Phone camera technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. With the ability to shoot gorgeous pictures wherever you are, smartphone cameras are an incredibly popular way to take and share photos. Even photographers are harnessing the shooting power of these tiny cameras, and with attachments and apps that let you tweak and edit your phone pictures flawlessly, the smartphone camera has become as popular as, or even more popular than, a traditional point and shoot. Read on to find four reasons why smartphones are replacing digital cameras.
Social Media
Image via Flickr by Melissa BARRA
With apps like Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram, social media and photography have never been more closely linked. While several high-end digital cameras let photographers instantly share their pics by connecting to WiFi, smartphones allow super easy exchanges between phone and social media, so that friends and family can see the pictures instantaneously. Phone apps also make it easy to instantly edit photos before sending them to social media in streamlined, easy-to-use frameworks that are more user-friendly than many professional editing softwares. A lot of social media apps, most notably Instagram, have photo editing options built-in, making them attractive to those just looking to share a cute picture with a friend online.
Megapixels
If you just look at the numbers, point and shoot cameras outrank smartphones as far as the number of pixels is concerned. So why are smartphones still out-ranking point and shoots? After about the 5-9 MP range, adding more pixels doesn’t make much difference, so in reality, the quality of the photo on a smartphone with an iSight camera, such as the Apple iPhone 5, is comparable to many low-end point and shoots, and when users are typically taking pictures in well-lit areas, or with their flash, the results are pretty similar. So as far as specs are concerned, users have a fairly even choice between a smartphone camera or a low-end point and shoot. This is especially true if users aren’t planning on printing out images, which most smartphone camera users are not—those pictures tend to stay digital. Once the printing process begins, megapixels count for a whole lot more, and many smartphone camera photos that are stunning on digital screens, are a little more grainy when printed. With the rapid sharing abilities of social media-equipped smartphones, though, printing is rarely a necessary part of the sharing process.
Size Matters
When choosing to go out, many smartphone users would rather just bring their pocket-sized phone than a more bulky point and shoot in addition to their phone. Smartphones are light and completely portable, and able to fit in pockets, purses, and backpacks without taking up much space, while many point and shoots are a little bulkier. True, there are a lot of cameras that are slim in design specifically for ease of travel, but users are already bringing their phones to keep in touch with friends, so grabbing an extra piece of technology may seem redundant, or they may not have space, which is especially true with amateur photographers who wouldn’t be bringing a much more hefty DSLR along with them.
Easy Use
While point and shoots are some of the easiest cameras on the market to work with, smartphone cameras are still the simplest—with only a few taps and autofocus features, even the least tech savvy individual can snap a picture. Plus, with their large displays, it’s easier for users to see what they’re taking a picture of. While smartphones may not have the best zoom features, they’re still easier to manuever than point and shoots. Plus, the rear and front facing lens options not found on most point and shoots but ubiquitous with smartphones now make it super easy to take cute selfies or pics with friends, without worrying about trying to find someone to take the picture for you.
Smartphones have begun dominating the point and shoot market, with easy-to-use features, excellent connectivity, and similar picture quality. Having an all-in-one device appeals to more people, especially when trying to carry all your needs in your pockets. With rapidly improving technology and portability, smartphones may soon completely overtake the traditional point and shoot market.