<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>332021</docID> <postdate>2024-11-14 04:00:56</postdate> <headline>Have smartphones spelt the death of the camera?</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-332025" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/pexels-pixabay-414781-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>While smartphone cameras offer convenience and are excellent for everyday use, the advanced capabilities, quality, and flexibility of dedicated cameras make them indispensable for photography enthusiasts and professionals. Photo: Pixabay</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line" style="font-weight: 400;">"Have smartphones spelt the death of the camera? Actually, no. I've just bought the latest Sony RX10M4 which has capabilities way beyond those of a smartphone camera," writes Whimsy columnist <strong>CLIVE WILLIAMS</strong>.</span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you saw a drowning person and had to choose between saving them or capturing the moment, what aperture and shutter speed would you use?</span></i></p> <p><b>I have always been interested in photography. I started off with 35mm cameras when I was about seven and later did my own black and white film developing.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><img class=" wp-image-239837" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Clive-Williams-e1631256405470.jpg" alt="" width="336" height="350" /></p> <caption>Clive Williams.</caption> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I tried developing colour film but it was too complicated to be pleasurable. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Later, as a subaltern in the Australian Army, I taught air photo reading courses, which got me selected for an exchange posting in Arizona to teach imagery interpretation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I arrived at the school at Fort Huachuca, I was asked about my imagery qualifications; the US Army had been told I was the Australian Army’s imagery expert. I had to admit to them that I was merely a self-taught enthusiast. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I was then put on the US Army’s nine-month basic imagery-interpretation course. After that I had to complete a two-week instructor qualification course. As a foreign alien, I also had to complete an English test. (They accepted that my English was good enough for teaching purposes.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The US Army did not get good value from the exchange arrangement because they had to spend the first 12 months of my two-year posting teaching me what I needed to know to be an effective instructor to replace the experienced instructor they had sent to Australia. They were presumably happy with my next 12 months’ effort because I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of the two years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia benefited from my training as I subsequently had quite a lot to do with imagery and ended up running the predecessor organisation to the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation. I also spent three years in Washington working, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">inter alia</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with the CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Center.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Much changed with the digitisation of imagery in the mid-1990s and, from 2000, the marketing of smartphones with cameras. Now most people carry a smartphone camera around with them 24/7 and can even take videos with their phones. Most of the imagery now stays in digital form, in the phone or in the cloud. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have smartphones spelt the death of the camera? Actually, no. I've just bought the latest Sony RX10M4 which has capabilities way beyond those of a smartphone camera. (The owner’s manual runs to 269 A4 pages.) Not to everybody’s taste, I know. Most people’s photographic needs are met by their smartphones.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So why buy an expensive camera today? Various reasons:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b><i>Image quality:</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Expensive cameras, particularly digital single-lens reflex cameras and mirrorless models, offer superior image quality. </span></i></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b><i>Lens versatility:</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> High-end cameras allow for interchangeable lenses, providing flexibility to use various lenses for different purposes, such as wide-angle, telephoto, macro and prime lenses. </span></i></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b><i>Manual controls:</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Professional cameras offer extensive manual controls over exposure, focus and other settings. </span></i></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b><i>Durability and ergonomics:</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Expensive cameras are designed to withstand more rigorous use. They often feature weather sealing and robust construction, making them more durable in extreme conditions. </span></i></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><b><i>Professional use:</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Professional photographers are expected to provide the quality that only a dedicated camera provides. </span></i></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, while smartphone cameras offer convenience and are excellent for everyday use, the advanced capabilities, quality, and flexibility of dedicated cameras make them indispensable for photography enthusiasts and professionals.</span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">On a lighter note</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Photographer Fred goes to see his local GP who asks him: “What’s wrong?â€Â </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I suffer from depression and sometimes feel like doing away with myself. I’ve tried medication and therapy, but nothing seems to work.â€</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well,†says the doctor, “try a different approach. When I feel depressed, I buy flowers and go home to my loving wife, take her out to lunch and then we go home and make love in the garden. After that, I always feel on top of the world. Anyway, try that option, and come back and see me in a couple of weeks.â€Â </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two weeks later Fred sees the GP again and is clearly a happier man.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Did you do as I suggested?†asks the doctor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I certainly did,†said Fred. “The lovemaking was fantastic – and may I also compliment you on your lovely garden.â€</span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clive Williams is a Canberra columnist</span></i></p> </body>