The Differences Between a DSLR and Smartphone Camera?

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Andrew_Smith

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Is a smartphone's camera better than a DSLR?

Let's take this example: iPhone 5S (8MP) vs Canon 1100D (12MP).

Is there a big difference is picture quality?
 
The difference is huge. Mainly because the DSLR uses a CMOS sensor, and has interchangeable lenses (the main factor in high quality images). The iPhone has a fixed lense, however, and a much, much smaller sensor.

Edit: just re-read your post, saw you were specifically referring to the 1100D, which uses an APS-C sensor. Note that DSLRs also have separate processors for things like noise, etc.
 
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Yes....errr....no...what was the question again? Oh yeah, the answer is 42 I think , but don't bet on it
 
The Voice said:
The difference is huge. Mainly because the DSLR uses a CMOS sensor, and has interchangeable lenses (the main factor in high quality images). The iPhone has a fixed lense, however, and a much, much smaller sensor.

Edit: just re-read your post, saw you were specifically referring to the 1100D, which uses an APS-C sensor. Note that DSLRs also have separate processors for things like noise, etc.
Click to expand...

+1
 
iv been trying to explain this to a cousin of mine for a while now... maybe he will see the light coming from you guys on here..
 
Andrew_Smith said:
Is a smartphone's camera better than a DSLR?

Let's take this example: iPhone 5S (8MP) vs Canon 1100D (12MP).

Is there a big difference is picture quality?
Click to expand...
The IQ from an iPhone is always going to be better than the DSLR you left at home. DSLRs are flexible and have great image quality but they are bulky and it takes a certain amount of dedication to haul one around where ever you go.

I've got my iPhone, four DSLRs and I've got a lightweight mirrorless EOS-M for when I travel or for when I think I might want to shoot but don't want to lug around one of the beasts.
 
Along the lines of what Bwana said, a better question may be how the smartphone can complement a DSLR.

At one stage keen photographers would also have a compact carry camera for the times that they did not want to take the full kit with them. It is now common for the smartphone to have replaced this carry camera. In addition, people are increasingly putting down the SLR and picking up the phone when shooting video.
 
garyc said:
Along the lines of what Bwana said, a better question may be how the smartphone can complement a DSLR.

At one stage keen photographers would also have a compact carry camera for the times that they did not want to take the full kit with them. It is now common for the smartphone to have replaced this carry camera. In addition, people are increasingly putting down the SLR and picking up the phone when shooting video.
Click to expand...
DSLR video is way to complicated for simple folks like me… and tbh I'm really not sure how to turn it on.
 
I have sometimes used the video by accident through pressing the wrong things as I pull the camera from the bag. The difficult part is trying to figure out how to get the camera back to normal again.
 
garyc said:
I have sometimes used the video by accident through pressing the wrong things as I pull the camera from the bag. The difficult part is trying to figure out how to get the camera back to normal again.
Click to expand...

Pulling the battery works for me!
 
Andrew_Smith said:
Is a smartphone's camera better than a DSLR?

Let's take this example: iPhone 5S (8MP) vs Canon 1100D (12MP).

Is there a big difference is picture quality?
Click to expand...

I think often when people just use a DSLR for point and click type shots with the "AUTO" setting they get very similar photo's to what you might get out of a very good cellphone camera.

My FIL had a really great Nikon but he was going blind, so the pictures he was taking were much worse then the pictures the rest of us were taking on our camera phones.

Camera phone does all the work for you, DSLR can take nice shots out the box but the some knowledge you can do some amazing stuff.

A good example is taking pictures of the moon. A cell phone camera can never get a photo of the moon. Take any DSLR, put it on a tripod, play with the exposure and ISO and you can do some real magic.
 
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