photography: quality of old cameras versus new cameras and canera phones

chevron flight

i would like to know if there is a difference in the quality of new cameras(and camera phones) versus old ones,are they better? i have a nikon D80 with a sigma lens and no matter what i do,i cannot get the same quality as some photographs i have seen...i even saw a shot taken with a camera phone of a guy in dark clothes against a bright sky,and the exposure was perfect,with i presume no work done afterwards...it's not possible for me to do that with my camera,on the contrary,it's a constant struggle

magicbastarder

modern phones do a lot of post-processing which is not done in the camera you have.
your camera probably takes a better RAW image, and if you're shooting in RAW, does no further processing to it. if you're shooting jpg, it will usually do some basic exposure adjustment and colour balance correction, but that's usually about it.

for example; one issue a lot of cameraphones have is lack of control of depth of field, but even with that, many will process in blur algorithmically afterwards to achieve the same effect. anything the camera phone can do can be done with an image from your camera, just a bit more donkey work required.

Heebie

The camera you have could be broken, but it's more likely that you don't know how to take full advantage of it's capabilities. I think that a lot of people out there with dSLR's haven't really studied and practiced.

The big difference is that there a lot of automatic post-processing done in camera-phones and point & shoot style cameras that remove the ability to really take control and capture exactly what you want, in favor of an acceptable quality snapshot. The creativity involved in that kind of shooting is limited to composition and what you can do in post-processing with an image that's already heavily processed.
From a dSLR or film camera, you have a lot more control of what you get in the initial image captures, and then how they get put together in post.
If you don't need that level of control, use the camera phone... just be sure to wipe the lens clean before you shoot.

chevron flight

are new cameras better than what i have,the nikon D80?

Irishphotodesk

chevron flight wrote: »

are new cameras better than what i have,the nikon D80?

Better is subjective, the processing in newer camera produces a more dynamic range of tones - personally I’m finding a lot of the newer cameras/camera phones to produce unrealistic imagery, and the images people post are sometimes composite images (not true photography as far as I consider it).

These days it’s about getting an image and getting likes/shares, the vast majority don’t appreciate or understand the work required to get a technically perfect image - if such a thing exists.

bullpost

chevron flight wrote: »

are new cameras better than what i have,the nikon D80?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rags1969/3610265637/sizes/h/

Nothing too shabby about that image with the D80.

sheesh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/113771709#Comment_113771709

theres taking pictures and there is photography. photography involves being more involved with the creative choices in the make up of the picture and not just accepting the admittedly pretty decisions the camera makes. but yes the cameras on phones are very good now.

twowheelsonly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/113771709#Comment_113771709

Simple answer is yes but that's not necessarily the final answer.

Newer cameras have 15+ years of development on the technological side. They tend to have better ISO performance, live view, possibly video capabilities, higher MP sensors, Wi-Fi capabilities, higher frame rates, more focus points and probably even more that I can't think of right now.

All that doesn't change the fact that it was a superb camera of its' time, capable of superb photos. That doesn't change.

DSLRs work differently to phones. As already stated phones do more internal processing whereas you generally have to do that yourself with a DSLR - the advantage being that you can process it the way that you want rather than a phone giving you what it thinks you want so essentially you have more control.

In the scenario you described I'd be exposing for the sky / bright background and using a flash to expose the subject. Work with your camera and figure out how to get the results you want. No point in spending two grand on a newer updated go-faster model just yet as the principles are still the same so your results will be still the same.

Having said all that.... I have probably 15k + worth of camera gear and whilst I've been entertaining and transporting visiting cousins over the past few days I've been using my phone for photos !! They're a great job nowadays for the regular snapshots.

Adrian.Sadlier

Nothing wrong with the D80 - see this https://www.flickr.com/photos/asadlier/36264900762/in/photolist-255dx6X-XfB6xG

However, nothing wrong with phone cameras either - https://500px.com/photo/1034032630/giving-up-and-going-home!-by-adrian-sadlier

Its how you use them. And learning takes time and effort. Maybe invest in a course first - the "gear" is pretty much second to the "eye".

Have a look at https://www.dublincameraclub.ie/shop/photography-courses-dublin-camera-club. Full disclosure - I am a member, former Council member ad involved in running the course!

magicbastarder

i was in the blanchardstown centre yesterday and walked past the camera shop, and i think there wasn't a single DSLR in the window display (i didn't look too hard though) - that was the first time i think i've noticed that since DSLRs became a thing.

i wonder how DSLR sales are these days.