Phone (S21U) VS Semi Pro / Pro Camera

[2013]

I have a Samsung S21 ultra but I've been thinking of buying a stand-alone camera,

I'm not a professional and won't use it all the time, I was thinking it would be good for family photos or special occasions and maybe other things.

I was wondering

Is it worth buying for my needs ?
Is it worth spending so much on a new camera?
would I see any real benefits?


anyone who has got one share your experiance

 

[2013]

Results will be better with a dedicated camera if you learn how to use one properly.

The issue I have with a dedicated camera is the faff of bringing it and carrying it. It also makes me get less involved as I’m in photography mode, looking for shots, composition, settings, etc. This is of course personal to me, will be different for others.

Well I would gradually learn how to use it but it will not be a course or anything like that more of self learning but that would take time, Ir would mostly be point and click to start with and I would not be looking to spend too much as it won't be for work or anything.

Then you have the issue you have mentioned faff of bringing it and carrying it and another issue of how many images would really get printed
for that reason, I wanted to know if its worth the investment and hassle over the phone I have

 

[2013]

Definitely worth a small Sony DSC RX 100+ series. Plenty available second hand which you could use for the things you mention as a superior point and shoot or manually as you begin to learn. Small enough to carry.

Thanks ill check it out

What will you be doing with the photos? Do you intend on printing them? And if so, how big?

If you're just taking photos and they're going to be viewed mainly on phone or tablet screens, then the phone will probably be fine for most scenarios and you'd likely be happy enough. If you're wanting to print the photos, then if you're printing regular 5x7 or 6x4 size shots, again, phone probably fine for most things. Its when you start printing larger that you'll see the benefit from a dedicated camera. Computational photography in the latest smartphones is very good but it can't replace a larger sensor.

To give you a practical example, I have a Fujifilm X100V and an iPhone 12 Pro Max. The X100V is small but its not really pocketable (unless you have a large coat pocket) so I've still got to make the effort to bring it. My phone is always with me. If I'm going somewhere that I know I might get some nice shots I'll bring the X100V. More often than not, I don't want the faff and I'll just take the iPhone. Occasionally I'll regret not bringing the camera but thats rare. When I go away, be that for daytrips or holidays however, I'll always be taking some form of camera gear. Partly because I really enjoy photography, and partly because I know I can trust my camera gear to get the shot in less-than-perfect conditions.

TLDR: buy a Ricoh GR3 and take it everywhere with you

at least half will likely just be loaded on the pc or digi frames etc, rest would get printed in the normal size, a few maybe printed in A4. a few may also be used online. Ill be honest enjoy photos when its an event, birthday/holiday/wedding/party but its very rare to print beyond the basic size, and on big event like weddings we always have a paid photographer.