The Iphone 12 is better than a DSLR

gatorguy · 10-23-2020, 08:53 AM

It's not so much about the processor when comparing photo-editing on a tablet vs. laptop.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/can-ipad-pro-replace-macbook-for-photo-editing/

LeeRunge · 10-23-2020, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by gatorguy

It's not so much about the processor when comparing photo-editing on a tablet vs. laptop.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/can-ipad-pro-replace-macbook-for-photo-editing/

Lightroom for Ipad already fixed some of the negative points he made at the end (select all for example).

I find that I can hook my IPad up to a 4k Monitor easily with the HDMI adapter, which also has a USB port and the ability to charge the ipad at the same time. Some of the other detractors he mentioned.

You could transfer files from SD to Hard drive with something like a RAVPOWER AC-750 or equivalent which creates it’s own wifi hotspot, has an SD port and USB port and is made to transfer files from SD to Hard drive without a laptop present. (I used this to offload SD cards on a long trip to a TB drive with just a phone) The interface is a web page from the hotspot. Similar to a router admin page. If your TV has airplay you can also display images with that wirelessly, albeit slower. At any rate the 12.9 ipad display is 2732x2048 so pretty decent to view images.

I’ve made the switch over to Lightroom/Ipad fully and no longer use it on the laptop. It also costs 4.99 a month vs 9.99 for Ipad vs Desktop versions. (Free if no RAW file use and minus a few features)

Another advantage of the RAVPOWER or similar portable hotspot is in hotels you can plug it into Ethernet and get faster speeds than the standard wifi through your own personal hotspot from the hotels wired line. The latest models have one button transfer of SD to hard drive without use of a PC/Phone.

gatorguy · 10-23-2020, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by LeeRunge

Lightroom for Ipad already fixed some of the negative points he made at the end (select all for example).

I find that I can hook my IPad up to a 4k Monitor easily with the HDMI adapter, which also has a USB port and the ability to charge the ipad at the same time. Some of the other detractors he mentioned.

You could transfer files from SD to Hard drive with something like a RAVPOWER AC-750 or equivalent which creates it’s own wifi hotspot, has an SD port and USB port and is made to transfer files from SD to Hard drive without a laptop present. (I used this to offload SD cards on a long trip to a TB drive with just a phone) The interface is a web page from the hotspot. Similar to a router admin page. If your TV has airplay you can also display images with that wirelessly, albeit slower. At any rate the 12.9 ipad display is 2732x2048 so pretty decent to view images.

I’ve made the switch over to Lightroom/Ipad fully and no longer use it on the laptop. It also costs 4.99 a month vs 9.99 for Ipad vs Desktop versions. (Free if no RAW file use and minus a few features)

Another advantage of the RAVPOWER or similar portable hotspot is in hotels you can plug it into Ethernet and get faster speeds than the standard wifi through your own personal hotspot from the hotels wired line. The latest models have one button transfer of SD to hard drive without use of a PC/Phone.

That seems like a lot of stuff to tote around in order to make it a laptop equivalent. I'd sooner close my laptop and go with all that stuff integrated.

I do have friends who do all their illustration on iPads now, and I may be adding at least one to our design shop too. I think we will find it preferable to our Wacoms for certain tasks.

For photo processing they are not as ideal as a laptop or desktop IMO. At the same time they are close enough in capabilities so that if you already bought an iPad there's not enough reason to spend money on a laptop too if money is an issue. You can certainly get by with it. They just need a lot of "stuff" accessorized to cover as many bases.

awscreo · 10-23-2020, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by gatorguy

That seems like a lot of stuff to tote around in order to make it a laptop equivalent. I do have friends who do all their illustration on iPads now, and I may be adding at least one to our design shop too. For photo processing they are not as ideal as a laptop or desktop IMO.

Not ideal, but works great away from home. I think the point is not really having a full in workstation always with you. But being able to work almost anywhere, albeit with some drawbacks.

I honestly wasn't into tablets that much. But my recent desire to travel more comfortably drove me to getting a GRIII, and the IPad Pro. I leave my pro tools at home, and still know that if I really wanted to process that photo I took this morning, I can.

gatorguy · 10-23-2020, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by awscreo

Not ideal, but works great away from home. I think the point is not really having a full in workstation always with you. But being able to work almost anywhere, albeit with some drawbacks.

I honestly wasn't into tablets that much. But my recent desire to travel more comfortably drove me to getting a GRIII, and the IPad Pro. I leave my pro tools at home, and still know that if I really wanted to process that photo I took this morning, I can.

