Mobile Photography Has Overtaken Entry Level DSLRs: Is That Good or Bad?

[AnthonyCribb]

The computational photography in flagship phones now produces results that would have required several thousand pounds of camera equipment five years ago. Night mode on modern phones outperforms entry level DSLRs in low light. Portrait mode does what a wide aperture lens does at fraction of the cost. The democratisation is real. Billions of people have access to high quality photography tools in their pocket. But something is also lost. The intentionality of choosing settings. The discipline of a fixed prime lens. The understanding of light that comes from working around limitations. Is the best camera always the one you have with you or is there value in the constraint that less capable cameras impose?