How do the newer smartphones compare to a run of the mill camera? DMC-TZ4K

[Obsoleet]

I have the DMC-TZ4K and just ordered a Samsung GS3. They make a lot of noise about the quality of the cameras in the iPhone5 and GS3.. how does an average camera like my Panasonic compare? Outside of the iPhone5's purple flare feature, is it getting to the point where this DMC-TZ4K should be my last real camera?

I know 0 about photography or cameras other than the original advice years ago told to me in this forum to buy the camera that I have. So I'm being serious. Thanks

 

[Necrolezbeast]

The camera is going to be better, especially if you are needing the zoom.. but it's not going to be a huge difference. I would say that you should keep the camera and take it with you when you know you're going to be using it, any other time you need to snap a quick pic your phone will do just fine

 

[Obsoleet]

I wondered if phones were that good or if it was just hype. So basically unless you have a DSLR or something like that the lower end cameras are losing their value.
I don't use a lot of zoom, usually I like photos taken exactly as I'm seeing a scene. More of a personal preference and part 'don't care'. It's hard to imagine going to Paris and taking photos with a cell phone but even harder to imagine lugging along a 15lb camera + lenses. So it's nice to have a Coolpix or whatever in that case.

 

[gevorg]

in scenes that need flash, GS3 or iPhone 5 have no chance, even against DMC-TZ4K

in broad daylight, there likely to be no/little difference unless you pixel peep

 

[blastingcap]

A Nokia PureView 808 (smartphone camera that is better than even the iphone 5) is in some ways competitive with budget compact cameras--in some instances the 808 will actually do BETTER than many compact cameras. And a smartphone is more pocketable. But compact cameras will probably give you better flash, optical zoom, etc.

 

[krumme]

Compared to my compact Sony hx9v, the sgs3 / sgs2 is of far lower quality. By a long stretch. If the sgs3 is 1 in quality and a slr is 10 then the hx9v is 8.

The sgs3, is of far lower picture quality than any of my compacts before that (canon 960 and 610, and in most instances even the old caplio g4). But video is excellent compared to the old non hd cams. Also by a long stretch.

Your compact is so old the video is lower quality. And the sgs3 takes ok video, and only half bad pictures, so probably you can leave your cam at home.

As a remark, the pictures for real world usage on the sgs3 is much better than on the sgs2 because you have HDR settings, and better low light sensitivity. Also editing the picutes and watching them on the sgs3 is very nice.

Its a personal preference, but any new good compact is lightyears ahead of the phones. I just had a 1 month vacation where i accidently left my camera home. The phones saved us, so we shouldnt buy a compact, but the pictures is just not there imho.

 

[Obsoleet]

For my next camera I'll probably get something similar to my TZ4. Lots of zoom, something camera phones won't be able to match anytime soon.
I feel my camera at least has a purpose over my phone due to the 10x optical zoom. So for a point and shoot guy like me, it's not a bad addition to the cell phone camera.

My fear was that my cell phone made my existing camera pointless, but a high zoom point and shoot is probably going to be tough to beat in that regard.

It's still pocketable too, which was a requirement when I was looking for a travel camera.

 

[pandemonium]

Check out the Lumia 920. Nokia is revolutionizing pocketable cameras...again. The only major downsides I see to compact cameras is their very poor low light performance and zoom. The 920 is correcting the low light performance without the need for long exposure times. A huge win.

I personally see the discrete camera going the way of turntables, home telephone lines, or physical maps. Niche market and enthusiasts excluded, of course.

 

[Obsoleet]

Check out the Lumia 920. Nokia is revolutionizing pocketable cameras...again. The only major downsides I see to compact cameras is their very poor low light performance and zoom. The 920 is correcting the low light performance without the need for long exposure times. A huge win.

I personally see the discrete camera going the way of turntables, home telephone lines, or physical maps. Niche market and enthusiasts excluded, of course.

I'd love to try a WindowsPhone but I need an application such as this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.hoernchen.android.firealert&hl=en for my job to act as a paging device. Only Android and iOS (to a lesser degree) have this at the moment, to my knowledge.

Yup, I only plan to keep a camera around for the zoom that a phone will never have. As someone who only cares if the photo looks good, and I could never appreciate 'good photos' by 'good cameras'- I'm welcoming to this more convenient camera phone future.

I've just never understood the $1,000 camera/lense thing. I feel a bit like the unwashed leper like I am ignorant or just don't understand but honestly I don't even care to learn what I'm 'missing'(?). If anything.

I'm not entirely pleased with my TZ4's indoor lowlight performance though. The outdoor zoom is great, and I get use out of the 10X optical zoom, but it seems you have to pay $$ for good indoor lowlight cameras. Something I was never willing to do, unless there's cameras I'm unaware of.

 

[corkyg]

Phone photos are great for quick opportunities, but if you take a lot of pictures, you may have a logistical problem. Off loading them to a computer is not always easy. Phone photos are designed to be emailed, and that is not practical with 100s of shots in a far off place.

When I travel and a main purpose is photos, my phone is often not present - there being no connection available, say in rural South Africa or the Amazon.

 

[alkemyst]

Most modern phones make it no more difficult than a modern camera to hook up a data cable to download the pictures directly.

I am email pictures at full resolution as well (not all email host allow >3MB attachements though).

 

[blastingcap]

Most modern phones make it no more difficult than a modern camera to hook up a data cable to download the pictures directly.

I am email pictures at full resolution as well (not all email host allow >3MB attachements though).

What? Just hook up your phone and tell it to mimic a disk drive. Then download directly from your phone over a USB cable.

 

[corkyg]

What? Just hook up your phone and tell it to mimic a disk drive. Then download directly from your phone over a USB cable.

Not all phones can be "hooked up." Try iPhone.

 

[Obsoleet]

Not all phones can be "hooked up." Try iPhone.

That's why you don't buy an iPhone. Good devices, but pain in the ass.

 

[alkemyst]

Not all phones can be "hooked up." Try iPhone.

dafuq? I connect my iphone 4 as a device just like any other and manipulate my images through Explorer and/or Finder.

 

[shortylickens]

The latest smartphones (particularly high end nokias) are good rivals to basic compacts. The only reason to get a compact is if you dont feel like playing the upgrade game every year and also to take the camera out of your phone purchase decision.
But that assumes you will always carry around your compact, and many people wont if they have a good camera phone.

 

[alkemyst]

At almost everything but low light a modern smart phone will trump a 5+ year old digicam. Even at low light some will do better. Almost all will offer far better video.

However, for $75-100 there are digicams that will smoke any camera phone.

 

[Obsoleet]

How have cameras gotten so much better since 2008 that my TZ4 became so bad? It sounds like I should give this thing away and buy myself a cheap new camera that will be better.