COMMENT: Using a Smart Phone Camera

I've always believed that the best camera for a job is the one you have with at the time.  I've also heard people say 'that's a great picture, you must have an expensive camera' so many times, it really makes me mad.  It isn't the camera that takes the image it's the photographer.

Quite a few years ago I heard a story about David Bailey who was hired to do an advertising shoot for a Russian made medium format camera, which if anyone remembers those days were very cheap and cheerful, but for the money were pretty good cameras.  Anyway the story goes  that the advertising agency person expected Mr Bailey to use his normal medium format gear (Hasselblad if I remember correctly) for the shot but was astounded when the master photographer insisted on using the Russian camera.  It turned out very well apparently and this just goes to illustrate that a camera is only as good as the person behind it.  

I've see plenty of pro gear being touted about by people who haven't got a clue how to take a picture. They think owning the latest pro spec DSLR somehow makes them a photographer.  I own a saw, a hammer and a chisel but I'm not a carpenter.  On the flip side I've seen some fantastic images produced on the most basic of equipment.

Anyway this leads me back to the reason for the blog.  I have a Samsung Galaxy SIII phone and the camera on it is pretty good.  Not as good as my D800 or Fuji X-Pro1, but then you wouldn't expect it to be.  

However by using the same rules of composition as I would with any camera, I came up with these images when I was out and about in Dunbar.  The only image that wasn't taken on the Galaxy SIII was the shot of me holding the smart phone and that was taken on the Fuji X100.

All in all I am pretty impressed with the results.  It is no wonder that sales of compact cameras have dropped off the edge of a cliff because why buy a £100 compact when you have a smart phone in your pocket that can do the job just as well, if not better?

I usually have at least one camera on me when I am out and about, usually the little Fuji X100, but if I didn't I know I always have my smart phone camera which will at least get me a reasonable shot.

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