Phone vs Digi Camera

Taking a picture using a digi camera. Image by Piper Lipon.

Two aesthetics are emerging from apps like Instagram and Facebook with two seemingly completely different visuals and vibes. The first aesthetic has developed throughout social media since sharing photos online started; these types of photos usually involve a clear shot with deliberate posing and are achieved on phone cameras usually. The second aesthetic has recently come back into the sphere of the younger generations, a grainier and more candid look most often taken with digital cameras, also known as DigiCams. With these two completely different cameras creating two different styles, it’s hard to tell which one is more preferred by the younger generations.

Most people own an iPhone; their cameras are easily accessible and younger generations such as Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha have been learning how to develop photography skills with their phone camera since they received their first phone, typically from late childhood to early teens. These types of cameras produce crisp images that produce almost a fashion editorial type of shot. The super clear, almost cinematic type shots that one can achieve with a phone camera in comparison to digital cameras also look better when sharing photos with friends, in portfolios and to post on social media. Because of this, many prefer iPhones over digital cameras.

"iPhones are way better than DigiCams. I am not going to spend 100 bucks on another device that takes blurry photos when I can’t take perfectly fine photos on my iPhone. Also, I don’t want to have to relearn how to take photos. I already know how to on my iPhone," said senior Quynh Vu.

DigiCams range anywhere from $60 to $300 in price, causing them to be less accessible than iPhone cameras as they are less common to find on individuals. Digital cameras produce moody and vintage images, utilizing how the camera’s visual static interacts with highlights and shadows to produce more candid, emotional and retro-style shots that capture the moment rather than the model. These cameras are better if you want the photo to feel like a memory, to see the moment as if it just occurred. Phone cameras are easy to take a quick snapshot with, but digitaal cameras in comparison make the photo feel more meaningful and memorable.

"I like digital cameras more. They have better quality and more features to customize the photo without it feeling filtered. Digital cameras also feel way more special than a phone camera, it feels like a memory trapped in a picture instead of just another random photo," said junior Kate Chang.

iPhones and digital cameras produce two completely different vibes and aesthetics, iPhones have been utilized now for years and are more widely available than any other photographical device, but digital cameras have been gaining wide popularity due to their more intimate and personalized feelings that they bring to the photos. Both are great ways to capture a moment.