Hello, there.
Recently I have been obsessed with Netflix's new show Wednesday, a story about an outcast among outcasts whose world view doesn't allow for emotional influences over her rational, albeit extreme, thoughts. And Wednesday, who was supposedly allergic to color, being scolded with the line "the world isn't black and white" struck a chord with me. The irony, the timing, and the meaning behind the line resonated with what I had been struggling with these past few weeks, which is writing this entry.
In October, I pretty much completed my PhD research and was looking forward to a much-deserved vacation to Langkawi. I was excited to travel again after the pandemic and after the year I had gone through. So, to mark such an auspicious return to traveling, I contacted Sony Malaysia with an idea for a collaboration by pitching a simple premise: "Cameras vs smart phones for travel photography". Despite such a simple premise, proving either case was not.
I was about to wake a sleeping giant.
Shot on Sony a7C + Sony FE 50mm F2.5G
I believe that art in any form requires utmost respect and some level of dedication. This stems from how I had been exposed to art throughout the years. But photography, unlike most other forms of art, has too much of a focus on the tool rather than the artist. Photography among even the most casual shooters relies too much on technical specifications, settings, rules, and guides; and it is these aspects of photography that I have been happy to leave behind these past few years not dealing with camera reviews. It is so cumbersome to have to worry about doing the right thing instead of just creating something.
However, concern for the technical comes with the territory, especially when partnering with a company like Sony. Even when I was excited to receive the Sony a7c along with its kit lens and a 50mm prime, I knew in the back of my mind, I would often be preoccupied with the technical aspects of shooting. Frankly, it has more to do with how I have been taking pictures all these years and not because I had a camera in hand.
Once I was on trip and had the camera with me, everything I had expect to happen happened. I suddenly remembered why I hadn't done reviews or even photo shoots in so long. The anxiety of getting the perfect composition, perfect moment, perfect setting, perfect light, perfect... everything came rushing back in an instant. I was engrossed in the settings, taking one photo, checking the settings, taking it again, adjusting again, taking again, chimping, and then finally taking a few more just in case. Of course, everything was shot in RAW so the settings weren't the most important thing, but again, I just lost myself in them. The first night at Langkawi was just me fiddling with the camera and trying my best to feel comfortable holding a camera again after so long.
I actually had to "warm up" before taking photos because I was so out of practice
Shot on Sony a7C + Sony FE 50mm F2.5G
The next day we headed out to our island hopping trip. I was trying to get into the mindset of "shoot first, think later" a la Maverick in Top Gun. From the moment I woke up, I was still struggling with getting out of my rut of constantly worrying about settings and perfection, right until we arrived at the jetty to get on our boat. I saw the sun, the light, and the sky and instantly thought, "ISO 100, 1/250, f/5.6." And that's when I stopped thinking and began seeing.
Shot on Sony a7C + Sony FE 50mm F2.5G
Throughout the rest of the trip, I would look at things through a 50mm lens - my favorite focal length. I was thrilled to see my framing, focusing, and timing still intact. The a7c turned out to be a delightful camera to work with on my trip, what with its compact form factor, responsive dials and buttons, and comfortable grip. Although I asked for two lenses, I always knew I would commit to the 50mm.
Some cinematic gems
Shot on Sony a7C + Sony FE 50mm F2.5G
All that being said, why would I even doubt that I needed a camera for travel photography? Well, because recently I had just upgraded my dead iPhone X to an iPhone 14 Pro. And let me tell you, it is a dream machine.
Shot on iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 Pro offers four different focal lengths, three of which are optical zooms, which means full resolution photos instead of crops. There is the 0.5x 12mm equivalent, 1x 24mm equivalent, 2x 48mm equivalent crop, and 3x 72mm telephoto equivalent. All these in a single phone chugging out 12-48MP RAW files? What more could I need? Not to mention, 4K 30fps maximum for videos (which should be out some time in the future) and a 128GB storage capacity. With a smart phone in my pocket that does literally everything, the necessity of a camera became increasingly trivial. On top of that, the iPhone 14 Pro completely negates the necessity of most point-and-shoot cameras, which would be my absolute go-to.
Of course, remember that we are still talking within the context of non-work travel photography. But have we really arrived at a point where even the most staunch supporter of actual cameras would concede that they aren't needed anymore?
And that's where that line from Wednesday hit me. The world isn't in black and white, and a unanimous decision on whether a camera or phone is crucial for travel photography is in itself unnecessary. Having both is best for different situations, but having either is also enough for taking photos. In my opinion, I would have enjoyed my trip just as much as a I did and would have brought back the same memories even without the Sony a7c. Maybe the photos wouldn't be as high quality image-wise, but the value of a photo isn't in its resolution or detail; it is in the memories you immortalize in them. Whether the photo comes from a Sony a7c or a smart phone camera, as long as there is a photo to remember the moment, you're all set.
From the looks of the photos in this entry, it is quite obvious how the "feel" of the photos changes from one medium to another. While on the Sony a7c, the photos lean more towards a more methodical, timed, and well-thought-out type while on the iPhone, the photos are more instantaneous, in the moment, and natural. But they all follow the general rules of photography like composition, lighting, and geometry. But this is merely anecdotal more than anything. Bottom line is, a good photographer would always strive to take good photos, regardless of their weapon of choice.
Shot on iPhone 14 Pro
Shot on Sony a7C + Sony FE 50mm F2.5G
Don't get me wrong, there are some shots that were only possible with a camera like the Sony a7c, especially the more fleeting moments and lighting with high dynamic range. But really, I'm not trying to impress anyone with my travel photos. I'm there to be with my family and friends, and to forget about the stuff that stresses me. And that's what you should do, too.
Feel this moment
Shot on iPhone 14 Pro
Immense appreciation goes to Sony Malaysia for providing me with the Sony a7c along with the FE 50mm F2.5G and FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 for this editorial entry. I am still collecting material for a full review so that will be posted some time soon. All photos were shot in RAW, where the Sony a7c photos were edited by my brother Fariq (@qirafyosman) while the photos from the iPhone 14 Pro were edited by me.
Thanks for dropping by. Until next time.
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