iPhone 4 began shipping in 2011. The is when I recall people using the term "Good enough" with smartphones. Subsequent iPhone and other smartphone improvements would see integrated lens camera sales decline as the chart indicates.



Part of a larger story on the Nikon B600 lasting only 8 months on the market [fstoppers.com]

---

Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]

Too bad in a way, maybe not. My wife bought a Coolpix S70 for me a year before we got our first iPhones, the 4S. The Coolpix with a touch screen has been in a box ever since. We have a friend who keeps buying cheap used point and shoots whenever they die, won't get a smart phone because, well, they're evil, right? Maybe I'll send her the S70.

The best camera is the one you have.

Quote
jonny
The best camera is the one you have.

This was proven by the Canon Digital Elph series. 2 megapixels but enough for most. Super thick by modern standards, but fit in your pocket.

The iPhone 4 took this to another level and was a massive leap over the 3GS.

I had have an iP4 and took many photos with it. It sucks as a camera. In many ways a setback from the original iPhone.

Yes, on paper it looks to be better but in execution, the color and contrast curves of the iPhone 4 were, in a single word: BAD.

The original iPhone's color and contrast were fantastic considering the rudimentary sensor it was saddled with, and Apple found its way eventually as the iPhone 4s' color and contrast were hugely improved, see camera reviews of the time for good examples.

I had purpose-set workflows in Photoshop and later in Pixelmator to fix as much of this as possible in post. Still a crappy band-aid option after the fact, when this could have been fixed in *software* on the phone. Which got regular software updates. But it never was.

Lame.

Isn't this pretty much common knowledge?

---

It is what it is.

In the years before the iPhone not many people carried a camera. Even compact point and shoots. (Asians are another story). Dads had cameras for vacations, and there's always 2 people with cameras at an office party. 5-6 people had cameras at a wedding. But the vast majority of people didn't carry cameras on an everyday basis. Now, everyone and their grandmother has a camera in their pocket. It's rare that an adult DOESN'T have a camera in their pocket nowadays. I've seen homeless people living on the street in NYC with camera cell phones.

---

Quote
d4
In the years before the iPhone not many people carried a camera. Even compact point and shoots. (Asians are another story)...

haha - had to laugh at this...I've been carrying a camera around everywhere since sometime in 1986, at first a tiny Ansco 50 110 that I got for free by sending in a couple of boxtops from Kix cereal, then later a Casio Exilim EX-S2 (which I finally sold about a year ago for $175); and, yes, I'm Asian : )

on a sidenote - I was very glad to have that Ansco; over a year after my Mother died unexpectedly in 1993, I had the film developed (once the roll was used up) that was in it and discovered some shots that I had taken of her during one of her visits to San Diego to see myself and my Sister. I had forgotten about taking them, and it was a pleasant surprise when they showed up in the set of photos.

While walking my dog around sunrise a few months ago I'd pass a guy, probably homeless, sitting on the sidewalk charging his phone at the outlet on the side of a church.

I am about ready to pull out my old Canon Powershot to take pictures of furniture and STUFF in the house for insurance records and to give to the kids so they know what is valuable (relatively) and what has family history.

The rise of Facebook seemed to burn hot in 2009. It was easier to post the phone pics than it was point to shoot pics. The camera was built into the app. Then Instagram and all of it's pandora's box cousins.

I'd like to try out the new GR IIIx for a pocket solution with better control than any phone. But I'm just not that into any of it to spend $1000 to find out.