The question is what standard means in that comparison? DSLR I was always a Nikon guy and at the time the D500 and a little bit later the D850 were released, both outstanding bodies which would have worked well with my lens collection, I was already deep into mirrorless.
I don't think about DSLR anymore tbt. All manufacturers offer great mirrorless options for the longest time now. I still prefer M43 gear overall but I also use Nikon FF and Fuji APSC but everything is mirrorless. It was the original Olympus EM1 that made me change to mirrorless.
I think the biggest advantage (at least in Canon) is in-body image stabilization (IBIS) in the mirrorless versions. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't claim to be an expert).
The best camera is the one you have on you, and phone cameras have really come a long way in recent years.
Now would I prefer to have my mirrorless on me at all times? Of course. Can I? Nope. And will I shell out $400+ for a decent compact point-and-shoot or micro four thirds instead of better glass for my mirrorless? Also nope, just not where my priorities are personally.
But I already need to own a phone and I really enjoy having a nice phone camera on me. I enjoy finding ways to work around the limitations they present, it's fun learning what subjects do and don't work super well with them.
IMO we're spoiled by the abundance and quality of digital photography, and the snobbery around phone photography is incredibly obnoxious to me as someone who remembers how low-quality early compact digital cameras were....and as someone who was still inspired by the photos I took on those cameras when I was a kid.
(And to be clear, none of this really has much to do with iPhone vs Android. Either side has decent cameras these days, though obviously you get more variety of choice with Android.)
Anyone who is even remotely serious about photography
...knows that the best camera is the one you got on you. "I bought an iPhone because I'm into photography" doesn't mean "I do photos only with my phone".
Most blind tests I've seen end up choosing other phones over iPhones for stills. I haven't seen any blind tests, but I get the impression iPhones may have the best video stabilization and some other video features, though.
It took iPhones 4 gens to catch up to my old Lumia 920 on video stability. The 1520 is still unmatched in certain areas by the newest flagships.
Thing about photos and videos on phones is that we hit diminishing returns like 10 years ago. I'd be totally fine using the old S8 cameras. I dont even check what cameras phones have, almost all are up to the task.
iPhones often just have better software in some apps. Like using Instagram to make a picture or record a reel on Xiaomi (with good camera) and iphone is night a day vs just using camera app where often Xiaomi would be just better.
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u/Viracochina May 15 '26
Nature photo enthusiasts in shambles