For the better part of two decades my answer has stayed the same: “The one you will always have with you.”
What good is any camera if you don't have it when you need it?
It's an answer that has transcended seismic shifts in camera technology — from film to digital, big and digital small. This year has brought another evolutionary change: The iPhone 4S.
While techies clamored about Siri, the iPhone's revolutionary digital assistant, Steve Jobs' final iPhone release quietly took huge steps in fulfilling his desire to revolutionize photography, as he had done with computers and music.
Apple had the answer for a device we all would carry, but now it finally has the ability to take images that are widely considered very good. The blurry images from the 2-megapixel original iPhone are a world away from the crispness in the newest 8-megapixel offering.
Tell your shutterbug friends it has an f2.4 lens with five elements and a CMOS sensor, and you will see at least one eyebrow go up. Tell that to a professional, and you will see a brow go down as he or she contemplates lost customers and revenue.
Pair these physical upgrades with the powerful A5 dual-core processor, dramatically shorter shutter lag and built-in editing software, and you finally have a camera that is no longer just an addition to the phone, but actually the other way around. It's not far-fetched to say your camera has a built-in phone.
What does all of this mean in the real world of picture taking?
Plenty.
The first picture I snapped on this device was a sunset I shot while sitting at a red light. I was surprised to be able to touch the screen for focus and have a rapid shot as soon as I hit the shutter. The results were crisp edges, smooth lines, black blacks and accurate color rendition. I was truly taken aback.
Such a device could not come at a more ripe time, with the social media explosion being fueled to a large extent by photographs.
Out are photo labs, and in are online albums and awkward family photos. The number of people taking photos is off the charts, and the results are steadily improving.
Shooting images with a traditional camera means quite a few steps between capture and share with the world. Laziness can certainly creep in, and great moments never make an appearance in web land.
The power to shoot and tone within the same device is only outweighed by the power to hit send and be done in a matter of moments.
In this regard, the traditional point-and-shoot camera is rapidly losing its place in the picture-taking world. To that point, I would hardly recommend shelling out Benjamins to get one.
The digital single-lens reflex camera (or DSLR) is a long way from being obsolete. I still carry a 50-plus-pound bag of cameras and lenses to assignments because the quality is unmatched. Camera phones still have huge technological barriers to overcome.
However, I would recommend big cameras and lenses only to those dedicated photographers who are willing to learn about f-stops, shutter speeds and other aspects of the photographic process.
If you want to effortlessly push a button and let the camera do the work, the iPhone might just be the best device for you.
Sun Photography Editor Rob Witzel writes Tech Talk, a weekly column that looks at the latest innovations and trends in the tech world. He can be reached at 338-3183 or witzelr@gvillesun.com.
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