Over the last 24 hours in particular, I have seen a flood of ads on Facebook especially, pushing a series of “ergonomic grip” systems that the vendors claim will turn your smartphone into a “professional camera”.
Whatever that is.
The prices are exy to, with some I have seen around the USD$250 mark.
But don’t be fooled.
Before I explain why, simply these gizmos will NOT turn your smartphone into a “professional camera”, let me tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin…
Quite some years back I was lucky enough to be taken on a PR trip with about a dozen of my peers to Lady Elliott Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The occasion was the launch of some new budget priced Panasonic consumer point and shoot cameras.
Along for the ride was one of Australia’s – and the worlds for that matter – best photographers, well known for his panoramic landscape shots.
Anyway, on the last day, we were all given an identical camera – bear in mind that this was very much a budget model costing less than $400 – and sent off down to the beach. The idea was a competition for everyone to shoot exactly the same shot, and then we’d vote, anonymously, as we didn’t know who’s shot was who’s, for the best.
Well it was chalk and cheese, and of course the pro photographer won hands down. And its not as if everyone else was a photographic dummy either as some of Australia’s top photography magazine editors and contributors were also there, and they know their stuff.
But it went to prove categorically that the shot had NOTHING to do with the camera and everything to do with photographic knowledge, and, if not more important, an “eye” for the task.
The point I am trying to make is that it is that the user that is professional, NOT the camera.
Now back to these overpriced, ergonomic thingos.
To add insult to injury, these do not add to your smartphone the major attributes that set a “professional” mirrorless or dLSLR camera apart from your iPhone or Galaxy whatever, namely an optical lens capable of zoom, focus or change of depth of field. Nor do you have access to many finer controls these cameras support, ability to shoot in industry standard RAW or allow you to change lenses.
Additionally, smartphone’s have smaller sensors which means low light capability is inferior, much larger aperture settings are available and shutter lag is almost non-existent on mirrorless / dSLRs and finally, you cannot beat a decent viewfinder, especially in sunlight, when the screen of a smartphone becomes almost invisible.
If you want to take decent photos, have more control and access to extra functionality, get a proper camera and don’t buy into some smartphone add-on hype with obviously paid recommendations by people who know nothing about photography or video.