And that's kinda how I feel about using my smartphone camera. It's good enough for a lot of my casual photo stuff and it does let me travel light. If I really care about the photos I'm planning that's where my smartphone is no substitute for my proper Pentax DSLR's and lenses.

So if I didn't have a mobile system for processing photos but needed one a laptop would be my first consideration and not a tablet (An illustrator might want the iPad). If I needed a capable camera for a wide range of uses and didn't have anything yet I'd more likely buy a proper standalone camera and not a smartphone for it.

awscreo · 10-23-2020, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by gatorguy

And that's kinda how I feel about using my smartphone camera. It's good enough for a lot of my casual photo stuff and it does let me travel light. If I really care about the photos I'm planning that's where my smartphone is no substitute for my proper Pentax DSLR's and lenses.

So if I didn't have a mobile system for processing photos but needed one a laptop would be my first consideration and not a tablet (An illustrator might want the iPad). If I needed a capable camera for a wide range of uses and didn't have anything yet I'd more likely buy a proper standalone camera and not a smartphone for it.

Each to their own. I personally don't want to sacrifice image quality even when I don't want to take my dslr setup (I rarely do these days).

And I don't feel any discomfort working in Lr on the iPad pro.

**BigMackCam** · 10-23-2020, 11:49 AM - **3 Likes**

Not for the first time in these forums, we seem to have reached the less-than-earth-shattering conclusion that the "best" device for any given purpose (photography, phone calls, computing... anything and everything else) is highly subjective and dependent on an individual's specific requirements, preferences, use cases and expectations

And so... to the OP's original points... Yes, the iPhone 12 is better than a DSLR for some people - if it's the device that suits them best

Last edited by BigMackCam; 10-23-2020 at 11:59 AM.

surfar · 10-23-2020, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by northcoastgreg

I would not merely doubt it, I would reject it altogether.

Ha ha,sorry its already happened.

Cast your mind back to the BSP era(before smart phones),back then there were zero photos from phones.In 2019,i read that 95% of photos captured were by smartphones....they are selling annually in huge numbers peaking at just under 1.5 billion,all have cameras that get used usually.

In 2019, 15million cameras sold but the cameras in phones numbered 1.4 billion.

Most images captured are on phones.

northcoastgreg · 10-23-2020, 01:21 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by surfar

Ha ha,sorry its already happened.

Cast your mind back to the BSP era(before smart phones),back then there were zero photos from phones.In 2019,i read that 95% of photos captured were by smartphones....they are selling annually in huge numbers peaking at just under 1.5 billion,all have cameras that get used usually.

In 2019, 15million cameras sold but the cameras in phones numbered 1.4 billion.

Most images captured are on phones.

You're switching the context. I was responding to the remark implying the "capability" of smart phones will outstrip "most" cameras (presumably meaning ILC's as well). That has nothing to do with the amount of use of smart phones as cameras. The reason why so many people use smart phones for taking digital images is because these are devices people take everywhere they go, and the reason why people take their smart phones everywhere they go is, not because they're cameras, but because they're phones and internet connectivity devices. If you took away all the phone, connectivity, and computing capacity of smart phones and just left the image making capacity, would anyone use these devices for photography? Would they carry them around everywhere they went? Of course they wouldn't — not if they were practical and sensible. The fact is, as cameras, smart phones aren't terribly compelling devices. They're awkward to use and for serious photographers they verge perilously close to hideous.

nocturnal · 10-24-2020, 03:44 AM - **2 Likes**

Why the debate? I heard such nonsense about my phone has more mega pixels going back to around 2005 at a pool match.

You all know it's a pile of crap so why talk about it?

If what I was typing into right know could do what a DSLR and lenses etc. could do then I wouldn't have it as it is a nuisance in comparison to the convenience.

The internet is increasingly brainwashing and making people more stupid than ever.

I'm going Amish, I've had enough! :-)

**BigMackCam** · 10-24-2020, 04:39 AM

Originally posted by nocturnal

I'm going Amish, I've had enough! :-)

Yeah... iPhones are hochmut

**rogerstg** · 10-26-2020, 09:31 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by dbs

A work colleague has ordered the new Iphone 12.
Knowing that I use a dslr opens up with " my iphone is better than your dslr ".
Can this possably be ?

