Taken with Galaxy S5
The other evening I posted a heated topic on Facebook, regarding armor-piercing bullets and someone posted a comment comparing that, to a photographer shooting RAW files. Here’s their partial quote. “…WTF, why do you need that RAW format DSLR when your iPhone camera takes a perfectly good photo?” So why do you?
Well, for starters, I will admit that I only shoot RAW, maybe 10% of the time. In most cases I’ll shoot RAW when shooting a wedding or a landscape photo which will be blown-up more than 48”, but for just about everything else, it’s jpeg. Yup, even if you’ve seen my concert photos and think, he must have shot it in RAW and did a lot of post processing to open the shadows and bring out the highlights allowing him a ton of lateral (dynamic range), chances are likely I shot it in jpeg at a very high ISO. I have pushed my Nikon D4 to ISO 12,800 many times and get perfectly good (acceptable, if not fantastic) images.
Ok, now to answer the question of why do you need that RAW format? Well, most people don’t. And yes, the iPhone or any other camera phone for that matter, does take a perfectly good picture for everyday purpose and personal use. However, it will in most cases not be acceptable for professional use (although it has been used to capture news etc).
As I mentioned, RAW allows for a huge dynamic range, allowing post processing and keeping an image as noise free as possible while adjusting highlights and shadows. RAW files capture more detail but create much larger file sizes, and that, in some cases is a headache and too much to deal with, especially when in the field.
So, the other question was regarding the iPhone. Let me say this first before I get into that. The best camera anyone has, is the one they have with them, and in almost all situations, it’s your camera phone.
How often do you carry your DSLR or point-and-shoot for that matter? And how often do you not leave the house without your phone? There ya go. Even as a professional photographer, I don’t like carrying my DSLR with me everywhere. First it’s too big, then it’s too heavy, and next it’s too expensive and may not be right for everyday picture taking situations. At least not for me. That’s why over the past year, I have been trying to downsize my camera body and began shooting more with pocket cameras. However, after saying that, I have to admit that the quality of a premium DSLR far surpasses that of a pocket camera. I have now gone back to shooting… wait for it… A CAMERA PHONE!! Yup. I shoot more with my cellphone than I do with my DSLR on any given day, or week, unless it’s a job.
I love my camera phone and I love my DSLR, and I wouldn’t leave home without the right equipment for the job.