Dedicated camera, or, iPhone X Plus dedicated to photography ?

[Wallace]

[/QUOTE]I adapted some astronomy software to combine images from several 5MP shots up 20-50 taken millimeters apart..[/QUOTE]

Is what you've described 'focus stacking front-to-back to increase, improve sharpness' ?
https://fstoppers.com/education/how-use-focus-stacking-obtain-sharp-image-front-back-233576

[/QUOTE]But one can achieve anything digitally.
One can truly do a lot with a good smartphone, even pro level work however a DSLR will probably win most battles.[/QUOTE]

I'd read an iPhone X review that brought up its shortcomings as well as the new September phone, ios 12, the price, if a 3rd lens would be released with this version, oh and how the iPhone 8s might be a better choice.
The review team seemed to know what they were writing and justifiably critical. Altogether I began to have doubts about the phone v dslr camera and had a look at the Nikons, the Coolpix A900 in particular because of its size, but I wouldn't go up to a dslr.

Then I came across the https://kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-x.htm site.
Previously I'd used 'Save picture as' to view images, enlarging them in the Photo Viewer and soon seeing pixels.
Ken Rockwell's 'Hawaiian Home' image below in 'full-resolution size' is about 36"x36" .

Seeing Ken's photographs returned my confidence in iPhone over the dslr camera debate.
But I don't think there is a debate really.
By 1933 the Leica III was a well developed 35mm rangefinder camera, some 85 years ago.
The Apple iPhone, and its cameras are a mere 11 years old. I think they separated from the conventional understanding of 'camera' at the time of their introduction and continue to go their own way.

 

[Wallace]

[QUOTE="mlawson71: . . I am such an amateur when it comes to photography . . .[/QUOTE]

When I was google browsing iPhone I came across this book:
'The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas' paperback – Jun 30 2014
No idea if it's good or not, or if it would be useful to you.

Photography like anything else is just a matter of practice, practice, practice until one day you take a photograph and see that you can see.

 

[Wallace]

AAAintheBeltway, I think people presume a larger, more capable camera is necessary, that's just theorizing.

Although I won't use the phone part of the iPhone, the majority of smartphone users and major reason they won't, use a camera, is because they can pass on — broadcast images they shoot to 'everyone' with their phone,
something a camera can't do.

People are buying phones that are equipped with cameras,
there' s no cameras being made that are equipped with phones.

 

[piezoe]

In the final analysis this I think is the limiting factor. pixel density and signal to noise ratio. The pixel density has been constantly going up, but it seems to be reaching a maximum until there is a major breakthrough in technology. If you were to observe the noise to signal ratio plotted against pixels per square area, at some point the noise to signal would begin to increase logarithmically . There is no point in going beyond the pixel density where this occurs. At that point, the maximum number of pixels becomes dependent only on the size of the sensor. With current technology 16 Mega pixels is close to optimum for an APSC sensor, and 24 Megapixels is close to optimum for a full frame (35 mm equiv) sensor. Phone sensors are much smaller than either, and as amazing as the best phone cameras are, sensor size is the limiting factor for a phone camera. Under optimum conditions, i.e. stationary subject, bright light, on a tripod!, where the image will not need to be blown up to very large proportions, phone cameras are wonderful and getting even more wonderful. Under adverse conditions the better digital cameras are needed to get the best image quality possible. There is at least one APSC camera (it's a wonderful camera by the way) that offers 24 Mega pixels. Ive'd looked at it and I think it is right on the verge of diminishing returns and maybe over the verge just a little. The 16 Mega pixel sensor in that same camera might be a little better because the 24 definitely has a little more noise. Same to be said with going to 32 Mega pixels in a full frame. In other words, in my view if you see a phone advertised with 16 or 24 Mega pixels or a full frame with more than 24 (assuming current technology) you're being treated to a gimmick for the sake of sales rather than any significant improvement in image quality. Another factor that can really separate phone cameras from larger format cameras is auto focusing speed. The very fastest are full frame or large format digital. That's why you see sports photographers using these almost exclusively with those huge lenses. If I was going to buy a phone today for its camera, I'd buy an iphone. If I was going to buy a serious camera (apsC on up), one good enough for photojournalism or editorial work, I'd get one of the new mirrorless cameras and not a DSLR, unless I was doing sports photography with long lenses. Then I'd still need a DSLR. Everything is moving to Mirrorless, and in just a few years there will be no more DSLRs made. Probably Fujifilm is still the leader in mirrorless technology, but all the others are nipping at their heels. Mirrorless had to wait for digital displays that can rival traditional optical viewfinders, and now, finally, they are here!!! Looking through one of the new OLED finders you really can't tell your actually looking at a digital display and not through an optical finder. In fact the OLED display may be a tad better!

 

[piezoe]

major reason they won't, use a camera, is because they can pass on — broadcast images they shoot to 'everyone' with their phone,

That's a big part of it and too the convenience since phones are typically smaller and lighter than cameras. And you're always going to have your phone with you. Most of the newest better cameras have wifi, What they lack is good software to make the camera work seamlessly with your phone. That may be coming. Probably the camera manufacturers want it and the phone manufacturers don't, so there is a little hurdle that has to be gotten over. Maybe the camera manufacturers will just bypass phones and start connecting directly with the internet. You can of course download from your camera now, up load to your phone, and send the photo, but its more cumbersome than the couple clicks function on your phone.