I recently wrote an article explaining how the iPhone 14 Pro replaced my pro camera in some cases, I was wondering, is my phone actually technically better than my DSLR. where am i? Turns out there are a lot of features that I wish the camera had.
After spending a lot of time taking pictures with my phone, I’ve found myself giving up carrying my camera around completely for regular photography. This is exactly what I did, and I’m happier than ever. I take more pictures than ever before and I also have more fun doing it. There are many reasons why I do this, if you are interested in the whole problem read the article related to it. It’s mostly hardware related, however, there are software features that I just wish the big camera had. It will make photography so much more fun and better.
AirDrop
I hate to admit it, but I absolutely love Apple’s ecosystem. The connectivity between all devices is second to none. The fact that I can use AirDrop to send so many pictures from one device to another is probably one of my favorite features. It’s quite funny that it takes longer to do it over the lightning cable. If I want to quickly edit a photo I’ve taken on my phone and I happen to be with my laptop, I just AirDrop the photo and it’s ready to go. This also works when sharing in place.
Let me tell you, there have been many times when I have been asked to share a photo I just took at an event. Since each event could easily have at least 100 people in need of such a service, it is easy to lose track of it. However, how much easier would it be to be able to share images directly from the camera to people’s phones? Implementing a feature similar to AirDrop would be a game changer for millions of photographers worldwide.
Computer photography
While the hardware in the iPhone has remained largely unchanged, the software has evolved a lot. I mean, you can only improve so many things per year in terms of hardware. But smartphone software has allowed people to take advantage of every possible possibility from the hardware. From enhancements to post-production to artificial depth of field, to a multitude of underappreciated features, computational photography is the future of image making.
I can only begin to imagine what possibilities will open up as soon as camera companies start introducing computerized photography to their devices. If something as basic as a smartphone can do remarkable things, then the camera will really take it to the next level. That said, it takes a lot of work and investment to build such technology. It’s unlikely that camera companies have such R&D potential. One of the ways to do this is by announcing partnerships with larger electronics corporations like Google, Samsung or Apple. Users will go crazy if Canon announces that they are partnering with Apple and bringing a large number of their features to the camera. While I’m sure there are negative business consequences to this, the end-user experience is much better.
AirTag (Broadband) Technology
One of the reasons I bought the Apple Watch was that I kept losing my phone on set. The same can be said about the new AirPods. After putting them on the keychain, I never forgot the keys at home or elsewhere. I can only wish similar technology could somehow be implemented into camera bodies, computers, and even lamp stands. This will make finding and locating items on set much easier. If you’ve ever looked for that 24-70mm on set, you know what I’m talking about. The camera has built-in GPS, making it easy to track the location of the image. If only the technology behind devices like AirTag is standard and can be installed in any device. The great thing about AirTag and the whole broadband technology behind it is that there is an ecosystem. Being able to add your expensive camera to that ecosystem will only help keep track of it. 
Take photos remotely with Smartphone/Smartwatch
When I bought the Apple Watch, I got it because I kept losing my phone and stopwatch on set. But then, as soon as I started to get used to it, I absolutely fell in love with the device. Everything from sleep tracking, workout tracking, to remote shutter. Remote shooting with a smartphone is currently possible through a dedicated app, but let me be clear here, the connection at best is barely usable. For example, the famous Canon Camera Connect works half the time and the other half doesn’t. Meanwhile, Profoto has developed an Apple Watch remote shutter for their camera app, and that’s great for them!
It’s hard to believe that companies like Capture One, Adobe, or camera companies actually develop apps that allow them to control their devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. In my opinion, nothing is impossible. If Apple can do so well with watches and phones, why can’t Canon?
Stop thinking
Connectivity seems to be the biggest issue for me, as sharing images is more important than ever. Looking back on my photojournalism days, I wish I had features like AirDrop and remote photography, as well as an easy-to-use internet connection to share my work. This eliminates the problem of having to remove the memory card, bring in additional equipment such as a laptop, edit the images on it, and then upload them to the customer. When all that matters is whether or not I shoot, nobody really cares if it’s not color graded or edited all together. This is why you can easily see poor quality images on the title, cover and other places. It’s simply more about the content of the image than it is about the number of megapixels the photo has. Connectivity seems to be important not only in camera technology but also in lighting. Now you can only improve so much in terms of hardware; Software is the next big thing. The better the software, the better the user experience.
