Skip to main content

iphoneography

See All Stories

Review: ShoulderPod brings Lego-like modularity to iPhone camera accessories

ShoulderPod X1 Pro Rig Tripod Mounted

Smartphone grips and mounts are a dime a dozen nowadays. Making a product that stands apart from the crowd is difficult, but ShoulderPod may be the first company to do that in a long time. The company has built out a modular smartphone camera system allowing photographers and videographers to customize their tools to suit their individual needs. I put the company’s Lego-like experience to the test over the past few weeks, and have been pleasantly surprised with just about everything it offers.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple patent application reveals exciting possibilities for twin-camera system rumored for iPhone 7

twin-camera

We heard a report in November that Apple was testing an iPhone 7 model with dual rear cameras, and a patent application published today not only confirms that Apple is indeed exploring the idea, but reveals some extremely exciting possibilities with such a setup.

The most basic of these, noted by Patently Apple, is effectively optical zoom. By fitting two separate camera modules behind the lens, and creating a single lens with both standard and telephoto sections, you’d be able to switch between two different focal lengths. For the first time, you’d be able to take a zoomed-in photo without cropping away pixels to end up with a lower-resolution image.

But the possible applications described in the patent go way beyond this …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Mini-review: Lensbaby LM-10, a fun if pricey accessory for iPhonography fans

Site default logo image

lm-10

It took a while for Lensbaby’s Kickstarter-funded selective focus lens for the iPhone to make it into production, but the LM-10 is now here and I took it out for a play.

For those not familiar with Lensbaby, the company makes lenses for DSLRs with a bellows lens that provides a small in-focus area, with the rest of the image out of focus. It’s not the same effect as the shallow depth-of-field achieved with a wide-aperture lens, but a less-controllable effect designed to provide fun and unusual images … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Lensbaby planning to bring its DSLR selective focus lens to the iPhone

Lensbaby is planning to make an iPhone version of its popular selective focus lens range. The company’s existing lenses for DSLRs allow a small focal point to be positioned in a scene, creating some whacky burred effects in the rest of the image. I’ve used one on my DSLR, and it’s fun to play around with.

A magnetic attachment system means that you’ll be able to combine the Lensbaby with any existing magnetic iPhone lenses you already own.

It’s currently just a Kickstarter project, but with half of the modest $20,000 goal already reached just one day in, it seems pretty certain to make it into production. As of the time of writing, you can reserve one for $50, a $20 saving on the planned retail price.

Sample images below.

 

Phil Schiller tweets links to iPhone 5s photos in National Geographic

Site default logo image

5s-main

Apple’s Senior VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller tweeted a link to a National Geographic feature in which photographer Jim Richardson used his iPhone 5s for a photo feature on Scotland in the definitive landscape photography magazine.

iPhoneography http://t.co/1MYjDgV2sj

— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) October 8, 2013

Richardson said that the transition from his usual Nikon kit wasn’t an easy one.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t struggling to make pictures. Walking down the Royal Mile surrounded by all things Scottish nothing seemed worth a picture. Out of desperation I took a few glib shots. Awful! Surrounded by great subjects I could see nothing. Made me feel worse.

But that using it over four days, he came to be impressed … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: iPhoneography series: iPhone Swivl and Lens Dial

Site default logo image

Swivl and Lens Dial

As part of 9to5Mac’s ongoing iPhoneography gear series for the holiday season, we looked at a slew of iPhone 5-compatible accessories, but some of you may still own the iPhone 4S or older, so we got our hands on the Swivl for iPhone 5/4S/4 and the Lens Dial for iPhone 4S/4.

First of all: Yes, iPhoneography is an actual name (it even has a Wikipedia page). It essentially, as one might guess, involves shooting and processing with an iOS device. Photojojo.com offers an impressive, mouth-watering catalog of photography and videography gear for the iPhone 5 and older generations, so we decided to take some of the website’s hottest accessories for a spin. And, over the next few weeks, we will continue to test and review only what’s best for helping creative folks step up their iPhoneography game.

Check out a hands-on review of the Swivl and Lens Dial below: 


Expand
Expanding
Close