Camera -vs- Phone for Digiscoping

Camera -vs- Phone for Digiscoping, Which is better?

Advancements in cell phone cameras warrants a discussion. Cameras have an advantage in sensor size, but cell phone technology has dramatically improved in the past five years. Multiple cameras, fast lenses and software processing  improvements have all taken cell phone image quality to a new level.

These images were digiscoped at the same time, the one on the right is with an  iPhone and the one on the left with a Micro 4/3 format camera.

There is more to image quality than just sensor size and pixel count. I am only a professional photographer and not an optical engineer but I have noticed a vast improvement between my iPhones when I upgrade them in both image  quality and autofocus capability.

Photographers scoff at using a cell phone but then they scoffed when I showed them the first digital DSLR I bought for Lockheed 20 years ago.  It was a 6 megapixel camera and cost $30,000. It had limitations over film but look where we are today. Cell phones take way more photos today than cameras. I too ridiculed camera phones until I attached my 6S+ to my Kowa 883 spotting scope one fateful day. The slo mo capability that phones offer is most impressive but regular 4K video and still photos rock also. Cell phones will only keep getting better.

(https://www.dxomark.com/disruptive-technologies-mobile-imaging-taking-smartphone-cameras-next-level/)  DXOMark has some excellent articles on just how good cell phone Cameras are today. Highly recommend taking a little time to read.