Edit: The point is that a smartphone camera may never compete with a DSLR on quality but its portability and convenience are unparalleled.
Edit: The point is that a smartphone camera may never compete with a DSLR on quality but its portability and convenience are unparalleled.
Just look at all these 'pros' who are promoting iPhone photography: they're lugging all kinds of gear (tripods, cages, lenses) with them to help them make use of the phone. Seems like a small stretch to me to also bring a proper camera instead of a phone.
Sticking with one high quality lens & bringing no accessories helps a lot with the overhead. Pick up a tiny USB battery cradle & reuse your phone charger...
Not recommending my gear choices, just acknowledging I wasn’t getting those results with a 18-55 on a Rebel.
However, I also recently purchased an Olympus OM-D EM5 Mark III because I wanted more control and the ability to take better photos. This is a Micro Four Third's camera, and I think this is really the ideal "middle ground" for getting great shots without the weight of a full-frame mirrorless or DSLR.
It's not quite "pocket" sized, but small enough to throw in my over-the-shoulder bag, and I'll regularly take it on bike rides around the city I live in.
As others have pointed out, the best camera it he one you have with you, and the iPhone does quite well in more and more situations, but if you want the best of both worlds: interchangeable lenses, world class IBIS, full manual control in a small package that won't wear you out after a few hours, the MFT cameras are great.