I have no doubt that for him, it's true. In order to get the most out of a dslr, one needs some knowledge and to apply technique, both at the camera and later at the computer. If someone is satisfied with the generally good processing of their cell phone for memories or social media use, the phone is better for them.

dbs · 10-26-2020, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by rogerstg

I have no doubt that for him, it's true. In order to get the most out of a dslr, one needs some knowledge and to apply technique, both at the camera and later at the computer. If someone is satisfied with the generally good processing of their cell phone for memories or social media use, the phone is better for them.

Hi Roger

His idea of better is not how you discribed unfortunately,but technically better because Iphone says so. His interpretation of their specs without knowing the specs of my camera.

Dave

hvz448 · 10-26-2020, 11:30 PM

Iphone can be better for your coworker, but is it better when you want to take a photo as good as you can? No way.

**Rondec** · 10-27-2020, 03:03 AM - **3 Likes**

There are probably some people who buy cell phones for the phones, but I think more so, they just buy them as a swiss army knife that does all kinds of stuff -- lets you listen to music, browse the web, check on your finances, run a variety of other apps, and yes, take photos. Having a better camera in the cell phone may lead some to purchase it over a different model, but I think it ends up being the whole package.

As to whether or not you get the same or better results from a cell that you would from an APS_C or full frame camera, the answer is "probably not." Here folks are comparing heavily processed cell jpegs with minimally processed ILC shots. Run the ILC shots through some processing and voila, you get something that beats the pants off of your cell images.

I will say that if you only post images to the web and never print bigger than 8 by 10 and don't crop much, cell images may be adequate for your purposes. As a Facebook/Instagram camera, these are perfect, but there is more to life than Facebook and Instagram and as for me, that is the lowest hanging fruit to grab and certainly not the bar I would set as a judge of how good a camera was.

10-23-2020, 10:08 AM	#107
LeeRunge Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 995	Originally posted by gatorguy It's not so much about the processor when comparing photo-editing on a tablet vs. laptop. https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/can-ipad-pro-replace-macbook-for-photo-editing/ Lightroom for Ipad already fixed some of the negative points he made at the end (select all for example). I find that I can hook my IPad up to a 4k Monitor easily with the HDMI adapter, which also has a USB port and the ability to charge the ipad at the same time. Some of the other detractors he mentioned. You could transfer files from SD to Hard drive with something like a RAVPOWER AC-750 or equivalent which creates it’s own wifi hotspot, has an SD port and USB port and is made to transfer files from SD to Hard drive without a laptop present. (I used this to offload SD cards on a long trip to a TB drive with just a phone) The interface is a web page from the hotspot. Similar to a router admin page. If your TV has airplay you can also display images with that wirelessly, albeit slower. At any rate the 12.9 ipad display is 2732x2048 so pretty decent to view images. I’ve made the switch over to Lightroom/Ipad fully and no longer use it on the laptop. It also costs 4.99 a month vs 9.99 for Ipad vs Desktop versions. (Free if no RAW file use and minus a few features) Another advantage of the RAVPOWER or similar portable hotspot is in hotels you can plug it into Ethernet and get faster speeds than the standard wifi through your own personal hotspot from the hotels wired line. The latest models have one button transfer of SD to hard drive without use of a PC/Phone. Last edited by LeeRunge; 10-23-2020 at 10:16 AM.

10-23-2020, 10:41 AM	#108
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,093	Originally posted by LeeRunge Lightroom for Ipad already fixed some of the negative points he made at the end (select all for example). I find that I can hook my IPad up to a 4k Monitor easily with the HDMI adapter, which also has a USB port and the ability to charge the ipad at the same time. Some of the other detractors he mentioned. You could transfer files from SD to Hard drive with something like a RAVPOWER AC-750 or equivalent which creates it’s own wifi hotspot, has an SD port and USB port and is made to transfer files from SD to Hard drive without a laptop present. (I used this to offload SD cards on a long trip to a TB drive with just a phone) The interface is a web page from the hotspot. Similar to a router admin page. If your TV has airplay you can also display images with that wirelessly, albeit slower. At any rate the 12.9 ipad display is 2732x2048 so pretty decent to view images. I’ve made the switch over to Lightroom/Ipad fully and no longer use it on the laptop. It also costs 4.99 a month vs 9.99 for Ipad vs Desktop versions. (Free if no RAW file use and minus a few features) Another advantage of the RAVPOWER or similar portable hotspot is in hotels you can plug it into Ethernet and get faster speeds than the standard wifi through your own personal hotspot from the hotels wired line. The latest models have one button transfer of SD to hard drive without use of a PC/Phone. That seems like a lot of stuff to tote around in order to make it a laptop equivalent. I'd sooner close my laptop and go with all that stuff integrated. I do have friends who do all their illustration on iPads now, and I may be adding at least one to our design shop too. I think we will find it preferable to our Wacoms for certain tasks. For photo processing they are not as ideal as a laptop or desktop IMO. At the same time they are close enough in capabilities so that if you already bought an iPad there's not enough reason to spend money on a laptop too if money is an issue. You can certainly get by with it. They just need a lot of "stuff" accessorized to cover as many bases. Last edited by gatorguy; 10-23-2020 at 10:46 AM.

