DSLR VS COMPACT VS MIRRORLESS VS PHONE CAMERA

I bought my very first DSLR in 2011. It was a Canon 40D. I also bought lenses with it, battery pack and some accessories. It takes quality pictures. Image quality is superb. Feature wise it has all that I need for my street and landscape photography as well as my occasional portrait shots. But soon I started to use it less as it is quite bulky and heavy to carry.

i love the quality of photo taken with a DSLR and a good lens

So, I bought a compact camera, a Canon A2200 that I could easily carry anywhere. I am very much happy with it as I can put it in my pocket and snap shots. Image quality is not as good as the 40D, but for Facebook photos, and small prints, this camera is good enough. Only downside I found with this camera is that there is no manual control of aperture, and shutter speed. I find this very limiting.

this was taken by Lumix LX5, i like the portability of compact as it is light to carry and won't drain your phone

I mostly use my phone camera as my primary camera. I carry my phone most of the time so whenever there’s an interesting shot to be taken, i can just reach it from my pocket. Of all the phone that I’ve used for snapshots, I find Microsoft Lumia 640 as one of the best phone that takes really good photo. I love how punchy the colors it takes and some manual controls it has. It also has shutter speed priority of up to 4 sec. and a manual control for focusing. If you own one be proud of it.

i have my phone with me wherever i go and I can take photos whenever I need to

So, among these options, which one is the best? Quite frankly, depends on your goal.

If you are looking to be a wedding photographer then go for DSLR. You need bigger camera sensor with some of the best portrait and wide-angle lenses, external flash, batteries, memory cards and even backup camera in case your primary camera fails. You even need teammates each equipped with camera to cover most of the wedding events. Your goal is to make the bride and groom happy by delivering best photo prints and photo video of their wedding day.

If you are a traveler or you’re only for holiday, then a compact or mirrorless camera should suit you. You don’t need the extra weights of a DSLR and its accessories to carry around. Camera from your phone may even be enough. You may want to enjoy more the vacation rather than thinking too much of the photos later on. For me, taking a heavy DSLR with its lenses and accessories kind of takes fun away from a vacation. Give yourself a break and enjoy the moment rather than looking back at photos when you should have been in that moment.

If you’re a hobbyist then any camera of your choice should be fine, whether it’s a DSLR or a compact or a phone. What is important is you’ll be able to take photo whenever you need to at the expected quality you want to.

For me I prefer more the convenience and quality of mirrorless. It generally has better image quality than compact/phone camera but lighter to carry than DSLR. My favorite is the Fujifilm X-series. I love the specs plus the retro design.

But bottom line, if you’re a pro-photographer, meaning you are paid for photos you’ve taken, then by all means please get the best camera you could afford. Your equipment is your investment. Quality pictures means happy customers and they will likely be repeat customers. If they get a quality work from you, they will most likely recommend you from their network. If photography is your hobby, then you have a flexible option getting a camera that is more convenient to you that suits mostly your needs.