camera

Snap pictures on your smartphone with Camera ICS

You can't easily change lenses with your smartphone's camera, so you have to change apps if you want a different shot. Camera ICS adds a much-needed zoom lens to your smartphone, but adds a bunch of other unwanted stuff too. The zoom isn't worth the jittery performance and ads that come with the app.

The app's misleading name makes you think it's a big update to the camera in Ice Cream Sandwich. However, it works with older versions of Android and doesn't even look like the Ice Cream Sandwich camera app. Instead, it's … Read more

A new dimension: Samsung Galaxy S4 may have 3D camera

3D hasn't really taken off in TVs, but Samsung may be inclined to give it a try in the Galaxy S4.

The Korean electronics giant has filed for a trademark for "2D 3D Movie & Still," and it also filed for a patent related to a panoramic imaging lens and panoramic imaging system.

Samsung noted in its trademark filing that the application covers software for smartphones, software for tablets, digital cameras, USB flash drives, mobile telephones, portable media players, portable computers, rechargeable batteries, smartphones, tablets, wireless headsets, and lenses for cameras. That's a pretty extensive list.… Read more

Speed cameras are a scam, Ohio judge rules

Many believe that speed cameras were invented by Fagin.

They perch there in all arrogance, waiting for the next sucker whose pocket they'll pick.

Some localities have come to admit that they don't reduce accidents. Arizona took the decision to remove its highway speed cameras altogether.

Baltimore's were so riddled with errors that they were removed recently too.

Who could forget the recent, poetic incident in Baltimore when a speed camera decided (with the help of a human police officer) that a stationary car was speeding.

The chorus of suspicion surrounding these dubious objects has now been … Read more

Outex shields adventuresome dSLRs from water, mud, snow

If you like to roll around in the mud, you might like the Outex Waterproof Camera Cover.

It features a patented seal design that keeps your camera watertight (up to about 33 feet) and weathersealed from snow, mud, and dust. The accessory is crafted from a special latex compound that makes it flexible and rugged. It also comes with a large circular window at the rear that allows users to preview images and gives a full view of your camera controls. … Read more

Look Lock a smartphone-holding boom pole for dSLRs

Look over here! The Look Lock lets you mount your smartphone to your dSLR's hotshoe to be used as an external display. Made from aluminum, the rig consists of an articulating arm that allows you to move and rotate your handset (measuring up to 3 inches wide) at any angle.

We can think of some uses for the Look Lock, such as using it as a budget "teleprompter" for video productions, or playing a funny animated clip to get laughs when photographing kids. Another idea would be to record a candid movie with a smartphone while shooting … Read more

Mu aims to offer thermal imaging cam for cheap

When you own an older home, it's common for aging insulation, warped windowsills, and other pesky problems to let the cool or hot air out and drive the energy bill up. To help homeowners locate these weak spots (and for many other uses), Mu Optics created a low-cost thermal imaging camera that allows users to see the world according to temperature -- anywhere in the range of -86 to 285 degrees Fahrenheit.

The thermal imaging device features USB charging and battery life of more than 3 hours (an hour for video recording). The optics offer 160x120 resolution -- which may sound very small, but most thermal cameras deliver a similar view -- for pictures and video up to 30 frames per second.

Five live viewing modes enable the owner to see things such as temperature information for a specific area, a thermal and regular camera view blend, and other combinations. Check out some of the neat thermal videos produced by the camera on Vimeo.… Read more

Everpix adds new Explore feature to rediscover your pictures

If one of your resolutions for the new year was to get your hundreds (or thousands) of pictures gathered up in one place and organized for easier browsing, you'll want to check out Everpix.

The service, which started two years ago, can be connected to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, and Gmail accounts and will pull in pictures from those sources and collect them together in one interface.

It can also be connected to Windows or Mac computers and iOS devices (Android support is in development). Once pictures are uploaded, Everpix analyzes your shots so you … Read more

Five ways to turn your phone into a killer camera companion

Editors' note: This guest post kicks off a five-week series of Photojojo's best photography tips. Check back every Tuesday for the latest guide to making the most of your shutter.

Your phone isn't just another camera.

It's a tool that can make your life easier when you're out shooting with your non-phone camera. Maybe that's a top-of-the-line dSLR, an old-school 35mm film camera, or a slick micro-four-thirds device.

Regardless of your camera type, there all kinds of factors to take into account before, after, and during shoots, including location, lighting, copyrights, and numbers.

The good … Read more

Police to wear video cameras on sunglasses

You think you're so clever whipping out your iPhone to film police when they're giving someone an ill-judged whipping.

Well, the police can fight back, you know -- technologically speaking.

Officers in Laurel, Md., have decided that the way to prove that they are fine, upstanding policemen -- and sections of the populace are not -- is to get into wearable tech.

It's not quite Google Glass, and they won't look quite as manly as Sergey Brin.

However, attaching a little video camera to their shades or, say, their hats will apparently avoid doubt.… Read more

Shooting forward: A look at a mature camera market

"We are so screwed."

That was the response I got when I relayed my experience with the Will.i.am foto.sosho V.4 iPhone camera case at CES to a friend in the camera industry. Ridiculous name (and equally ridiculous price) aside, it is basically a showcase for how much you can do with a smartphone camera and how little a basic point-and-shoot offers.

With the V.4, you get a shutter release, built-in flash, and a lens mount for three interchangeable lenses. There's also a sliding QWERTY keyboard built in, so you can shoot and … Read more