Smartphone cameras have improved steadily over the past several years, yet most still lack the key features necessary for serious photographic work, such as high resolution, precision focusing, interchangeable lenses, and the capability to deliver crisp, clear images in almost any situation.
A good stand-alone camera will almost always outperform a smartphone camera, particularly when lighting is poor or objects are very small, far away, or spread widely apart. Once maddeningly complex and intimidating devices, a new generation of smaller, lighter, easier to operate and highly flexible cameras have emerged as excellent choices for lawyers looking to precisely and unambiguously document property damage, medical malpractice, accident claims, product liability, physical assets, and other types of evidence.
CAMERA TYPES — TAKE YOUR PICK(TURE)
Selecting the right camera for serious photographic documentation work requires finding a model that offers the best balance of cost, size and weight, ease of use, and system configuration capabilities.
Digital cameras can be broadly divided into three categories: point-and-shoot, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), and interchangeable-lens compact (ILC) cameras. There are benefits and drawbacks to each type.
Point-and Shoot Cameras
Pocket-sized point-and-shoot cameras are almost as easy to carry and use as a camera-equipped phone. Yet point-and-shoot cameras also share many drawbacks with smartphone cameras, such as poor optics, restricted light sensitivity, and limited user control. Most of these disadvantages can be directly traced to the camera's compact size and low cost. Higher-priced point-and-shoot cameras generally produce better images than entry-level models and give users some limited control over functions. A major drawback is that most point-and-shoot cameras either lack, or have only a poor quality, optical viewfinder. This creates a major handicap when shooting photos outdoors, since bright sunlight shining on an LCD screen may make it difficult or even impossible to properly view and frame a scene.
DSLR Cameras
Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are direct descendants of the film-based 35mm, single lens reflex cameras of the mid- and late-20th century. Like their predecessors, DSLRs feature removable lenses, a reflex mirror that allows live optical viewing through the lens, and sophisticated controls that give users the ability to manually adjust an array of camera settings to meet their own exact needs and preferences.
DSLRs allow users to create high-quality images under almost any shooting condition. Indoors, DSLRs can be connected to sophisticated, multiflash systems that provide even-level illumination across virtually any type of space, eliminating shadows and hot spots. Indoors or outdoors, adjustable settings allow the photographer to raise or lower the image sensor's sensitivity to compensate for various types of lighting conditions. Adjustable shutter speed and aperture (F-stop) settings help photographers prevent blurring and control depth of field (the range of distance in which objects appear acceptably sharp).
High-end DSLRs have "full frame" sensors that cover the same surface area as a 35mm frame of film. Entry-level DSLRs, however, use a smaller and less costly "cropped" APS-C sensor. Since an APS-C sensor has a smaller surface area, recorded images appear cut off (cropped) around the edges when compared with equivalent photos taken with a full-frame camera. Although such cropping can be overcome by using a wide-angle lens or moving farther away from the subject, full-frame cameras generally offer better image quality and more wide-angle options than their cropped siblings.
Whether using a DSLR with a full frame or cropped sensor, it's impossible to understate the importance of having a camera that can accommodate different types of lenses. A wide-angle lens, for instance, allows an entire room and its contents to be included in a single shot. A telephoto lens can bring distant objects into closer view without sacrificing picture quality. With a macro lens, small objects like coins and jewelry can be photographed at extremely high resolutions. With a DSLR, one can select a lens that best suits a particular need rather than having to cope with the compromises imposed by a lens that's built directly into the camera.
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