Why your Equipment Matters

Last month I talked about some simple techniques to improve your photos with any kind of camera. This month I am going to take a look at the two main players in today’s photography world: the smart phone and the dSLR camera.

 

The Smart Phone

Today’s smart phones are typically point and shoot. They usually come with a basic camera app, but it is well worth searching for apps that can enhance the photos you take. The quality of the image is also high now; high enough for stock agencies like Getty images to start adding images from smart phones to their commercial libraries.

The great thing about a smart phone is it is small, as it fits in your pocket and you can take photos using it without drawing attention to yourself. These phones are also well set up to quickly upload and share your photos on social media platforms.

The dSLR

With the convenience of a smart phone, why would you bother with using a dSLR camera?

The most obvious advantage to a dSLR is the ability to change lenses, with some lenses offering compositional options that simply do not exist with other cameras. The main lens options are the wide-angle and the telephoto zoom.

The next big advantage a dSLR camera has is how it performs at night. For instance, if you want to take a street portrait at nighttime with limited light, using a 50mm prime lens and a high ISO is possible. Another choice with a dSLR camera is to use a tripod, which you could use to make night-time, long exposures of cityscapes.

 

Which type of camera is best for me?

This really depends on the type of photographer you are. Are you a street photographer who is quite spontaneous? A smart phone might be a good option because it is inconspicuous. The smart phone is also good for those everyday moments when simple compositional skills are only required.

If you really want to extend yourself as a photographer and really go for some more extreme photos, then you are going to need to get a dSLR camera with the full array of lenses.

 

Photo 1

A dSLR camera with a tripod is needed.

 

Photo 2

This shot is only possible with a fish-eye lens.

Photo 3

A smart phone can take great images with good composition.

 

Photo 4

Apps such as hipstamatic or instagram can enhance your images.