If you’re an iPhone owner and a fan of mobile photography you’ve probably already made up your mind on the iPhone vs. the Point & Shoot debate. But what about the iPhone vs DSLR? Does the iPhone measure up against bigger digital cameras like DSLRs? Is there even any comparison? Well, the simple answer is probably NO…but the real answer is so much more complicated that that. 

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<div><a title="iPhone Rules, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacebarpark/3849581865/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="640" height="426" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/iphonedslr1.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>iPhone Rules</em>
Photo by Kevin</p>
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Photography today encompasses much more than simply taking photos – advancements in photographic technology have made photography (in particular sharing and editing on the fly) a major part of every day life. The simple act of sharing a photo just after you've taken it has changed the way we communicate with friends and family, and mobile photography has become a genre of it’s own. 

Just take a look at the graph below; the iPhone has now surpassed all other cameras as the largest group / type of photo uploaded to Flickr. It still seems pretty absurd to even attempt to compare the two, but it’s very clear that each type of camera has an important role to play, given their individual merits. What you will notice on the graph is the blatent absence of the point & shoot camera. If you were still on the fence as to whether the iPhone had wiped the floor with the point & shoot, let this be your evidence. 

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<div><a title="Flickr Cameras" href="http://www.flickr.com/cameras/">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="640" height="187" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/flickrcameras640.png"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Flickr Cameras</em></p>
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So with the iPhone charging ahead in terms of convenience, and multi-tasking capability – how does it measure up against the DSLR?

<h4>Let’s take a closer look:</h4>  
[two_columns  ]Pros iPhone:[list style="orb" color="grey"]
<ul>
<li>Pocketable and portable.</li>
<li>Less intrusive.</li>
<li>Editing apps for touch-ups.</li>
<li>Selection of small interchangeable lenses.</li>
<li>Share your photos on-the-go. </li>
</ul>
[/list] [/two_columns] [two_columns_last  ]Cons iPhone:[list style="orb" color="grey"]
<ul>
<li>Only 5 megapixels.</li>
<li>Small lenses are no comparison to DSLR lenses.</li>
<li>No control over the shutter speed and aperture.</li>
<li>Small sensor.</li>
<li>Poor image quality in low-light situations.</li>
<li>Images not large enough for printing.</li>
</ul>
[/list] [/two_columns_last] 
[two_columns  ]Pros DSLR:[list style="orb" color="grey"]
<ul>
<li>Large sensor.</li>
<li>Fully manual control.</li>
<li>Huge selection of interchangeable lenses.</li>
<li>Professional quality photos for printing.</li>
<li>Great depth of field.</li>
<li>Tack sharp photos.</li>
</ul>
[/list] [/two_columns] [two_columns_last  ]Cons DSLR:[list style="orb" color="grey"]
<ul>
<li>Large.</li>
<li>Heavy, bulky.</li>
<li>Little or no on-camera editing.</li>
<li>Lots of kit to buy / expensive.</li>
</ul>
[/list] [/two_columns_last] 

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<div><a title="94.365, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katlightner/5588463207/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="640" height="426" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/iphonevsdslr.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>94.365</em>
Photo by katlightner</p>
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So what’s the point in all this apples to oranges comparison? It’s simple really; the best camera is the one you have with you. The convenience and portability of the iPhone is forcing photographers to make a conscious choice when leaving the house for a day of casual shooting: take the heavy, bulky DSLR or settle for the iPhone for convenience sake. 

<h4>How has mobile photography changed the way you think about photography??</h4>