There was a time when photography was a bit of a luxury. When you had to buy film for your camera, and you knew you only had 24 shots to take, you would spend ages finding the exact right view on your holiday, or getting your family into just the right group pose. Then you’d take the film to a shop, where you’d return in a few days to collect your prints, hoping they had come out exactly as you’d envisaged them. Quite often, they had not. This is why all of our childhood photos are so embarrassing.

The Rise of the Camera Phone

In the 21^st century, however, photography became essentially free, as with a digital camera we could view and print our own shots without needing the services of a high street photo developer. Later, the cameras included on our phones and tablets became as powerful in many ways as the ones we were buying a few years before as our main cameras, and photography became a huge part of our way of life – now we could take as many pictures as we wanted, and use burst shots to make sure we got just the right one.

These days, people photograph everything. The internet is awash with pictures of peoples’ lunches, their kids at every possible stage in their lives, their cats, and of course, all of those ‘selfies’. While we can still print them and put them in albums, those dusty old books of photos you take out every few years have been replaced by more interactive means of archiving and viewing your pictures, and you can instantly show everybody you know your holiday photo or your new baby without even having to wait until you get home.

Because we always have our phones with us and they give us so many great options for taking pictures, it may seem redundant to actually invest in a standalone digital camera. A camera that isn’t also a web browser, a games console, a portal to all your social networks and an MP3 player seems a little bit boring after all! However, there are still many reasons why if you are serious about taking great pictures, you should still own a proper digital camera.

Why Cameras Are Still Great Gadgets To Own

While if we go by megapixels alone, you can get a very powerful camera if you own a top end phone like an iPhone 5S or a brand new tablet, the megapixel count isn’t everything. You may have noticed that if you compare the pictures produced by two different phones with the same megapixel output, they look very different, the one from the more expensive phone usually demonstrably better. This is because digital photography is still very dependent on things like the quality of the lens and the other hardware, rather than just the software and tech going on underneath.

Because cameras on phones aren’t designed for serious photography, but for video calling and fun, on the fly pictures, this means that they are not the manufacturer or designers’ priority. When you buy a camera that is just a camera, it has been designed purely to take the best possible pictures, so you will be getting better quality and tuning across the board.

Additionally, with a real camera you can apply your own lenses and filters and all of those good things true photographers know about, and use your skill to take the picture you want, rather than taking a mediocre shot and then using photo editing software to make it look good. This can be a lot more satisfying, and you will feel like far less of a fraud when you post your latest selfie if it is a natural picture you took rather than one that has been through several post production filters and enhancements!

Taking Care of Your Camera

Cameras are not cheap, and like most portable gadgets they are a high risk item for theft. For this reason, it is a very good idea when you have chosen and bought your camera, to insure it and any pricey accessories or add ons you have for it. Protect Your Bubble digital camera insurance is one good option, and there are also specialist insurance policies available for professional photographers. These policies will not only cover you against theft, but also damage, and will cover you when you are on holiday (a time when you will almost certainly want your camera with you!).

As well as insuring your camera, make efforts to ensure you don’t leave it anywhere unattended while you are out, and that you carry it in a way that isn’t going to make things easy for pickpockets (don’t simply slip it into a coat pocket where you can’t feel it, or carry it in a bag behind your back).