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7 common questions for aspiring mobile photographers
7 common questions for aspiring mobile photographers
It's no secret that the quality of photos from entry-level smartphones and "flagship" smartphones differ significantly, especially when shooting conditions are different from ideal. Why is this happening?

Explain 7 question of Mobile Photographer

1. Why expensive phones take better pictures than cheap ones?

It's no secret that the quality of photos from entry-level smartphones and "flagship" smartphones differ significantly, especially when shooting conditions are different from ideal. Why is this happening?

Firstly, the point is in the camera module itself. This is a "matrix-lens" bundle. The combination of a large-sized matrix and a high-quality high-aperture lens can match the photo capabilities of a smartphone, if not with an entry-level DSLR camera, then with an advanced compact for sure. At least they can be used for most amateur photography and get very high-quality film photography. The use of high-quality optics and matrix significantly affects the price of the device.

Second, software plays an important role. The information taken from the matrix subsequently undergoes rather complex processing in the "brains" of the smartphone, before being stored in the device's memory as a Jpeg file. Complex processing algorithms with elements of artificial intelligence are very demanding on processor performance and the amount of RAM. So smartphones with powerful processors and lots of RAM can do more complex processing in the same amount of time as budget smartphones with modest hardware. 

In addition to the quality of photos, the high performance of the device opens up great opportunities in terms of video shooting - 4K Monitor resolution, increased frame rate (because of this, the picture movement looks smoother), the ability to slow down the video many times without characteristic jerks.

2. Is it true that "iPhone" photographs better than Chinese "Androids"?

The question itself is incorrect. If smartphones have cameras of comparable characteristics and the same software (the same Lightroom - it is available for both iOS and Android), the result will be practically indistinguishable. 

I had the opportunity to compare Apple iPhone SE 2020 and Xiaomi Mi9t Pro (which is 1.5 times cheaper), I can say the following.

Flagship Chinese smartphones have very good cameras, which in terms of picture quality are not inferior to much more expensive Apple devices, or even surpass them. That's enough to recommend them to mobile landscape photography enthusiasts. In good light, everything is sharp, contrasting, and colorful - in fact, more is not required. In difficult conditions, sometimes “overshoots” can appear in the form of unnecessary attempts by artificial intelligence to stretch the picture, as a result, colors are distorted, sharpness at the edges of objects is very roughly enhanced - the photo resembles a drawing with colored pencils (at least, this was the case with Mi9T Pro). Disposable camera Picture

I didn’t see the difference in quality with the “androids” in the iPhone, when shooting during the day, in technical terms. It seemed to me that it gives a slightly warmer picture than Xiaomi. But this warmth is pleasant and comfortable for the eye. It also seemed to me that the iPhone's camera behaves more predictably in difficult conditions - evening, night, a room with complex light. Yes, there is noise (and even more than that of the Chinese "androids"), yes, the detail is low, but in general, the color rendering remains adequate to the last. Perhaps this is a more thorough approach to software development.

I liked the video quality of the iPhone more than that of the Chinese.

3. Can I take pictures (video) on my phone professionally?

Professional photography is a very blurry definition. The most significant feature of professional photography is the commercial component. There are many genres in which the picture quality level of modern smartphones can be sufficient for photographs and videos to have commercial value. Personally, in one of my projects (a promotional video for a large government organization), I used, among other things, a smartphone for shooting - both for photos and videos. Also, many popular video bloggers have moved to smartphones long ago, as this allows you to be much more mobile. From this we can conclude that it is really possible to photograph and shoot videos professionally with a smartphone. Another thing is that it is not suitable for every commercial project.

4. Can a smartphone replace an amateur DSLR?

Yes, it can, but not always. Modern smartphones have long ago reached a level of photo quality that is more than enough for amateur photography. If you use a camera for ordinary family needs - walks, picnics, cats, flowers, etc., then the capabilities of a modern smartphone with a good camera may well be enough for you. In terms of picture quality, it will be comparable to an amateur DSLR with a whale lens in the "auto" mode.

If you equip a DSLR, even an amateur one, with a high-quality high-aperture lens, learn to shoot in manual mode and process RAW, then everything falls into place - the quality that a full-fledged camera gives will be unattainable for any, even the flagship smartphone itself.

In other words, a smartphone equalizes the capabilities of a beginner and a professional photographer, a camera shows who is who.

5. Why are my phone shots out of focus?

The most common reason for getting blurry pictures on the phone is shaking, blurring of the image due to the movement of the digital camera during shooting. Often you see how amateur photographers take pictures with a smartphone by pressing the on-screen shutter button. At the same time, the smartphone tilts slightly, which increases the risk of getting an out-of-focus photo. It is especially great when shooting indoors, where the lighting is not as good as outdoors, and the exposure time is such that even a slight movement of the camera will cause blur.

The easiest and most reliable way to reduce the likelihood of shaking is to adjust the shutter release on the side volume control buttons. When using these buttons, it becomes possible to hold the smartphone like a regular camera, even with two hands. The only difference is that when composing the frame horizontally, the shutter button is under the left hand, and not under the right (or even at the bottom!), Which can take some getting used to. But with this style of shooting, the likelihood of wiggling is significantly reduced. 

6. Why are my phone shots “hazy”?

This almost always happens due to a dirty lens. To fix the problem, it is enough to wipe it with a soft cloth (you can use a suede cloth to wipe your glasses), but in extreme cases, you can also wipe it on soft cloths. A camera lens usually has a tough, scratch-resistant protective coating.

The second possible reason for "hazy" photographs is the poor quality of the optics themselves. This drawback is especially evident when shooting against the light. In this case, due to the re-reflection of light inside the lens, the contrast of the image suffers noticeably, and characteristic glare (“hares”) appears. To improve glare resistance, high-quality lenses with an anti-reflection coating are used in the lenses, and the higher the quality of these lenses, the more expensive the lens. It is logical that only expensive smartphones can boast of really high-quality optics.

7. Why do I need a selfie stick (selfie tripod)?

Selfies are usually taken with the front camera of a smartphone. This camera has a wide-angle lens, which, in principle, allows you to photograph yourself from a distance of an arm's length. But these photos are usually not very good. The reason is a noticeable distortion of the proportions of the face. When shooting from the top point, a wide forehead becomes, from a low one - a huge chin, from eye level - the face still looks disproportionate, the eyes are in different directions, the nose is larger than it actually is. These are all consequences of perspective distortion, which always occurs when we try to photograph something at close range with a wide-angle.

A selfie stick allows you to position the camera at a much greater distance than an outstretched hand and thereby kills two birds with one stone:

·         the proportions of the face do not look so distorted

·         Significant landscape in the background is captured - after all, selfies are mostly taken when traveling, and the environment is very important.

Selfie tripods are different - cheaper, more expensive. Cheap tripods are almost always "disposable" - in them the manufacturer saves on everything, as a result, with active use, the tripod gets loose and quickly breaks down. The danger is that its breakdown can cause the smartphone to fall from a sufficiently large height, and if you can get off only with broken protective glass, be lucky. That is why I recommend purchasing tripods more expensive and stronger - high-quality materials prevail in their design and, with equal dimensions and weight, they are much stronger and more reliable.

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