Can’t decide whether to upgrade my aging iPhone 13 or maybe get a new camera. I’m forever using the camera in my phone like we all do but curious how much would you have to spend on a compact ( phone size ) camera to get similar picture quality to some of the latest phones. iPhone 17pro / Google pixel 10 etc.
My inexpert opinion: when I looked at a few cameras it seemed like you needed to spend at least a grand to improve on what the “pro” phones offer.
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Really depends on your expectations. Phone cameras are very good these days.
Do you feel the need for interchangeable lenses? If so, a micro 4/3 camera (Olympus / Panasonic) will provide for that while remaining compact and lightweight.
Beyond that, if your photos exist only on your phone or laptop screen, you may not benefit all that much from upgrading.
Where smartphones really score is in the field of ‘computational photography’. The software they use will enhance and optimise photos in ways that a standalone camera would struggle to match. An experienced user could emulate (and improve on) those results, but it takes time and effort to achieve.
If you like to make large prints, the small sensor in your phone will soon show its limits, but while many people like the idea of cropping images and printing them big, few actually do so.
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A lot of hi def videos (good enough to watch on large TV screens) are shot on mobile phones.
The other major factor is you nearly always have your phone with you.
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The problem with cameras now is there’s absolutely fuck-all choice out there because the compact camera market is completely dead. I had to buy secondhand, and that cost me the thick end of £300 (Sony DSC RX-100). My shitty £80 Motorola 'phone takes better videos - though much inferior photos. I’d imagine spendier 'phones close the gap.
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Yeah , I had a quick look on Curry’s for cameras before my post and was surprised how little there was.
I’ve always had apple phones because they just seem easier to use but after this latest update I’m seriously tempted to bin them off. My iPhone 13 worked fine until the latest update and now it’s a bag of shit with lots of apps and websites glitching . It’s still looking like a new phone rather than keeping my existing one and buying a compact camera is the way to go though.
Thanks for the input guys .
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The 13 is 5 years old now - I use an I phone to film and shoot every day but also have several cameras. The thing I seem to crash out on is remembering to bring them along to things. Many Android phones have superior cameras, the new 18 looks to be quite impressive out in Sept.
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The high end Ultra Samsung phones have excellent cameras. Considering the lenses are smaller than a 5p coin I’m constantly impressed with the image quality my now 3yr old s23 ultra can produce. The latest s26 is notably superior, when the time comes I’ll buy whatever the latest one is, hopefully ill get another year, possibly 2 out of my s23.
You pay for it though £1200+
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Agreed. My S24 Ultra has at least another year in it (Samsung offer 7 years of software updates for their latest phones). My son just got the S26 Ultra - it’s better, but not by much.
Samsung phone cameras really are good.
The next big leap forward in phone cameras will be one inch sensors. Xiaomi are already there, so not too long before others follow.
Something I find quite telling is that Stu at Hifi Pig will often have brought his very lovely Leica etc. with him when he goes to cover the shows, but all the show photography is done on phones, and the Leica is there for purely entertainment purposes etc.
I think the crucial thing is that unless you have some relatively niche requirements, a modern phone camera will manage the vast majority of what any of us need without any issue.
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Another point to note is that the relative scarcity of compact cameras (such as the Sony RX-100 mentioned earlier in the thread) has caused their used prices to soar. For example, I bought a used RX-100 mk3 about 4 years ago for about £200. Double that these days.
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I have a Fuji X100S which I haven’t used in ages, if anyone interested I will do a proper thread.
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Are they the 20MP versions?
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I found these photos earlier today. Taken with my S23 Ultra. Considering they’re taken through a plane window with a lens smaller than your thumb nail…
As shot.
Standard lens
10x zoom lens
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That is mentally impressive.
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Ridiculously good.
The macro capabilities are equally impressive.
Oops - I’m in work so give me some leeway 
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