Choosing a Smartphone with Canvas Prints in Mind

Once you see the advantages of taking your photos and turning them into gorgeous canvas prints (or, why not, metal prints, acrylic prints, or even glass prints), there’s a moment of excitement as you think through the possibilities. In the past we had to rely on professionals and the cost they tacked onto their efforts for the simplest things – if you wanted a professionally produced piece of canvas art for your walls for that ultimately classy look, you had to find someone who had the skills to create not just the canvas but the photo itself. But today you have the power with your smartphone and online canvas prints to take care of this on your own.

But that revelation leads to the next question: If you’re going to decorate your home or office (or both) with your own beautiful canvas prints of your photography, how can you ensure you get the best-quality photos to work with? After all, a gorgeous canvas print might be wasted if the photo chosen is grainy or the colours aren’t vibrant. To get the best photos to print on canvas, you have to start with the phone you’re using.

Photo to Canvas: What to Look For

First of all, you need to know what to even look for in a camera. The cameras included in smartphones are getting better and better, and it’s possible to get a perfectly good camera that can produce canvas-worthy photos without spending too much money. Here are three things to look for when evaluating even a budget phone’s camera:

1. Megapixels: Megapixels are among the most misunderstood pieces of data out there, but the main thing to know is that to print a standard 8×10 photograph, you need a minimum of 3 megapixels on your camera. If you want to print larger photos, you’ll need more megapixels. So consider how you’ll be using your photos when choosing a camera.
2. Lens: Go with glass. A lot of affordable phones use plastic lenses to cut down costs, but glass will always give you a better image.
3. Flash: We wouldn’t recommend using a smartphone flash under any circumstances. If you must, a Xenon flash is the best flash but they’re hard to find in smartphones. If you can’t find an affordable Xenon flash, a Photo Flash is your next best option.

Photo to Canvas: The Best Smartphones

With some knowledge in mind, here are the best possible smartphones on the market right now for taking photos you plan to transfer to canvas prints:

• Nokia Lumia 1020: The sheer range of features and controls on this camera make it ideal for serious photographers. With incredible zoom, a quality wide Xenon flash, and endless tweaking features, this camera won’t disappoint. The price, however, will. For a slightly less-capable but still great camera, the Lumia 925 is about half the price.
• Samsung Galaxy S4: Also a pricey phone, the camera on this unit is also first-rate – although it features just an LED flash, meaning you won’t get very good low-light photos at all.
• Apple iPhone 5S: Yes, the original is still hanging in there, with a top-quality camera. Again, just an LED flash, but a great canvas-worthy phone.