Do I really need a camera?

[timsueshd]

I own a Sony 5100 camera, its not as big as a regular SLR, but it doesn’t just fit in a pocket either.

So with all the Disney photographers and my own cell phone (Galaxy 6), do you think I need to bring my camera. And I don’t want to carry a backpack!

Thanks for you input.

 

[Robo]

If your phone is relatively new, it can likely take photos that look as good as a stand-alone camera.

The mirror-less Sony will offer better features and higher resolution (and a far more versatile lens, I assume) but under many conditions, a decent phone camera can nearly match it for
"theme park" vacation photos.

 

[JasonMouse]

It depends on what kind of pictures you want, and how much you enjoy taking photos or video. Your phone is probably fine to get some more candid shots that the PhotoPass guys are not going to get -- those are all going to be standing and posing and smiling. Gag me! I wouldn't take a bigger camera if it's going to be bothersome. I love taking photos and video, so I take a little sling bag with my little Sony RX100M4 in there.

 

[CarrieR]

What will you use your vacation photos for afterwards?

If you'll scroll through on your phone, post of FB, maybe print a couple - phone is fine.

If you want family pics framed on the wall, take the good camera.

 

[kenthanson]

No you don't, there are so many disney photographers that getting a good pic isn't hard at all from one of them, plus it will have everyone in it if you are doing a group shot. I'm very light in the park, I have my MB, phone and a watch...that's it, if it doesn't fit in my pockets I don't need it.

 

[magical-me]

Depends on the phone. I usually just use an iPhone augmented with a Moment wide angle or telephoto lens with a mini manfrotto tripod. It’s light and easy to use in the moment. But if I had spare cash i’d get a Canon G7 point and shoot.. it’s great for vlogging.


I might bring my old d90 the next time tho... wanna take good quality close ups of the parades and shows lol

 

[hakepb]

Outdoor, daytime pictures will be good with the cell phone, and specific character meet and greets would have Photopass.

But indoor character meals are more challenging for the smaller sensors of phones.

If you just have the kit lens, you probably are not gaining much vs the phone. With a faster, wide prime or wide angle zoom, the a5100 offers a lot of options. You could consider bringing the camera and leave it in the room safe if you don’t like carrying it, or only want it certain days. (Other photographers do that for extra lenses)

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If you don't want to bring it then don't bring it.
Of course you don't need it.
Heck even my parents who used to bring giant heavy professional style camera and video camera only use their phones now a days. Never thought I'd see the day lol.

 

[fla4fun]

I struggled with this while packing for my trip this month. I have a Canon SL1, which is a very small DSLR. It takes great photos, and my phone is a little older and doesn't take photos of anywhere near the same quality. I have a couple compact pancake lenses that actually make my DSLR lighter in weight than my point and shoot I used to use. It's so light I can forget I'm wearing it.

The thing is, I've taken TONS of photos at WDW with the camera. Ride photos. Park photos. Resort photos. You name it, I've snapped it. My laptop is overloaded with WDW photos!

The weather forecast is a little rainy, which means I probably would not want to take the good camera to the parks every day. Plus there is so much construction going on right now, that I don't need photos of. So I decided not to bring the camera on my January trip. I may take my iPod into the park with me, as it has a better camera than my phone does, just in case I come across something interesting.

I make this decision each trip based on the criteria for that trip. When I go in August, I anticipate that Toy Story Land will be open at DHS, and I will want good photos, so I will be taking the camera on that trip. I took the camera on my December trip to get photos of the Christmas decorations as well. I just don't think it's needed on this particular trip.

You don't need to bring your camera. It just depends on whether you feel you will want photos other than the Photopass and phone photos, and whether your phone is up to the challenge of taking photos everywhere you might want to.

 

[mom2rtk]

Nobody here knows how much you value the photos after your trip.

Nobody here knows if you just post a few online or if you print a nice photo book or if you just glance at them once and move on.

Nobody knows here if blown highlights or a little motion blur will drive you crazy later.

I bring my full frame DSLR because I value the photos later and do things with them. And because blown highlights and motion blur drive me crazy. Others are more than happy with whatever cell phone camera they have.

I like bringing my DSLR so I can control the flash, so I can control depth of field, so I can play with on ride photography and so I can take high quality low light photos.

My daughter's iphone 7 takes very nice photos. It really doesn't do those things though. It really is a very personal and variable decision.

 

[KenHutch]

There are a lot of photographers in the parks and I average over 1000 pictures a trip (last trip 1400) with them. That being said I always take my Sony camera with me, please don't laught to hard but on our last 10 day trip I took slightly over 15,000 pictures. In my case when I am in a standby line I don't get bored I take pictures. And do I look at them yes I do. I have pictures from our 1st trip 3400 pictures to the latest. I set them up on my desktop as a random screen saver. And I can tell the difference between a camera and a phone camera.

 

[hsmamato2]

for most pictures, your phone is great. My only reason for carrying my little 'extra' camera is the super long zoom lens so I can take pics of things from far away.(it's a great little camera) otherwise I'd just use a phone,it's optimized for easy good photos.

 

[TwinkleKS]

If you don't go to the parks often or if you love taking photos or if you are a big photo album person then take your own camera. I used to haul one around all of the time, especially when my kids were smaller, but now we go at least once a year, so I just rely on what I can get with my phone and what shows up on my Magic Band.

 

[Amy11401]

For those of you who bring your camera to the parks, do you just take it along with you on the rides?

 

[timsueshd]

Thank you for all of your replys. I decided to bring my Nikon AW120 instead of my Sony a5100. It is smaller, waterproof, takes good pictures and will fit in my crossbody.

 

[mom2rtk]

For those of you who bring your camera to the parks, do you just take it along with you on the rides?

You really have to take it on rides unless you want to monkey with running back and forth to a locker, which I don't want to do. I actually have it out taking pictures on almost all rides.

 

[Snowy_pvb]

as a professional photographer I say, no you don't need one... a phone works just fine. However, the tourist in me always makes me pack my 5D3 and 70-200.... and yes I do take it on rides.

 

[sunflowerfields]

We got the photo pass or memory maker (whatever the correct name is now), but also took a point and shoot camera. I don't have a cell phone to use. Mine is a Canon power shot, just slightly bigger than a wallet size photo. Very light weight and I think it takes really great pictures. The first trip I took my great big camera and I hated lugging it around my neck all day. I love the photos Disney takes, but they can't take the candid ones of my family that are just as important to me.

 

[tellemarie]

As a photographer I've always brought my dslr, but this past trip I decided to experiment with just bringing my phone because of the new rule about electronics bigger than a cell phone having to be taken out of bags at the TSA check points. I had the iPhone 7 plus at the time and I am SO happy with how well my shots came out, even some night shots. I've had one printed onto an acrylic wall mount at 11x14 and it looks fabulous. Very little (if any) pixelation, colors look great (I do still edit them afterwards, just like I would with my dslr), and all the little details are still there.

I've purchased some lenses from Moment for my phone (a wide angle and telephoto) and don't think I'll be traveling to WDW with my main camera for a while since we've already been so often. I now have the iPhone X which has an even better camera than my 7 did. I don't regret not bringing my camera at all and it let me travel even lighter than I already did before!

 

[Summer2018]

I own a Sony 5100 camera, its not as big as a regular SLR, but it doesn’t just fit in a pocket either.

So with all the Disney photographers and my own cell phone (Galaxy 6), do you think I need to bring my camera. And I don’t want to carry a backpack!

Thanks for you input.

I used my phone on our last trip. No need for a bulky camera.