With a larger sensor, you don't have to compress the image as much, so you can record more detail per unit of area.
If you take two pictures of the same scene, one with a small sensor, and the other with a larger sensor, the geometric difference is apparent.
Scale a 5 meter tree down to the size of a phone's sensor, and you're having to tightly pack the detail of the tree, to something smaller than your fingernail.
But shrink that same tree onto a bigger sensor, or a sheet of 4x5 film, and you don't compress the tree as much.
We don't notice the shortcomings of phone sensors until we try to print the photos. They don't enlarge very well. Printing an 8x10 from a cellphone is challenging, and the grain and imperfections are magnified.
But you can enlarge that piece of film to 8x10 no problem, and the detail is astounding.
If you only look at phone pictures on a phone, then they look very nice, and a piece of 4x5 film is bigger than some phone screens. There are more silver crystals (pixels) in the film than there are pixels in your phone screen, so you can't appreciate the total detail of film on a small phone either.
The thing to consider is choosing the sensor or the film size based on how you want to display the image. Then you pick the best camera for the situation, considering cost, convenience, usability, etc.
I have worked a lot of different analog film cameras and digital ones, and I've noticed that most cameras can take great pictures. You end up paying more for usability and quality. Pro bodies have dedicated buttons and whatnot, so you can accomplish what you need, very quickly.
A touch-screen camera with pure software controls is never going to be for pros, but, cell phones have their moments of better performance for getting the job done.
A cellphone camera is like a piano that plays chords but not individual notes as far as usability. A manual camera lets you do what you want and make up new chords.
Hope that clarifies the image sensor aspect. Aperture helps, but it can never make up for the constraints of the sensor.
> Printing an 8x10 from a cellphone is challenging, and the grain and imperfections are magnified.
Have you verified this personally or seen any data on this? I find this claim very hard to believe. I make several 24x36 prints in a year (albeit from APS-C and FF sensors, but sometimes heavily cropped) and 8x10 is a tiny size that should not present a challenge for any modern cellphone's sensor.
I've used online printing for my cell phone, even pictures from latest iPhones, and they look grainy at 4x6 or 5x7. Maybe it's just a poor printing service. But I spend a lot of time on my computer looking at photos, and the cell phone pics don't look as good. I think some rigorous testing would be a very fun project.
I have been meaning to shoot a roll of ISO 16 film, the CMS20 II by Adox. They claim it can resolve up to 500MP of details.
Would be great to compare to results to full frame with adapted film lens.
If you take two pictures of the same scene, one with a small sensor, and the other with a larger sensor, the geometric difference is apparent.
Scale a 5 meter tree down to the size of a phone's sensor, and you're having to tightly pack the detail of the tree, to something smaller than your fingernail.
But shrink that same tree onto a bigger sensor, or a sheet of 4x5 film, and you don't compress the tree as much.
We don't notice the shortcomings of phone sensors until we try to print the photos. They don't enlarge very well. Printing an 8x10 from a cellphone is challenging, and the grain and imperfections are magnified.
But you can enlarge that piece of film to 8x10 no problem, and the detail is astounding.
If you only look at phone pictures on a phone, then they look very nice, and a piece of 4x5 film is bigger than some phone screens. There are more silver crystals (pixels) in the film than there are pixels in your phone screen, so you can't appreciate the total detail of film on a small phone either.
The thing to consider is choosing the sensor or the film size based on how you want to display the image. Then you pick the best camera for the situation, considering cost, convenience, usability, etc.
I have worked a lot of different analog film cameras and digital ones, and I've noticed that most cameras can take great pictures. You end up paying more for usability and quality. Pro bodies have dedicated buttons and whatnot, so you can accomplish what you need, very quickly.
A touch-screen camera with pure software controls is never going to be for pros, but, cell phones have their moments of better performance for getting the job done.
A cellphone camera is like a piano that plays chords but not individual notes as far as usability. A manual camera lets you do what you want and make up new chords.
Hope that clarifies the image sensor aspect. Aperture helps, but it can never make up for the constraints of the sensor.