Will the iPhone help kill digital cameras?

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For photography enthusiasts, one undeniable trend has come to the forefront in 2012: are the days of basic point and shoot cameras and entry-level pocket camcorders numbered thanks to cell phones?

In an article published by the BBC that focuses on American camera sales, it has been reported that, in the first months of 2011, basic point and shoot camera sales fell by about 17% while entry-level pocket camcorder sales took a 13% plunge. The culprit: smart phones, whose cameras are ever-increasing in their capabilities, possibly to the point of equaling dedicated, entry-level photo gear.

So, will 2012 mean doom for cheap cameras and camcorders?

Hardly, if you ask me.


There are several things that make true cameras stand out: better resolution, better AF, more versatile optics (think zoom), external buttons that allow for quick changes to settings, and the laundry list of customizable options that do not appear on any cell phone. In addition, point and shoot cameras can be made to be water, freeze, and crush-proof, too.

For anyone who is serious about taking pictures, any smart phone's user interface is its biggest drawback. On a cell phone, you are forced to dive into menus and scroll around for every single setting change you want to make. On a camera, the basic setting controls are at your fingertips in the form of buttons, no menu diving required. With this vital attribute, someone with a real camera can be snapping a once in a lifetime photo while the smart phone user is scrolling through menus, trying to find the setting he/she wants to change.

In the end, many smart phones have great cameras but lousy user interfaces. Unless you're only wanting the bare bones of photographic applications, namely aim and shoot, it will be wise to hold onto your camera for the time being.