2026-07-09 –, 226
Lately I've been using my cellphone for cave photography more often than I use my digicam and strobe setup. As cellphones improve, many cavers are taking quality cave photos without large investments in equipment. This talk examines the pros and cons of cellphone use over standard digital cameras and discusses some common pitfalls.
On the pro side, cellphone photography with LEDs is far faster than working with strobes. The kit required is lighter, less bulky, and more readily deployed. A cellphone may include a macro, wide angle, and telephoto lens all in the same unit. Lighting can be as simple as using other cavers' headlamps. Cellphones offer features such as night capture, automatic HDR, ever-larger sensors, and the ability to review your capture on a large screen. The physics of cellphone optics mean you can shoot at a full open aperture while realizing a far greater depth of field (DOF) than would be realized on a longer lens to sensor distance. This allows for handheld shots that would be problematic on a standard digicam. Many cameras have sensors that afford resolution of 50 mp or more, typically only seen on very high end digicams.
Cons include mismatched color temperature of light sources, use of one's headlamp in line with the camera, lack of an optical zoom on the lenses, and inability to stop down the lens for increased DOF. For large areas a means to steady the camera is crucial compared to a strobe & slave system.
Dave Bunnell