We've seen it coming for years, camera phones will replace cameras. Or will they?
First, compact point and shoots were affected by a drop in sales, camera phones now seem to threaten the DSLR market as well.
The latest installment in this story is the new IPhone 6/6s, with articles explaining how it surpasses some DSLRs in areas such as 4k video.
The IPhone is indeed the most used camera by Flickr users, according to the photography website's statistics.
Hey, I often shoot with my phone when it's all I have plus they say the best camera is the one you have with you.
But these are just statistics, numbers, trends.
As you may or may not be aware of, I use a mirrorless camera for street photography but also to shoot my London cinemagraphs.
Since 2011 I have been an Olympus Micro Four Thirds shooter, it started with the EPL-2, then the E-M5, E-M1 and more recently the E-M10 Mark II as well as my favourite so far the E-M5 Mark II.
In August this year I eventually decided to give Sony a try with the addition of the excellent A7RII to my kit, meaning I now shoot with both the Sony full frame mirrorless and (lighter) Olympus MFT systems. On that note the A7RII is... oh soooo good.
Somewhere down the line, people who come up with these stats and write these articles have forgotten something very important: How holding a camera to your eye and watching the world through the viewfinder can make one feel.
What do I mean by that?
If you are a photographer, you’ll often just simply head out one cold and crisp morning with the only aim to take photos for a half or full day. Whether you live in the country or in an urban environment, it’s something we do. I find the act of taking photos to put me almost in a meditative state. I’m not getting paid by a client to shoot what they have commissioned me to shoot… no, it’s just me, my camera, my vision and a world of possibilities.
There’s a relationship / bond between a photographer and their camera. Holding a beautifully designed camera makes me happy whilst a phone doesn't. Its weight compared to a phone is reassuring. It sits well in my hand and I while some may find it a pain in the backside, I really enjoy changing lenses and simply choosing the right lens.
I am not the type of photographer who will ever feel superior because I shoot this or that camera vs someone using a phone. I respect choices, so if someone disagrees with me, I'll accept it. I believe first in vision, if someone has a good eye they will manage a good photo with whatever they are given.
But this is not the point I’m trying to make.
I just could never imagine myself one cold and crisp morning, choosing the right walking shoes, warm clothes, and preparing my camera bag… by dropping a phone into it.
Cameras are here to stay... maybe in much smaller numbers.
All I know for sure is that I will keep using a dedicated camera for as long as I live as I love the feeling of pure joy it brings me. When I am behind my camera, looking through the viewfinder, it calms me down, makes me forget the world. I usually shoot in manual mode and manual focus and feel in control, I feel like I am actually making photos.
But hey... we're all different and all this comes down to personal preference and choice.
Nico