Why Buy a Camera?

It is estimated that humanity will take 2.1 trillion photos in 2025 with phones accounting for approximately 94% of these. On average Americans take 20 photos a day. And pretty much anywhere you got you are likely to see someone with their phone out taking a photo of some kind. Frankly it’s hard to wrap my head around this as, not long ago at gatherings, inevitably someone would ask “didn’t anyone think to bring a camera?”

This is a phenomenally good thing. We are now documenting our lives in the moment and by the moment without too much fuss. For example, taking pictures of what you’re cooking. Then taking pictures of what you cooked put on a plate. And then pictures of that plate of food placed on a table. And then again pictures of your spouse sitting across the table with an identical plate of food in front of them. Granted we sometimes make fun of this rather cliche scenario, but that’s because it’s so common that it can be made fun of.

So then, why buy a camera if I already have one in my phone? Wouldn’t that be a waste of money? Shouldn’t cameras then be relegated to the past and remembered fondly as a “do you remember when we used to…” sort of thing?

Let’s compare phones to Swiss army knives. Both are designed for multiple uses. On the knife there’s a couple blades, a screwdriver, a corkscrew, a leather punch, and so on. You can cut things to size, fix a few things, or open a bottle. But would you chop wood with one? Not well or within a reasonable time. For that you would need a tool that’s designed for the big jobs, such as a splitting axe. And like splitting axes are for chopping and splitting wood, cameras are also for just a couple jobs, making photos and videos. Asking why buy a camera when your phone is perfectly good is like asking why buy a splitting axe when you already have a perfectly good Swiss blade.

I know that’s a ridiculous example. Very few people are out splitting logs. Or using a two inch blade to make firewood. But it does make the point. If all you want out of a camera are snaps of family, vacations, and to share that amazing sunset from yesterday, then the phone camera is an ideal tool. It has good enough color rendition, it focuses sharply, and you can just point and click and you’ve got what you want. However, (warning: run-on sentence ahead) if you want a photograph of a babbling brook that highlights its gentle flow around stones with tree branches hanging over it, with realistic color, and in focus from the closest rock to the most distant cloud, while at the same time having immersive depth and it be a file large enough to print and hang on a wall...then you need a camera. Or if you want stunning candids of your grandchildren with accurate skin tones and a blurred background, you need a camera.

Comparing the two, my phone is quick and simple and portable and in my pocket at this moment. Whereas my camera is a specialized tool to make realistic images for display. It is never in my pocket.

So I use both. They have their unique advantages and complement each other in ways I feel most of us don’t think about. Instead of the question being why would you buy a camera, it should be why don’t you already have one? My opinion is obviously biased by my love of photography, but you should really make it happen. For a few hundred dollars you can get a good camera and lens and learn to craft stunning photographs for yourself. It’s great fun, and you can put your work on display in your own home and feel proud that you did this beautiful thing.