Another way to look at it is the phone camera is like a folding scooter you carry on your backpack. It doesn't do much, but it's always there, and you can make

Another way to look at it is the phone camera is like a folding scooter you carry on your backpack. It doesn't do much, but it's always there, and you can make it work for most things. If you need to buy groceries, you might buy a few days' worth when you'd rather get a week's worth, and if you want to go a long distance, it won't feel as nice, and sometimes it's a little embarrassing when you compare your experience to your friends', but you can get by. Beyond the scooter, there's an entire range of transportation options which are all better but are bigger and more expensive and require extra attention: where do I put it, should I take it with me or will I not need it, do I really want to bother with it today? If I buy something, will I always leave it at home and never have it when it would be useful? 95% of the time you're happy you just have your scooter with you, but the other five percent of the time, you may be disappointed or downright helpless compared to somebody with better equipment. Say you and your friends decide impromptu to go to a music show twenty miles away, the concert starts in two hours, and public transit will get you there at approximately noon tomorrow. Your scooter is useless, and you have to ask for a ride. This is analogous to when you see a coyote in your neighborhood (let's assume that's a rare and interesting occurrence in your neighborhood) and you're pointing to a blurry dog-shaped dot on your phone saying "Look! It's a coyote!" and your neighbor is ordering a 2' by 3' print showing the reflections in its eyes and the steamy breath coming out of its mouth. Situations like that are frustrating, but each person will feel differently about whether it's worth embracing the expense and daily hassle of traveling with a bigger piece of equipment.