Time to lose the P&S's!

Hmmm, I guess Im just a gadget keep, because I love having all the separate devices! My iPhone 4 will never replace my S95 will never replace my DSLR and all its lenses. I dont even look at them as though its possible. Different tools for different jobs. The average consumer literally knows nothing about most of what they buy (I worked retail for YEARS through college and know this for fact) so yea, they think their 8MP EVO cell phone camera or iPhone 4 cell phone camera is actually a "good camera", and sure, if they feel that way theyd never begin to understand the difference or why.

Anyone seen a cell phone picture that didn’t look like a cell phone picture?

I think it's a different sort of photo.

Simon_Gardner wrote in post #12117730
Anyone seen a cell phone picture that didn’t look like a cell phone picture?

I think it's a different sort of photo.

Yes, actually I have.

Todd Lambert wrote in post #12117743
Yes, actually I have.

Yeah. So have I. It came out of an iPhone 4.

Yep, I'd pit my iPhone 4 vs my powershot any day.

tkbslc wrote in post #12117135
Maybe instead of designing camera phones, someone should design a phone camera. I care more about the camera part than the phone. Hell, if I could make calls on my S90 I would leave my cell phone at home.

Sony Ericsson did this already, the basically added calling features to a Cybershot. Brilliant camera, the call quality and the phone was about as poor as it could get though, but it was a 8 MP cybershot.

Todd Lambert wrote in post #12117813
Yep, I'd pit my iPhone 4 vs my powershot any day.

What Powershot? Not an S95 or G12 Im guessing...

No, I don't have one of those fandangled new models, mine's an old SD750.

Todd Lambert wrote in post #12118222
No, I don't have one of those fandangled new models, mine's an old SD750.

Well then yea, I can see where youre coming from. Dont get me wrong, I have always been impressed with my iPhone camera shots, but ONLY with respect to other cell phone cameras. Its NOTHING compared to my S95 or DSLR and it never will be because those other cameras that I will keep upgrading will continue to improve as the iPhones camera will.

ben_r_ wrote in post #12118244
Well then yea, I can see where youre coming from. Dont get me wrong, I have always been impressed with my iPhone camera shots, but ONLY with respect to other cell phone cameras. Its NOTHING compared to my S95 or DSLR and it never will be because those other cameras that I will keep upgrading will continue to improve as the iPhones camera will.

Emphasis added. Not everyone is, like us, on the camera upgrade merry-go-round, especially when they get a new phone every couple of years for next to nothing.

Jon wrote in post #12118328
Emphasis added. Not everyone is, like us, on the camera upgrade merry-go-round, especially when they get a new phone every couple of years for next to nothing.

Exactly, I was at an event where they put out old film disposable cameras for everyone to shoot with. When I saw the photos I was saying yuk but the family loved a lot of them even though there was lots of noise and bad composition or exposure etc.

I demand a phone built into a camera... not the other way around :P

Jon wrote in post #12117215
. . .as your current standard entry-level $150 P&S. But as your 5 year old entry-level P&S? Again - when the phone company, or your employer, practically gives you a new phone with all the bells and whistles every 2 years, why spend another $200 for a camera? Your current cell phone is "at least as good" as that old camera to the average user. And the cell phone's something they're going to carry anyhow. So why not put that $200 into something "useful"? The average household may have a digital camera, but it also has several camera-equipped cell phones, and, especially the younger family members, they're out getting used while the camera is sitting around with the batteries going flat.

Cell phones are quite literally changing the way the public at large uses photography. Ever sent, or received, a photo/video MMS message from a friend? Can you do that with your P&S? Do you do FaceBook? Sent, or gotten, "Mobile updates" on there? My wife, about as non-photographic a person as you could imagine, has actually taken pictures of a rug and messaged me with it to get my opinion.

Per the article, 82% of households have at least one current dedicated P&S--likely meaning the most recent generation, so purchased within the last 2 years or so. I'd take a 2-year old P&S over an iphone camera any day (not to knock the new iphone camera--I've tried it, and it's pretty good). Hell, I'd take my old 2.1mp Nikon Coolpix 950 (circa 2000) over any fixed-lens cell camera on the market.

No, my P&S's and DSLRs can't do that, but my Eye-Fi cards do allow limited-geotagging and automatic uploads to social media-sharing sites (a feature I don't use anyhow). Yes, sending images to friends via cell can be fun AND useful, but that picture of a rug is going to be viewed on a cell phone screen. These aren't keeper-pictures we're talking about here. My real point has been that each type of camera has its place--and planned/special events should have the best camera available, and not what's most convenient. If my son is getting a promotional picture with the president of the united states, you can bet I wouldn't be capturing the moment with my cell phone!!!

Simon_Gardner wrote in post #12117231
Oh dear. Not only do I always have my S95 - whether I go out or not - but I always have my SX210 in the other pocket. I’m clearly very sad indeed.

There's nothing wrong with being prepared for every possible outcome. Next you'll be telling me that I'm crazy for always bringing along my Zombie Survival Kit. Wake up people--the zombie apocalypse is nigh!

Heinous suggestion - so digital cameras have been coming on in leaps and bounds since that first generation, but aren’t they going to pretty much plateau at some point so a three year newer camera isn’t going to produce anything much better?

Simon_Gardner wrote in post #12118973
Heinous suggestion - so digital cameras have been coming on in leaps and bounds since that first generation, but aren’t they going to pretty much plateau at some point so a three year newer camera isn’t going to produce anything much better?

With the exception of a few notable high end compacts, I would say we hit that back in 2007 or so. My wife's newSD1400 is actually probably slightly worse than our previous SD1100. It's got a wider lens and HD, but a slower lens, no optical finder and slightly less crisp output even at double the MP.