To answer that question we first must consider a couple things. If your phone supports a few extra features allowing some manipulation, and you have ample time to make these adjustments, you can improve the quality of your evidence, even if it is not up to what you obtain using a regular full size camera. Conditions and your subject matter also play a part. We'll look a couple things here you might consider.
First let's consider the typical "Light In The Sky" UFO. You see an object moving across the sky. Your first inclination is to simply point the camera and take a picture of it. But wait a minute. The first thing you might do is try to get some background images in the frame for reference. This holds true even for those using high end professional cameras! Don't necessarily center the object if by moving a bit off-center you can also get a tree or the edge of a building in the frame as well. Assuming the object is moving, take it as a video. If you can't do a video, take multiple shots of the object without changing your position. This will allow analysis to determine direction and the rate of travel the object is following. We know the fixed object is not moving and the object's movement can be compared against the fixed point. If you just shoot a picture there is no point of reference to go from.
Many phone cameras these days have now included a way to adjust exposure. It may not cover the range of a professional camera lens but you can use it to the extent it does allow. It is comparable to the F-Stop seen in full size cameras, although some phones just call it lighten / darken or exposure + or -. It does the same thing, it controls the amount of light that passes through the lens.
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The image on the left shows a pixel weight scan across the object in the image. This is the adjusted digital value for the average gray scale level of the pixel row located between the two vertical red lines at the points indicated. The level is correct for any value below 255. These are the true color of the pixels. The problem begins at 256. This is above the value of pure white; no color brighter than that can be represented in digital format. This is why the object appears as it does. If any detail existed in the center of the object it would be lost when the blooming seen here covers it over. Thus the center is overexposed and evidence is lost.
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So what can we do about this issue? We need to darken the image. This action would lower the pixel weight values giving a better representation of the actual object. If your camera has an adjustable exposure level you simply raise the F-Stop value which closes the iris of the lens. Unfortunately phones do not allow for this. Unless your phone has a "lighter / darker" setting there is little you can do. If you have the ability to set the ASA for your phone camera you can lower that value which will make the camera less sensitive to light. Either method may improve the exposure issue. but they take time to implement. You may loose the opportunity to get a picture while fiddling with your phone camera. This is especially true if you are doing as you should do with these types of photos; Take multiple shots at different exposure settings.
Another problem has to do with Auto-Focus. If your phone has a preset for local / distant images keep it set on distant or infinity unless of course you subject is just a few feet away. Most people don't focus their camera; they simply point and shoot letting the auto-focus feature of the camera provide that function. What you wind up with is what we see in the two images below.
The images above show the effects of auto-focus. They are screen grabs from a video but show the same object. The first is at the very start of the video. The auto focus had not yet attempted to make the adjustment. The image is clear and in focus. You can even make out two stars near the bottom of the image. But after a couple seconds the image becomes blurred and the stars disappear from view. So what happened?
The image was scanned by the camera in an attempt to find a distintive edge to lock onto and focus itself. But the frame had nothing besides the pinpoint of light to work with. This was insufficient so the camera went back to its default setting. Since most pictures are of people posing for a picture or in a relatively close location, this default is often 6 to 10 feet away. That's much too close to capture a distant light that only hits a few pixels on the imager. This is also a situation which may have been resolved if the camera had a fixed object in the frame to establish a distance setting. But since the camera was pointed into a relatively enpty sky we get what we have here.
One more thing to consider. Remember what we discussed earlier about exposure? This small pinpoint of light is overexposed because the light level was averaged across a large area of the frame. Most of the sky had a pixel weight of around 80 to 120 so the camera used that to establish its exposure level. This may work fine for the average photographer but pictures taken on investigations are usually under adverse conditions. Dark, far away, or otherwise difficult situations are the normal conditions we face. The only reliable way to address these are to use a camera which allows manual adjustments to its operation. Most phone cameras either do not allow this or it is difficult to do the set up. As a result we continue to get pictures that provide no useful evidence or add to the pile of junk that is posted online by amateurs. This also applies to ghost hunters who get the "Shadowman" Effect. Since most investigators hand carry the camera it is constantly in motion. Sometimes light levels or auto-focus parameters change and the camera can underexpose a darker portion of a picture. This, and a bit of pareidolia cause one to see a Shadowman in the picture. Usually he appears in a distant, already underexposed part of the picture where light conditions are already poor. Phone cameras have small lenses and not the brightest illumination source. Thus the reason they contribute to false positives in this manner.
In conclusion, yes, you can use a phone camera, just don't expect great results. Unless you have no other option it is better to use a serious camera to get serious results.
