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Guy at a star party tried to convince me his iPhone 12 could take better astro photos than my $2000 rig
I was out at Cherry Springs State Park last October for the annual star party. This dude walks up to my setup - an 8-inch Celestron on a tracking mount - and says "my phone can capture the Milky Way better than that thing." He pulls out his phone, takes a 5-second exposure, and it's just a blurry mess of light pollution. Then he gets mad and says I must have "rigged the sky" somehow. Some people man. Anyone else run into these phone evangelists at dark sky sites?
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thomasgonzalez18d ago
Bet he wouldn't trade his phone for free dark sky site access though.
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Did he really think you could "rig the sky" or was he just mad his phone couldn't match a scope that costs more than my first car? I've seen guys like this at star parties too, always pulling out their phones like it's some magic trick. The thing is, phones are great for quick snapshots of the moon or a bright planet, but they can't compete with a real setup for deep sky stuff. It's like bringing a pocket knife to a chainsaw competition and then claiming you won because your knife is easier to carry.
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sammartinez17d ago
My neighbor spent $600 on a smart thermostat that tells him when to open his windows instead of just looking at the weather app on his phone. People get so caught up in the idea of having the "right" gear that they forget the actual goal is just seeing the stars or being comfortable. It's the same energy as guys who buy expensive hiking boots but never leave the trailhead parking lot. The phone vs telescope fight is just another example of people caring more about the tool than the result.
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