Originally posted by mikesbike From my point of view, there are laws of physics involved with everything. Everything has limitations. But what do I know regarding lens design? Very little. Perhaps it is within possibility to design a FF equivalent zoom lens of 4-800mm f/1.2 to f/50 constant aperture with zero diffraction, or vignetting, the size of a shirt button, that can deliver distortion-free, razor sharp images, free from flair or field curvature, and can be implanted into a phone for manipulation. But quality wise, the results would still look great if blown up on a large high-def TV screen.
My observation has been, among young people especially, who have good eyesight and hearing but are taking pictures with their phones of the quality only necessary to look good on another phone. That is the only way they are viewed, and with small file sizes to be sent and shared via the internet. Higher quality has nothing to do with their needs. The photo is thus saved as a file by the photographer and the recipient. It would most likely look like crap if put on a sizable screen, even a good one of 20 inches, but so what? It looks fine on a phone screen. Convenience is selling, and threatens to make good cameras nearly obsolete, the speciality tools of professional photographers.
The same kind of thing has been going on to some degree with music reproduction.
Very well written.
People buy what they need, and sometimes they purchase more than what they need. Photos taken on a phone work for a large part of the population because the maximum screen size they are viewing is likely not more than 14-15" and they are not printing onto a large enlargement size. And that is what they need.
Hopefully one purchases a FF Pentax or APS size DSLR so that it meets ones needs. In Pentax that is probably more true because owners would not pick the Pentax brand unless they knew something about it and did some online research (no sales person is going to help you). But take a Canon DSLR or a Sony high end bridge camera, and the sales reps will likely not care what the amateur is going to do with it (based on what I hear sales staff tell customers in some of the stores).
Photography, music....health care are similar in that respect. When I research, discuss with reps, and then purchase digital cameras for use in healthcare, I am trying to match up my needs with what is out there. But if I went based on the reps alone...I may not be very pleased with my choice later on.
I am beginning to feel very old...because...many years ago, the camera store reps actually asked you several questions to make sure you were purchasing what you needed. That way you would be back in the future to purchase another item. Due to declining sales, digital photography being much more forgivable than the days of film/developing/enlarging, internet purchasing, the only one that is concerned is the buyer.