Annie leibovitz says: use an Iphone!

For Christs sake people. Annie Leibovitz probably doesn't know **** about most cameras in the market. I know I don't. People ask me all the time what kind of camera they should get, and unless they're asking about a DSLR I have no idea what to tell them. They may as well be asking me about quantum physics.

Same goes to people thinking that she got some pile of cash from Apple to recommend an iPhone. You're thinking too far into this. Certainly you don't believe that Annie Leibovitz has spent a lot of time comparing all of the new smart phones out there to see which one takes the best photos, do you? She has an iPhone, iPhones are VERY popular, she recommended what she has.

Not every pro photographer is a gear head. You guys would probably have a heart attack if you've seen AL in action and noticed that she doesn't use lens hoods. UNHEARD OF on POTN.

thirdkid wrote in post #13406633
Agree with Magnus3D. iPhone's are over rated (IMO and no offence to iPhone users). Wouldnt mind having one but the fact i always have to go through iTunes seems such a hassle to me.

But Annie Leibovitz is one awesome photographer tho.

With the release of the new iOS5 you no longer need itunes. You purchase the phone, your carrier activates it and you start talking on it. You download music from the phone directly, no need for a computer at all with the iPhone or iPad. This statement holds true for DSLR enthusiast as well, It's not as convenient to whip your DSLR out of your pocket and snap that pic of your kids or your friend making a fool of himself at the bar. The iPhone is no replacement of a DSLR no questions asked but the best camera you have is the one that is with you.

It's a fair recommendation for non-enthusiasts.

http://campl.us …/iPhone-Camera-Comparison for picture comparison
http://vimeo.com/30606​785 for video comparison

well if you ask Apple... according to their commercial it's the "only Camera you'll ever need!"


*cough chortle choke*

I sold my G11 after getting the iPhone 4s - didn't see the point in a P&S - sure, it can do a lot more and had a hotshoe and shot in RAW and all the other things POTN taught me were absolutely ESSENTIAL in any camera, ever, but you know - my phone is *always* in my pocket, and with Photostream, it was immediately in Aperture too.

I think she's right. Replace "iPhone" with "New, higher end cameraphone" for the OS sensitive.

I'm getting so sick of the whole "best camera is the one that is with you" and "iphoneography" crap.
All I see from it (as well as from most compacts) is the typical small sensor shots: tons of CA, noisy and a huge DoF. Moreover, they are often graphically violated with some "art" filters, because vignetting, cross processing and/or sepia toning makes everything that much better.

I say turn it around! I recommend everyone to use full frame or larger, with 1.8 being the smallest aperture you can use.

Of course, if I were in the business of photography, I'd have a good reason to recommend crap to potential future competitors... That way I'd keep my niche

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #13404663
Annie leibovitz was on NBC nightly news tonight. When asked what camera she recommends, she answered that she always tells her friends to use an iPhone. Guess I'll sell the Canons.

I don't know if that quote was taken out of context, or if she just didn't sufficiently elaborate on what she meant. \

But yes...I'm sure that the iPhone's camera is more than sufficient for a hell of a lot of different purposes. Also, talking only about the people I've met on these forums, I've seen a hell of a lot of people who went out and gotten a Canon DSLR and then consistently shown that they've wasted their money by only using it to take shots that could be achieved by any halfway decent camera phone.

*shrugs* Hell, man. I don't know. Use whatever works. I do know that these forums tend to be heavily gear-oriented, and that cell-phone cameras have gotten good enough that people can take some impressive pictures with them. My pictures generally tend to be lackluster at best, and I've got two DSLRs, one converted for infrared, and a 4x5 camera that I rarely use. Most people don't throw away tat kind of money on gear, and the people who do REALLY seriously do seem to give the impression that one has to throw out that kind of money in order to be remotely serious.

And I disagree. Cell phone cameras have gotten a LOT better, and for many people (particularly people looking to buy a smartphone anyway), the iPhone is perfectly fine for many general purposes.

TweakMDS wrote in post #13411819
I'm getting so sick of the whole "best camera is the one that is with you" and "iphoneography" crap.

I would rather have an iPhone camera with me than no camera at all.

I think the underlying meaning is pretty obvious. For a photography "purist", of course there's no way the iPhone (or any other smartphone or P&S) is going to be enough. They don't match up to a DSLR or MF/LF camera on many levels. For somebody who puts tons of thought and effort into every image they take and insists on top-flight image quality, such a camera is no solution for them. OTOH, there are many, many more people in the world who simply use their cameras for snapshots of their friends to post on social networking sites or just to have some memories of their vacations, families, etc., and don't insist on every picture being technically perfect. No way they're going to lug around a shoulder bag/backpack with 5 lenses, two bodies, flashes, reflectors, a tripod and all the other paraphernalia everywhere they go, nor are they going to shoot raw format and spend time downloading and post-processing on their computers - they just want to point their camera at something or somebody, push the button and immediately post it or send it off in an e-mail or SMS. They're not interested in the MTF charts for their lenses, lp/mm resolution, bokeh quality or any of the other technicalities that "purist" photographers obsess over. For those people, a smartphone camera is the ideal solution. If Annie Leibovitz' "friends" are mostly casual photographers who aren't interested in putting forth the time and effort to learn how to use a DSLR to its potential, then I'd say she's right on the mark. I doubt she was directing her comment toward "serious" photographers.

I have an iPhone. It's with me everywhere I go and I take a lot of pictures with it, with a full understanding of its inherent limitations. I also have a decent DSLR kit. It's not with me everywhere I go and I only bring it along when I intend to do some sort of "serious" photography. Wanna guess which one I take more pictures with? Not saying they're better or even as good, but any picture is usually better than no picture when you spontaneously run across something you really want to capture.

I think we (collectively) on these type of forums sometimes lose sight of the fact that not everybody in the world is as "serious" about their photography. "Hardcore Photography Enthusiast" is a very small subset of "People Who Use Cameras to Take Pictures".

Just don't ask her for financial advise.

Btw. You could win a pulitzer with an iPhone. It's. Even done with a
Disposable.

Wow, way to seriously over think it, lol.

Nobody has commented on A.L.'s recommendations negatively, nor has anybody even disputed what she said. Everybody who has commented on this thread has pretty much come to the came conclusion... I'm honestly not sure why the last few posts have been directed at fellow POTN'ers for apparently argueing what A.L had said... nobody has done that, lol!

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #13404663
Annie leibovitz was on NBC nightly news tonight. When asked what camera she recommends, she answered that she always tells her friends to use an iPhone. Guess I'll sell the Canons.

What's the best camera for you? The one you have with you when you want to take a photo. So having a decent camera in your phone is a good idea. Unless you want to carry around a dSLR with a 20mm prime all the time.

I LOVE my new iphone 4s.. 6x6 app for photos and go around shooting b/w photos.

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That's actually a stunning photo (of a blank white sheet that says "this photo is currently unavailable")