Photography for RVers - Cameras, Phones, and Drones

[Neal]

I think we all as RVers like to capture our travels for others to see as well as to reflect back on. Both Apple and Google have great systems for photo storage and review. We are also in an era of some amazing photography. I enjoy photography but am far far far from being an authoritative voice on it. I am at a point in my life where when I buy something I try to buy it right once, now, and not have to buy something better again a few years from now (coaches not included). As a techy I'm pretty aware of the phone offerings by Apple and also the Android spectrum. I have an iPhone X and a Samsung Galaxy S10+. The Samsung is used for development so it rarely sees the light of day but I know it has a great camera.

I remember how amazing my Nikon Coolpix 2 megapixel camera looked back in the day when digital was starting to become mainstream. Last year I treated myself to a Nikon D850 (not cheap) but a camera body is one thing, you can spend far more on lenses. It's like a stereo, it's only as good as its speakers. I also got a DJI Mavic 2 Pro which I've enjoyed and finally got the camera dialed in which took a lot of YouTubing to figure out. My prior Phantom 3 Pro took amazing pictures.

But let's focus on "phones" at the moment and what brings me to this post. While @ARD and I were in Albuquerque her iPhone 8+ died. I tried to talk her out of getting a new phone but she forced me to take her to the local Apple store to get a new phone (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Okay, I convinced her she needed a new phone as her 8+ was dying. She got the newest "large" phone, think it's the 11 Pro Max if I recall, or 11 Xs Max - I don't remember. The moral is that phone takes some of the best pictures I have ever seen! She'll text me pictures of her pups or campgrounds and I'm in total awe of the photo quality.

With my iPhone X I'm likely going to jump in on the next round of iPhone presumably iPhone 12. I got in on the larger phone when the 6 came out getting a 6 PLUS and hated it. Everything was two handed on that size phone. I've enjoyed the size of the iPhone X but if the camera in the larger phone is going to be better than the smaller version then I'll likely dive into the larger phone. Supposedly it has a better cellular modem too but I'll defer that to @turbopilot when the time comes.

Nowadays we have a lot of options. Digital SLR (DSLR) cameras like my D850. Now mirrorless are becoming more mainstream like the Nikon Z6 or Z7. And then phones and even tablets which I've never used to take pictures but my recent upgrade to an iPad 12.9 4th Gen has an amazing camera in it.

For the photography enthusiasts around here what's your take on photography equipment. And on that note how has photography been a part of your RV experience?

As mentioned I've enjoyed drone photography as well as it offers another perspective and while RVing it can really be a nice thing to have. The phantom 3 pro I did store under my bed but when I realized how more compact the DJI Mavic 2 Pro was I upgraded to that and sold the Phantom 3 Pro. I actually keep the Nikon and Drone in the same camera bag which works out nice. I even got the DJI Goggles which is interesting! Don't drink before using those!! My desire is to use the drone in places like Alaska to get better pictures of things that want to eat me without being eaten in the process!

Looking forward to your photography opinions on equipment and the RV albums.

 

[Joe Hogan]

I have been watching the Mavic Air 2 with great interest but still waiting to pull the trigger.

 

[Akdare]

I started photography with an SLR back in the 80’s...we travel a lot internationally, and started to go smaller with my camera, as I did not want to be burdened with a heavy camera. My wife’s pics were better with just her phone, than mine. Just recently we both got these. I bought ours on Kickstarter, and were almost a year late in delivery. Used them for the first time on our trip to Australia & New Zealand in January. All I can say is WOW. it basically turns your phone into a DSLR, unlocking settings in your phone that are buried in menus. A real grip for one-handed photography, a shutter button, and a zoom, all conveniently located. Your phone just slips into a spring loaded slot. We love ours.

Pictar Pro / Pictar Pro Charge Smartphone Camera Grip

The world of photography has been dramatically transformed by the rise of smartphones, offering high quality images with unparalleled availability. But while our phones come in sophisticated, slim and slick designs, it’s these designs that make them challenging to hold, deeming their stability...

www.pictarworld.com

 

[Neal]

That reminds me, I completely forgot I bought a DJI Osmo 3 which I see a lot of youtubers using for vlogging, stabilized videos for phones, etc. Haven't used this much yet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RHJ7LWH/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[Skipper N Martha Bishop]

My wife and I upgraded our old iPhone 5s (mine) and her iPhone 6 plus a few months ago to the iPhone 12's. A great upgrade for us. I noticed the DJI Osmo 3 that Neal posted a picture of. I may need one of those as I have to take pictures mostly one handed. I think that thing would help me.

 

[Buc]

My iPhone 11 takes great pictures in most situations. Where it lacks is in low light situations and when a zoom lens would be helpful. Also, my dSLR gives me much better control over in-camera creative effects.