10-23-2020, 10:56 AM	#110
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,093	Originally posted by awscreo Not ideal, but works great away from home. I think the point is not really having a full in workstation always with you. But being able to work almost anywhere, albeit with some drawbacks. I honestly wasn't into tablets that much. But my recent desire to travel more comfortably drove me to getting a GRIII, and the IPad Pro. I leave my pro tools at home, and still know that if I really wanted to process that photo I took this morning, I can. And that's kinda how I feel about using my smartphone camera. It's good enough for a lot of my casual photo stuff and it does let me travel light. If I really care about the photos I'm planning that's where my smartphone is no substitute for my proper Pentax DSLR's and lenses. So if I didn't have a mobile system for processing photos but needed one a laptop would be my first consideration and not a tablet (An illustrator might want the iPad). If I needed a capable camera for a wide range of uses and didn't have anything yet I'd more likely buy a proper standalone camera and not a smartphone for it. Last edited by gatorguy; 10-23-2020 at 11:02 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K-3 with huge noise starting with ISO 800; iPhone/ performing better	myNevista	Pentax K-3 & K-3 II	33	07-18-2019 02:28 PM
Sorry, Apple: The iPhone 7 camera is not better than Samsung's Galaxy S7	interested_observer	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	27	09-20-2016 03:53 PM
My daughter's friends iphone pictures are better than mine with my K-5	jake14mw	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	14	07-18-2013 01:30 PM
Iphone PICs are better than my K10D w/ SIgma 17-70mm	vmaniqui	Pentax DSLR Discussion	28	07-01-2012 08:43 PM
Point and Shoot better than DSLR	Dale	General Talk	11	05-11-2008 07:24 PM

10-23-2020, 08:53 AM	#106
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,093	It's not so much about the processor when comparing photo-editing on a tablet vs. laptop. https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/can-ipad-pro-replace-macbook-for-photo-editing/

10-23-2020, 10:49 AM	#109
awscreo Veteran Member Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,722	Originally posted by gatorguy That seems like a lot of stuff to tote around in order to make it a laptop equivalent. I do have friends who do all their illustration on iPads now, and I may be adding at least one to our design shop too. For photo processing they are not as ideal as a laptop or desktop IMO. Not ideal, but works great away from home. I think the point is not really having a full in workstation always with you. But being able to work almost anywhere, albeit with some drawbacks. I honestly wasn't into tablets that much. But my recent desire to travel more comfortably drove me to getting a GRIII, and the IPad Pro. I leave my pro tools at home, and still know that if I really wanted to process that photo I took this morning, I can.

10-23-2020, 11:16 AM	#111
awscreo Veteran Member Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,722	Originally posted by gatorguy And that's kinda how I feel about using my smartphone camera. It's good enough for a lot of my casual photo stuff and it does let me travel light. If I really care about the photos I'm planning that's where my smartphone is no substitute for my proper Pentax DSLR's and lenses. So if I didn't have a mobile system for processing photos but needed one a laptop would be my first consideration and not a tablet (An illustrator might want the iPad). If I needed a capable camera for a wide range of uses and didn't have anything yet I'd more likely buy a proper standalone camera and not a smartphone for it. Each to their own. I personally don't want to sacrifice image quality even when I don't want to take my dslr setup (I rarely do these days). And I don't feel any discomfort working in Lr on the iPad pro.

10-23-2020, 11:49 AM - 3 Likes	#112
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,686	Not for the first time in these forums, we seem to have reached the less-than-earth-shattering conclusion that the "best" device for any given purpose (photography, phone calls, computing... anything and everything else) is highly subjective and dependent on an individual's specific requirements, preferences, use cases and expectations And so... to the OP's original points... Yes, the iPhone 12 is better than a DSLR for some people - if it's the device that suits them best Last edited by BigMackCam; 10-23-2020 at 11:59 AM.

