera, the tracking and eye tracking is very impressive. The RX100vii won't be the last thing in low light but for most shooting will do an excellent job.

Or look at the Panasonic Lumix range with 4K/6K photo, as this allows you to extract a reasonable resolution decent still from a video burst. It depends on what you want to do with the photograph, print it A4 these will be fine, any bigger and in this mode you'll start to see artefacts.
 
Fatmarley said:
I had one of those when they first came out but wasn't too keen on it (Again, too slow IIRC). The guy I sold it too thought I was mad and said it was a great camera.
Click to expand...

Mine is the first model that had a viewfinder (the Mk3 I think) so don't know how it compares to the earlier one. It's certainly not as instant as using a DSLR but for a compact it's very good (and certainly doesn't feel like a limitation when using it), and gets good results as well.
 
I hate the thought of compromising image quality.

Another option is to buy the little 24mm f2.8 pancake lens and a better strap than the one supplied by Canon. I can feel it cutting into my neck after a while. Or, maybe with a better strap I wouldn't need a lighter lens?
 
Fatmarley said:
and have much quicker way to take photos (something like a second fingerprint sensor that puts it straight into camera mode).
Click to expand...

Pixel phones have built in fast unlock that goes straight to the camera mode,

When the phone is locked double press the power button and the phone will go into camera mode.

If it's not doing that there will be a setting to enable it.
 
Most phones have that feature, very handy it is too for a quick shot.
I've never owned a DSLR, I quit at SLR for the same reason, too much bulk and just not taking it around with me. Used a film zoom compact for a while before doing the same going into digital.
I later had the pangs for better images again and went for a bridge camera, very impressed but again it started to get less use because of bulk. My phones cameras do most work now and I'm compactless at the mo due to mine dying.
Yes I occasionally miss what a decent camera do and on the odd blue moon the bridge comes out to play but current thinking is not returning to a serious DSLR for the foreseeable future, although, never say never...
 
Mark Grant said:
Pixel phones have built in fast unlock that goes straight to the camera mode,

When the phone is locked double press the power button and the phone will go into camera mode.

If it's not doing that there will be a setting to enable it.
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't know that - very handy to know. Thanks.
 
One thing to bear in mind is the future values of the camera gear and any smartphone.

A 70D and those lenses will never be worth substantially less than they are now until they break. Even in perfect condition, a smartphone is worth under £100 within five years. And it’ll maybe die before that.
 
The truth is that if you sell it and concluded it was a mistake in hindsight, there will be plenty of opportunities to buy one again or just try something different for fun.
Maybe an even better one as depreciation is never-ending and selling lightly used photo gear for phones is actually a trend.
 
I guess it depends on what you photograph and for what purpose. I have a full frame DSLR (heavy, superb quality, big files that can be easily manipulated in many ways), a Sony RX100 VI (very small, well built, high quality images, very portable) and an iPhone X (quick, convenient, but very little control over image capture parameters such as iso, speed, aperture, depth of field, file size/type, etc). I use them all a lot and wouldn’t be without any of them. Each to his own!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top