Travel Photography for family trip: Iphone 12 pro vs canon 5d mark iii vs sony zv-1

Bring the Canon <end of discussion>.

Primarily because you are sounding like you aren't just going to take family snaps. There is no way when combined with a zoom lens will an iPhone be able to out-compete a full-frame sensor especially if you have a decent size/quality zoom lens.

I am big on Photography. Even now most people around me know as Photographer - more than a Realtor. I can't seem to get rid of my Canon lenses / flashes etc, even though I have been trying to switch to Sony mirrorless. (5div will always be my GOAT). Its impossible I will not bring my big lens(es) out on proper events!

Point being: I understand where you are coming from.

Having said all that - I recently went on some fam trips. I took mirrorless camera and bought lens just for the trip, so they are small, compact yet fast (f1.4) for any situation. A unique thing about Sony full frame is: You can shoot in crop mode (basically zoom 1.6x) and then digital zoom another 2x (without loosing any noticeable quality). Hence, one lens can work as 20-75 really! Even pro uses these built in functions for weddings etc. If its good enough for them, its should be good enough for vacation. Even with all these options at my disposal (super compact , light camera, portable flash) etc. There are literally handful of pictures I took. Now they are above anything else in our group has produced - most memorable pix and videos are from my phone! Most are from my phone. What this setup also did was - I was in the activity with fam, not just taking pix from sidelines.
e.g., one of the biggest slides in the world. I have video / pix going up to the point, discussing, capturing excitement, emotions etc.. Then I held it making video while coming down ... Absolutely no way , it can be done through a proper camera. I would've been at bottom getting reactions coming down (which I did with phone later on).
Panorama pix in the phone, and the over processing all phones do - sometime phone make it nicer than the quick DSLR shot.

Point Being: What do you value more? Amazing pictures -or- more quantity of media and more memorable "in" experience? there is no right and wrong .... but for me - I won't be taking DSLR's. Phones are the new king.
(Bulky camera lugging around on a long day, is a hassle and risk off its own, but I won't get into that)


But you know - we don't listen to the internet. Internet is all trolls and haters, so I will just leave this here:

Indeed, there’s such a wealth of info out there and none of it is technically wrong. It’s all just personal preference. I just watched a great youtube vid showcasing japan photos taken with a 5d mkiv then immediately to a video by scott kelby on travel photography using the iphone.

In this instance, i really dont know what i want. Ive always found this rfd photo forum valuable. Moreso than photographer-oriented sites cuz those discussions tend to get derailed.

If your kids are not super young, you can always bring all of them. just take whatever camera to shoot depending on the activity you do. I usually carry a larger backpack for my gears on transit but carry a smaller bag on daily outings.

Japan is super safe so I usually try to use the equipments that I normally would be too paranoid to be stolen.

I've settled on my phones long time ago. Out of the camera, phone will have a better picture. All new phones, have HDR, colors will be enhanced. Go take a photo of anything with your phone and then DSLR, you'll quickly see how your 12 delivery great pics.
Always with you, no need to carry it. You can still print anything you want. And the osmo gimball is great.
Now, if you said, Safari, Arctic, Costa Rica, I'd suggested DSLR yet maybe with a longer lens, but for Japan wide/ish angle is all you need.

dazz wrote: ↑ I've settled on my phones long time ago. Out of the camera, phone will have a better picture. All new phones, have HDR, colors will be enhanced. Go take a photo of anything with your phone and then DSLR, you'll quickly see how your 12 delivery great pics.
Always with you, no need to carry it. You can still print anything you want. And the osmo gimball is great.
Now, if you said, Safari, Arctic, Costa Rica, I'd suggested DSLR yet maybe with a longer lens, but for Japan wide/ish angle is all you need.

I’d stop way short of saying “phone will have better picture”. Even my Fuji X-E4 can deliver a more pleasing image fresh out of the camera. Sure, most of the time the phone is plenty good enough, but there are some “real camera” qualities that phones can’t pull off yet. I have an iPhone 13 Pro and 95% of the time I substantially prefer the photos out of my Fuji. Actually having the camera in my hand when I want to take a quick shot is another topic though.

You have to ask yourself why are you even asking this question in the first place? is it the size of the camera and lens? the weight? or both?

If you feel you'd have a more enjoyable time, and would find it a hassle to bring a camera and lens around, maybe it's best to keep it at home. At the same time, I feel it's a waste to have a nice camera and lens, and go to Japan with just a phone. While phones do take decent photos now, I still think you'd get better picture quality from the camera and lens combo. The advantage of a phone, it's convenient, and if you're uploading to social media, it's much easier. To upload photos from your trip (while still on vacay) you'd most likely need a laptop if you're shooting raw.

Me personally, I take my camera everywhere I travel to. At the same time. I try to limit and pick specific moments where I take photos. I used to take photos of literally everything. I found myself too obsessed with the photography aspect, and not fully enjoying the travel aspect. I went to the Grand Canyon in October. I had my mirrorless camera, tripod, and lenses with me. However, I also took a lot of time to enjoy the views with my own eyes, and not just through the camera.

I went to Japan in 2015, and I did take quite a few photos. Took me a while to edit all the raw photos after returning home from my trip. While I do like the photos I took, a lot of memories are still in my head. I would suggest you bring your camera and lens. If you feel it's a hassle to bring out with you while in Japan, simply just leave the camera in your hotel room. It's better to have it just in case.

im heading to japan in september. absolutely zero chance i want to lug around a DSLR + lenses (even though i kinda hate how my iphone 13 takes photos lol). but its mostly good enough.

stevelam wrote: ↑ im heading to japan in september. absolutely zero chance i want to lug around a DSLR + lenses (even though i kinda hate how my iphone 13 takes photos lol). but its mostly good enough.

