Tablets as cameras

[chrisb]

Why do so many people use huge tablets as their camera! These people are tourists on holiday but I see so many people using iPads to take photos. Why do people even have their ipad at places like universal studios?

Below is an example of 4 people at a famous US memorial. They were on a tour so surely you'd bring a camera.

 

[Mal]

Haha. Yeah I find it very strange. But obviously they have their reasons...

 

[Hvr]

I saw this when I was at Niagara Falls last month. It amazes me and frustrates me when they see my DSLR and thinking I know how to take a good photo give me their iPad to take their photo. Cameras I can use but these things need practise and I find them hard to use.

Just carry a little camera such as an IXUS for others to take your photo. It's what I do.

 

[quick_dry]

they probably jumped onto tablets later in the lifecycle than they did smartphones - my iPad 3 has a better camera than my iPhone4.... not that I carry the tablet around for picture taking duties.

 

[Skyring]

Ugh. Shooting south into the sun. Besides, the background is much better the other way.

USMC Memorial by skyring, on Flickr*

As for tablets, they are becoming more and more a generic accessory. Books, camera, map, internet, all sorts of handy features for the traveller. I always have mine in case I sit down and have a Starbucks. There's a chance to check my mail.

I always have a reasonable camera with me - I see iPhone/iPad cams as distinctly second-rate - but if near enough is good enough, then I can see why people go with the tablet.

*Which it took me about twenty shots before I caught that sweet curve of the flag and my hands were freezing off.

 

[markis10]

People are using the tablets for more than a camera, and if your doing trip reports its a lot easier to upload from a tablet than a SD card if your only travelling with a tablet.

 

[UP4014]

i guess quality doesn't matter to some.

Matt
Always going for the best optics.

 

[Skyring]

i guess quality doesn't matter to some.

Aww, c'mon. You go to the Louvre, you'll see about a bazillion people all holding up their tablets and phones to squeeze off blurry long distance shots of the Mona Lisa. They appreciate quality.

 

[Deleted member]

You can get telephoto lens attachments for iPhones now.
It's all becoming very convenient

 

[oz_mark]

Aww, c'mon. You go to the Louvre, you'll see about a bazillion people all holding up their tablets and phones to squeeze off blurry long distance shots of the Mona Lisa. They appreciate quality.

Or the photos are just for memories...

 

[Limewood]

they probably jumped onto tablets later in the lifecycle than they did smartphones - my iPad 3 has a better camera than my iPhone4.... not that I carry the tablet around for picture taking duties.

Yep reason we use the iPad, plus it fits in Mrs Lime's handbag .

 

[chrisb]

Aww, c'mon. You go to the Louvre, you'll see about a bazillion people all holding up their tablets and phones to squeeze off blurry long distance shots of the Mona Lisa. They appreciate quality.

I took photos of the crowds at the Mona Lisa - the mob for such a small painting was more interesting than the picture itself.

 

[harvyk]

I'm one who used to carry my camera (a DSLR) everywhere. I'd happily take photos of everything, and some of them where IMHO quite good. I'd then every so often look at them, but not often.

Then I joined Facebook, and I started taking photos and publishing them to Facebook directly. The DSLR was a pain for that as I couldn't post photos until I got back home, plus I'd have a collection of photos that I'd never see. So I started using my phone (an iPhone 4) to take photos as I can both post the photos to Facebook as I like, plus I'll every so often when bored scroll through my photo collection, plus it's there ready to go if I want to show people what I've been getting up to.

Don't get me wrong, if I was going to do "photography" like I used to in high school / college I'd still get out the DSLR (technically to do it like I did in High School, I'd need to find my real SLR, and a darkroom), but for the happy snaps of "I was here", I find the iPhone does a very reasonable job considering the photos are only ever likely to be viewed on screens of some description.

 

[djfuzz]

I use a DSLR for work, a decent point-and-shoot for family and my iPhone for spontaneous shots and everything else. Generally don't find myself needing to take a photo on a tablet.

However, as long as there's sufficient light, most modern tablet cameras are capable of taking a more-than-decent shot.

I used to think it a little weird (eg that shot of Spike Lee with the first iPad, which had a very poor camera), but these days they're ubiquitous and good enough for most purposes, even if a little ungainly. The best camera is the one you have with you, after all.

 

[scaredeycat]

20 years ago these tourists would have been using coughpy point and shoot 35 mm cameras, returning home with a few rolls of film which they would then take to a shop that would promise to print them in an hour. Most of those photos would be so bad that it was a waste of time even printing them. The total cost of one holiday's worth of pictures would buy a decent camera nowadays. Instead of waiting a few weeks to find out how terrible your photography skills were, you can now see the results instantly and then share them with friends on the other side of the world almost straight away. Unlike Skyring, very few of us aspire to be artists, but our lamentable efforts at least preserve some nice memories. And isn't it amazing how technology has changed the way we do it?

 

[Skyring]

Unlike Skyring, very few of us aspire to be artists...

Most kind! Thank'ee.

I think it's in all of us to be artists. We recognise beauty in a deep and direct way. We don't need a sign or a guidebook to respond to a sunset, a perfect flower or a baby's smile. After that, it's just a matter of technique and skill. I never thought I could draw until I tried. And with photography, often it's just a matter of trying a number of different angles and settings, discarding the 99 that don't quite work and proclaiming the hundredth that caught just the right light, just the right expression, just the right angle.

 

[codash1099]

People are using the tablets for more than a camera, and if your doing trip reports its a lot easier to upload from a tablet than a SD card if your only travelling with a tablet.

Have the best of both worlds. Get the SD card attachment for the iPad and send good quality photos.

 

[UP4014]

I'm one who used to carry my camera (a DSLR) everywhere. I'd happily take photos of everything, and some of them where IMHO quite good. I'd then every so often look at them, but not often.

Don't get me wrong, if I was going to do "photography" like I used to in high school / college I'd still get out the DSLR (technically to do it like I did in High School, I'd need to find my real SLR, and a darkroom), but for the happy snaps of "I was here", I find the iPhone does a very reasonable job considering the photos are only ever likely to be viewed on screens of some description.

You're right.

I still carry a DSLR (and sometimes film SLR) when I go places and I enjoy seeing a large sharp image so once every couple of months project them them to enormous size and sit back with a beer and munchies.

Matt
Must remember to charge my DSLR batteries for my Saturday trip to the Blue Mountains.

 

[richie9x]

In general I don't mind it, seems a bit unusual but if that's what makes them happy then good on them.

The only time I would have a problem with it is in crowds when the person is holding up the tablet is blocking the view for others behind them.

 

[markis10]

Have the best of both worlds. Get the SD card attachment for the iPad and send good quality photos.

Still means a significant penalty when going HLO, which is when I use the Tablet. If checked baggage I normally take the PC and DSLR.

I also use the tablet for taking pre and post rental car hire shots, since it geo tags the images which came in handy once.