10-23-2020, 11:58 AM	#113
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,142	Originally posted by northcoastgreg I would not merely doubt it, I would reject it altogether. Ha ha,sorry its already happened. Cast your mind back to the BSP era(before smart phones),back then there were zero photos from phones.In 2019,i read that 95% of photos captured were by smartphones....they are selling annually in huge numbers peaking at just under 1.5 billion,all have cameras that get used usually. In 2019, 15million cameras sold but the cameras in phones numbered 1.4 billion. Most images captured are on phones.

10-23-2020, 01:21 PM - 3 Likes	#114
northcoastgreg Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,174	Originally posted by surfar Ha ha,sorry its already happened. Cast your mind back to the BSP era(before smart phones),back then there were zero photos from phones.In 2019,i read that 95% of photos captured were by smartphones....they are selling annually in huge numbers peaking at just under 1.5 billion,all have cameras that get used usually. In 2019, 15million cameras sold but the cameras in phones numbered 1.4 billion. Most images captured are on phones. You're switching the context. I was responding to the remark implying the "capability" of smart phones will outstrip "most" cameras (presumably meaning ILC's as well). That has nothing to do with the amount of use of smart phones as cameras. The reason why so many people use smart phones for taking digital images is because these are devices people take everywhere they go, and the reason why people take their smart phones everywhere they go is, not because they're cameras, but because they're phones and internet connectivity devices. If you took away all the phone, connectivity, and computing capacity of smart phones and just left the image making capacity, would anyone use these devices for photography? Would they carry them around everywhere they went? Of course they wouldn't — not if they were practical and sensible. The fact is, as cameras, smart phones aren't terribly compelling devices. They're awkward to use and for serious photographers they verge perilously close to hideous.

10-24-2020, 03:44 AM - 2 Likes	#115
nocturnal Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 507	Why the debate? I heard such nonsense about my phone has more mega pixels going back to around 2005 at a pool match. You all know it's a pile of crap so why talk about it? If what I was typing into right know could do what a DSLR and lenses etc. could do then I wouldn't have it as it is a nuisance in comparison to the convenience. The internet is increasingly brainwashing and making people more stupid than ever. I'm going Amish, I've had enough! :-)

10-24-2020, 04:39 AM	#116
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,686	Originally posted by nocturnal I'm going Amish, I've had enough! :-) Yeah... iPhones are hochmut

10-26-2020, 09:31 AM - 1 Like	#117
rogerstg Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rhode Island Photos: Albums Posts: 1,168	Originally posted by dbs A work colleague has ordered the new Iphone 12. Knowing that I use a dslr opens up with " my iphone is better than your dslr ". Can this possably be ? I have no doubt that for him, it's true. In order to get the most out of a dslr, one needs some knowledge and to apply technique, both at the camera and later at the computer. If someone is satisfied with the generally good processing of their cell phone for memories or social media use, the phone is better for them.

10-26-2020, 02:19 PM	#118
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,565 Original Poster	Originally posted by rogerstg I have no doubt that for him, it's true. In order to get the most out of a dslr, one needs some knowledge and to apply technique, both at the camera and later at the computer. If someone is satisfied with the generally good processing of their cell phone for memories or social media use, the phone is better for them. Hi Roger His idea of better is not how you discribed unfortunately,but technically better because Iphone says so. His interpretation of their specs without knowing the specs of my camera. Dave

10-26-2020, 11:30 PM	#119
hvz448 New Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 24	Iphone can be better for your coworker, but is it better when you want to take a photo as good as you can? No way.

10-27-2020, 03:03 AM - 3 Likes	#120
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,663	There are probably some people who buy cell phones for the phones, but I think more so, they just buy them as a swiss army knife that does all kinds of stuff -- lets you listen to music, browse the web, check on your finances, run a variety of other apps, and yes, take photos. Having a better camera in the cell phone may lead some to purchase it over a different model, but I think it ends up being the whole package. As to whether or not you get the same or better results from a cell that you would from an APS_C or full frame camera, the answer is "probably not." Here folks are comparing heavily processed cell jpegs with minimally processed ILC shots. Run the ILC shots through some processing and voila, you get something that beats the pants off of your cell images. I will say that if you only post images to the web and never print bigger than 8 by 10 and don't crop much, cell images may be adequate for your purposes. As a Facebook/Instagram camera, these are perfect, but there is more to life than Facebook and Instagram and as for me, that is the lowest hanging fruit to grab and certainly not the bar I would set as a judge of how good a camera was.