Wedding Photographer

Maybe there's a germ of something good in this. In that they are beginning to realise that the results from their phone are low quality and they may need to buy a proper camera to get qood (IQ wise) pictures.

Got to be good for the industry and the hobby.

No, I'm afraid not. Most people are only interested in instant results - the moment you mention anything slightly technical or explain any factor that might have gone into creating the shot, they just turn off.

What they want is a new camera-phone that will automatically create the great shots and provide the technical know-how and processing skills with the push of one button.

Yeah, you're probably right.

But if just one or two people listen to what you say and explore further, it makes it worth explaining. Even if most people glaze over.

Good move. You can get drunk, take some adventurous and relaxed candids and have a general good time

Not the case anymore.

I've just been editing a bunch of pics I took a couple of weeks ago, some on my K-5's and some on my Nokia 808 phone. Daylight conditions and just general snaps, but there's very little difference in the IQ for general viewing a computer monitor - say 1600x1200px

Obviously a "proper camera" can do so much more and has much better dynamic range and IS performance, but the days of crappy mobile phone pics has gone now.

Have a look at panoramio and check the EXIFs of the shots. I was suprised that so many decent one's were taken on phones

Smeggy, your points about the IQ differences are very valid, however yet again we are missing the point about what it is that can go into making a great photo equipment-wise.

For example, the classic 'pro-look' that non-photographers often identify as special is the typical portrait headshot with a tiny depth of field behind - this has ben achieved often with a good 'portrait' focal length, fast and high quality lens with all the focussing and metering bells and whistles provided by the sophisticated DSLR attached to it (not the forget the photographers skill in knowing how to use all this stuff).

Or what about the amzaing landscape with the low viewpoint, total massive DOF, great reflection control and colour rendition provided by the top quality lens stopped down to f16 with a polariser on the front, shutter tripped with mirror lock-up to prevent the slightest movement.

Its exactly the same - a mixture of photographer skill and pre-knowledge, plus equipment and technical aspects that you could not apply with a camera-phone, no matter how big its sensor or how many megapixels it has.

I wasn't missing the point at all. I'm fully aware of teh benefits of a proper camera over a phone cam. I'd sell my K-5s if I wasn't

My point was simply that the days of crappy phone cam IQ ( in daylight conditions ) are over. Why do you think compact sales are plummeting?

I was aske donce by someone I worked with - refused in a heartbeat

good decision OP