Are stand-alone digital cameras becoming obsolete?

A mirrorless camera delivers comparable speed and image quality but is smaller, lighter and less bulky. It allows you to control focus; shutter speed; aperture, the size of the lens opening

through which light passes; and sensitivity to light, just like the manual controls of a DSLR. And most support interchangeable lenses. Your comfort level with the device is paramount,

Bernabe says. You don’t get a second chance to capture that magic moment, whether it’s a grandchild’s first steps or getting that once-in-a-lifetime shot of a whale breaching. THE CASE FOR

CAMERAS Though smartphone photography has improved, a stand-alone camera remains better, mainly because a smartphone’s tiny sensor, which interprets data the lens captures, can’t take in as

much detail, including light, as larger sensors in stand-alone cameras. BETTER ZOOM FUNCTIONALITY. When you can’t physically get closer to your subject, such as a bird in a tree, you need to

zoom in for a closer look. Smartphone cameras often try to digitally zoom in by adding extra pixels, dots, to the image to simulate what it’s like to get closer. But nothing looks as good

as a photo taken with a true optical zoom lens that protrudes from the front of the camera. The ability to switch lenses that DSLR and many mirrorless cameras have allow you to change from

telephoto for crisp shots from far away to wide angle to capture big landscapes such as the Grand Canyon to fisheye for special effects to macro for really close-up shots. DURABILITY. Some

smartphones are waterproof, but you certainly shouldn’t go swimming with your smartphone on a snorkeling adventure. Many inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras are what their manufactures call

adventure proof, so they can be fully submerged in water. Some even come in bright colors, such as orange or green, so you can keep track of them easily while shooting underwater. Often,

these rugged cameras are freeze proof for use when skiing and snowboarding, as well as drop and shock proof, so they can withstand being dropped from fairly high up. Can your phone handle

this? STORAGE. Stand-alone cameras use removable memory cards, so you’ll never run out of internal storage like you might on a smartphone. Prices of memory cards have dropped considerably

over the years, too, and the amount of storage has increased. When you use your smartphone to take photos and shoot video, it eats both storage and battery life. A stand-alone camera comes

with its own battery, so you’re not risking or depleting your smartphone’s power.