Get a small mirrorless camera. I used my Sony A5000 during a trip to Europe and it was small and light enough to not bother me.

You have a zv-1, bring that instead of the dslr. I don't even bothering bringing my Sony FF mirrorless anymore on most trips, it's just too much hassle. I will only bring it when I know that I'm going on a "photo" oriented trip.
Most people end up taking photos during vacation/travel are snippets of what they will remember and won't ever be showcased or printed. The difference in quality between an iphone/compact vs a dslr is not worth having to deal with lugging around some extra thing that you have to be weary of all the time unless you have lots of time to take photos and/or your family doesn't mind. If you bring a dslr, would you feel inclined to use it more? If so... are you going to miss out on spontaneous moments or experiences of the journey? If not... then is the extra quality worth the hassle?

Are you someone who don't mind minor scratches and dents on your gear? Do you rather carry less than more? How do you tend to travel? Traveling across japan where you'll be moving from hotel to hotel every few days means extra things that you have to account for every time.

tew wrote: ↑ Get a small mirrorless camera. I used my Sony A5000 during a trip to Europe and it was small and light enough to not bother me.

Thank you. I have been considering switching to mirrorless, but it wouldn’t be for a while. I only have EF lenses so the financial commitment for switching systems isnt feasible at the present time.

TBH unless you need a good zoom; a good phone is enough.

Japan is amazing and I myself was satisfied with a phone. It is one you have all the time; easy, convenient etc.

I think in Japan you have enough on you that having to carry a camera around is just extra that I don't think is needed; especially since Japan is a basically a walking country so you are walking all day every day.

I don't see Japan as a place that requires a lot of zoom. It is mainly snaps and landscapes which iPhones so very well; unless you want absolutely professional images that no phone can produce.

One important thing that everyone seems to forget - photos (and what is deemed photo quality) is extremely subjective. What may be just fine for you isn't fine for anyone else. That has always been the case - ie we saw that back in the film days with medium format vs 35mm or SLRs vs point and shoots and now stand-alone cameras vs phones.

Many people just want something that they can view on their phone which is fine while others want something more. I've been on trips where I've taken my fullframe DSLR with people who exclusively used their phones. 9 times out of 10 when the images are compared I was asked how come my shots looked better or asked for a copy of the picture. If they didn't have the ability to compare the shots, I'm sure they would have been happy with what they got from their phone.

craftsman wrote: ↑ One important thing that everyone seems to forget - photos (and what is deemed photo quality) is extremely subjective. What may be just fine for you isn't fine for anyone else. That has always been the case - ie we saw that back in the film days with medium format vs 35mm or SLRs vs point and shoots and now stand-alone cameras vs phones.

Many people just want something that they can view on their phone which is fine while others want something more. I've been on trips where I've taken my fullframe DSLR with people who exclusively used their phones. 9 times out of 10 when the images are compared I was asked how come my shots looked better or asked for a copy of the picture. If they didn't have the ability to compare the shots, I'm sure they would have been happy with what they got from their phone.

I do agree with this. We usually print a 8x8 or 10x10 album of our trip and sometimes I think ahead if the photos I plan to take may work in an 8x8 or 10x10 album and would I want it in that size. Phones can be decent in those sizes depending on what it is. Most of the time it may not.

hartzfizzo wrote: ↑ Hello RFD Community,

My family will be travelling to Japan for three weeks and Im deciding what gear to bring. I have an iphone 12 pro and an Osmo mobile gimbal that for sure I'm bringing. I also have a 10-yr old 5d mark iii with a 24-105L that was my beast for many years. I also have a Sony ZV-1 compact camera through my work that Ive honestly never even used.

Our family loves to travel and while my kiddos were growing up, we limited our travel to california, mexico, caribbean cruises, etc. About 5-6 years ago, I made the conscious decision to leave the 5d home on our travels and be less behind the lens to soak in the moments.

But now it's Japan. I dont want to say it's a trip of a lifetime kinda thing, but it's definitely a place we wont be visiting again for a while. It's also a place with a lot of wonderful scenery and we will be going there during cherry blossom season.

So, if it were you, what gear would you take? Would you maintain the same mantra of soaking in the experience instead of being behind the shutter button?

If you flip through your older photos that you've taken with your family (trips, events, etc.) do you find yourself wishing the quality of the pictures were better or were you just happy for these photos were taken and helps you to remembering that particular moment?

TenzoR wrote: ↑ If you flip through your older photos that you've taken with your family (trips, events, etc.) do you find yourself wishing the quality of the pictures were better or were you just happy for these photos were taken and helps you to remembering that particular moment?

tbh, when i go back and look back at the memories over the years, i generally tend to just watch the videos. I dont even scroll through the photos. That's an excellent question and a great perspective of things.

TenzoR wrote: ↑ If you flip through your older photos that you've taken with your family (trips, events, etc.) do you find yourself wishing the quality of the pictures were better or were you just happy for these photos were taken and helps you to remembering that particular moment?

That comes down to something I've always said about cameras and photos, the whole point of a photo is that you want it to be better than what you remembered the scene to be. They are a memory aid especially when it comes to sharing. The last thing you want is an image that is fuzzy or is hard to make out whether you are in Paris or Vegas...

S23 Ultra vs Nikon Z9. You be the judge?

If you are mainly walking around a city your Phone camera should do but when you are in the country, birding or a safari you need a good Camera like a mirrorless or a DSLR with a zoom lens. So it all depends on the situation you find yourself in.