Camera or I-Phone?

[Shakka]

Just wondering what you all do here to take pics while in Africa...especially trophy pics.

I’m not much of a photographer and I don’t even own a camera but i do want to get the best quality photos possible. With all of the advances in I-Phones these days, I am wondering what your opinions are on using one as your main camera.

An I-Phone would be most convenient of course but I am willing to buy a compact affordable camera.

What do you think?

 

[Hogpatrol]

The less stuff to carry and keep track of, the better so one vote for the phone.

 

[Beretta391]

Another vote for the I phone

 

[Alistair]

Agreed.

Unless you are an enthusiastic amateur photographer with a proper DSLR and some time on your hands, you won't do any better than a generic phone camera for the most part.

Take the phone, take your pics, don't get so hung up on the pictures as to miss out on the experience.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I'm pretty picky about my photography.
I drag three cameras along.
i-Phone,
Pocket Camera,
Canon 20D with (The Big White Gun)
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, etc.

If you are only concerned about trophy pictures you can likely get away with a new i-Phone.
The newest i-phone 11 pro has an aperture that will allow low light photos. The worst case scenario, typically.

Quality is the issue:
iphone 7

The Big White Gun

 

[Shakka]

Yes guys, I’m thinking the phone too. I’m not planning on National Geographic landscapes, just good trophy photos and of interesting things along the way

 

[BRICKBURN]

Then take a good Iphone and you are set.
Look forward to the pictures.

 

[Bhfs300]

I always have a good camera with me but you would be better off up grading your IPhone to a X or 11 so it takes good photos and every place I have been my PH has taking photos/video of the trophies for me and give them to me.
Also the phone will let you post to here when you are killing time all you need is WiFi.

 

[PARA45]

Even if u are not an expert, the lens, MP & flash from a camera will be better than pictures taken w a phone. Your PH will be taking pictures of you w your kills, so I would take a camera. My wife who is not a photographer by any means, took some great pictures. Remember that you’ll be looking at the pictures long after the safari.

 

[Marcus bock]

Cell phones are fine for occasional shots but will not provide good enough quality for wall blowups. I have worked and hunted many years in Africa with wildlife and continue to upgrade my camera....longer range with better sensors. I've seen too many people try to shoot an iphone through binoculars..funny to see. Without going to the inconvenience of multiple lenses and yet very very good photos I can blow up (I have one 3 ftX 4 ft) , I now use the Sony RX10.

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

Take along both, i e iPhone 11 Pro plus a real camera for long shots.

 

[JimP]

I'd go with a nice digital camera a good one won't cost very much and you will have like the pictures a lot more.

On my safari I had 2 cameras, one that I carried on my hip all the time and a nicer one in my pack. But I didn't always have the pack with me. I also had 2 extra batteries for each camera. In all total three of us took over 4000 pictures, I myself had close to 2000.

Once over there you will find lots of things that you want a memory of

 

[Marcus bock]

That's the RX10 IV. Watch utube on it. Amazing quality for a fixed lens and tons of functions.

 

[Rum Runner]

Even if u are not an expert, the lens, MP & flash from a camera will be better than pictures taken w a phone. Your PH will be taking pictures of you w your kills, so I would take a camera. My wife who is not a photographer by any means, took some great pictures. Remember that you’ll be looking at the pictures long after the safari.

Agree. I debated this quite a bit before my safari and opted to bring along a nice camera. I'm glad I did. Its a bit more inconvenient, but the pictures I took are top quality, truly stunning. That's important because I spend a lot of time looking at those photos...wishing I took more. In addition, a good camera allows a wider range of options and formats (though you might need to buff up on your camera knowledge via you tube). For example, I took all my photos in RAW format, which allowed for easy editing...a feature that came in very handy for compensating shadows and dark faces.

 

[Shakka]

What inexpensive and simple to use digital camera would you recommend?

also, one that charges with a USB Cable

 

[Hogpatrol]

One more thing to add, how often do you go back and review videos and photos? I've got hours and hours of family video and photos. Same with hunting and fishing expeditions. I haven't looked at them in years and showing to most people will bore them to tears or aggravate them because you've done it and they haven't. This MAY not apply to camera and photo fanatics.

 

[Bhfs300]

Here is Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera
it comes with a 24-200 built in optical zoom takes 20 mb photos is an upper end compact all in one camera. About the same as a new IPhone around $1200.

This is the website for it shows sample photos tells all the things it will do.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx100m7


Tom

 

[JimP]

You can find a great camera for under $300, you dont need to go with a $1000 one.

I have a Cannon PowerShot SX50 that was around $400 that has both a optical and digital zoom.

However one thing that hasn't been addressed is do you have a computer to download the pictures to so that you can edit them?

 

[Ryan]

It depends.
I have been into photography since high school, some 30+ years ago, so I've been around a camera or two. That said a few years ago I started seeing what my phone could do. It turns out, a lot. Add a photo editing app on your phone and you get even more. Heck, my Samsung S9+ has a 12 megapixels camera and newer ones are even better. That's sharp.
I have been on three trips to southern Africa and all of my hunting pictures were with my phone, no regrets. And I regularly enlarge them into 8x10 pictures for the wall, a few a bit larger. I have scenics and some close ups of flowers and such from southern Africa and Alaska that I've enlarged too. They're on my wall and get compliments.

Where it fails is zoom. A phone camera zoom in digital so things get grainy fast. If you're going on a photo safari of any sort or even want to get good shots of an animal 10+ yards into the bush a DSLR with a good lens is the way to go.

 

[JES Adventures]

I carried a camera for the last time this year - never got it out! Iphone takes great photos so cutting back on the gear.