Do I need a professional camera for social media is a ridiculously common question, and the straight answer is NO.

As smartphones get more sophisticated, their cameras are now very good for recording video, sound, and taking HD photos for all of your social needs; you just need to know how to use them.

Advantages of your smartphone camera

Chances are the mobile phone you use every day is the perfect tool for your posts and can actually keep everything all usefully in one place instead of across multiple devices. New smartphones have the ability to alter the resolution and recording quality of your video and photos. Some even have a manual mode like professional cameras, making it super easy to get the exact finish you want. What’s more, your phone can download super-useful editing software/apps such as Snapseed, Lightroom, iMovie, InShot, etc. This means your image gallery, editing software, AND the social media apps you post them to are all on one device and so easy to sort and post!

Disadvantages of your smartphone camera

To be totally honest, smartphone cameras are good but don’t be disappointed if your final product never ends up being as good as it is in the adverts (spoiler alert: this is because they commonly do not use the actual phone cameras behind the scenes). Yes, some smartphone cameras are insanely good for something that fits flat in your pocket, but in my experience, I am yet to find one even close to my Canon 90D.

Advantages of a professional camera

As a photographer, I am going to tell you why a professional camera makes all the difference.

Camera companies such as Canon or Nikon make some truly incredible technology and this can instantly be noticed when taking photos or videos. When it comes to professional cameras, you can definitely see the quality difference. Plus there is a large amount of customisation that you can do with a professional camera compared to a mobile device.

Disadvantages of a professional camera

That said, you do end up paying the price for all this gear. Most good cameras are not cheap and it does take a fair amount of research to know which camera would be best for your needs. This can mean that a lot of people stray away from breaking their bank account just for their Instagram or Facebook.

As an individual with both a camera and a smartphone, I would choose to use my camera for posts as this is what I am comfortable with and a hobby I have been pursuing for years. But if you are someone who just has the latest edition iPhone or Android (that is, no older than 4-5 years) then I would totally recommend you use your phone camera if you deem it good enough. I would say only use a professional camera if you have one, but I would not recommend you to buy a whole new system for your socials if that is all you would be using it for. After all, it will set you back a fair amount of money and chances are, that tech glued to your hand will do just what you need it to!

For more advice about creating content for your social media page, get in touch with FINALLY today.