With a tiny camera like the Fujifilm X-M5, you can take it anywhere and come back with professional quality results, both stills and video. Photo by Tegan Phillipa.

Have you wondered why some of the images you see posted on social media look so much better than the photos or video you’ve taken with your phone? The secret could be these photographs were not taken with a phone, but with a ‘proper’ camera.

There are many reasons professional photographers and bloggers choose to use a mirrorless camera instead of their phone. First and foremost is image quality. Mirrorless cameras have a physically larger sensor which translates into a better quality image. Note, we’re not talking about the number of pixels (e.g. 20-megapixels or 48-megapixels). Some phones have just as many pixels as the larger mirrorless cameras, but their pixels are squeezed onto tiny sensors the size of your little fingernail and image quality suffers.

In comparison, a mirrorless camera has a physically larger sensor which means the pixel sites can also be larger and capture more photons of light, resulting in much better image quality.

You might think the photo quality on your phone looks pretty good, but you’ve already noticed that some of the photos you see on the internet and social media look better than yours! This is the quality difference we’re talking about and it’s much more obvious when you’re shooting indoors or in low-light situations. You’ll also find your video quality is much better with a larger sensor.

Now, just because you need a larger sensor, doesn’t mean the camera has to be big as well! For example, all the Fujifilm X series cameras are small and lightweight, yet far more versatile than a phone camera. They have access to a wide range of interchangeable lenses and this is yet another way professional bloggers ensure their photos stand out from the rest.

We’re not suggesting you give up your phone camera, rather that you pick and choose the times a proper camera is going to give you the edge in a congested social media world.