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I have a strong feeling that smart phone cameras are going to replace point-and-shoot cameras somewhere down the road.
Right now there are several point and shoots that are pretty highly developed (like the Canon G12), however the majority of point &shoot are engineered to be small, simple to use and lightweight.
Almost everyone nowadays uses a cell phone or smart phone while a constant stream of
innovations in the quality of pictures of these phones (Such as the new iphone 4S with a big 8 megapixel image sensor) have diminished a necessity to lug around more than one picture-taking device.
Prominent photojournalist Michael Williamson, wth the Washington Post (a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1990), is traveling around the country photographing the recession effects only using an iPhone.
In an interview, Williamson said that he prefers the instantaneous (Pictures can be emailed directly to the Post just as swiftly as he shoots them) and the closeness of a tiny, low profile camera a smart camera phone can offer.
The Images
Several websites and blogs have sprung up featuring cell phone photography. Camera phones along with the resulting images shot by them are everywhere these days and it's only natural that they are acquiring positions on websites , Some of the images are exactly what you expect to come from a phone, however some are really good, proving the old adage: it's the photographer not the equipment that captures a great picture.
The Glyn Evans iPhoneography blog is strictly for cell phone pictures and videos plus features some important iPhone info, tips and images.
The website, Pixiq contains some creative images on its "100 amazing iPhone
Photos" . Flickr, the photography sharing site even has an iPhone group where you'll find some great photos (flickr.com/groups/takenwithiphone).
iphone 4S
This year, the Gizmodo website featured a cell phone picture shooting challenge. Blog readers submitted some incredible and clever images (gizmodo.com/5795719/168-incredible-cellphone-photos).
Begining four years ago, iPhone Photography Awards began featuring a competition for some very stunning cell phone photos. There's a $3.50 fee for one entry and goes up to $27.50 to include 10 images, all that's required is going to their website to upload your pictures. The contest deadline for 2012 is March 31 (http://ippawards.com/2012) All photographers compete for the top award, the IPPA Photographer of the Year.
Apps and Toys
Special applications are available to enhance or modify the appearance of your camera phone images. You can modify your pictures so they appear as if they were shot using a Polariod camera or on film, plus many other unique effects. There are over 100 photography apps posted on the
App Storm website available for the iPhone
any of them for just a few dollars.
For years, the expensive German Leica cameras for decades have been desirable objects for many photographers, despite having dated technology (the old rangefinder M-series cameras even used lenses that are manual focus). However today, even though the newer M model Leicas are digital, they are still rangefinders that use manual lenses, although they still attract plenty of attention even from the most seasoned photographer. There's now ways to make your inexpensive cell phone camera take on the look of a Leica. That's right, faux skin can
embellish the appearance of your iPhone. A Leica M8 image is simply printed out and placed beneath a glass cover allowing
the iphone to take on the appearance of a Leica.
Make your iphone look like a Leica M9
Digital Zooms Suck!. Why not use a real lens? By going to the
Photojojo online store you can obtain a mount to attach your Canon or Nikon DSLR lens directly to your iPhone. It seems somewhat weird as the lens is larger and weighs more than the phone itself. The question becomes, if you're carrying around your regular camera gear, then why a cell phone camera? However if you must have it, this adapter will cost you about $249.
Lens adapter to mount DSLR lenses on an iphone
For now, I believe that DSLR cameras are pretty sheltered from the cell phone invasion. The
flexibility and exceptional image quality of DSLR cameras keep them in demand for serious amateurs, photography hobbyists, and professional photographers. But compared to point & shoot cameras, the cell phone cameras can present some pretty stiff competition.
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