Colour me Gobsmacked!

Usually, I'm the guy that agrees with "cameras are for taking photos, telephones are for making phone calls".

But telephones now have sensors that are more than good enough, but I find the lack of a viewfinder and proper controls holds me back from using it as a camera.

I THINK I prefer a dedicated camera, but this thing looks well thought out (though kind of homely)
 
Some people are addicted to their cellular telephony devices.

I make my family use a paper sticky to send a text message to my flip phone. Write it down, flip the phone open, put the note in, close the phone. I'll read it the next time I use the device.

Remember- real cameras are better than cell phones because you cannot lock yourself out of vacation photos by butt-dialing on a password protected iPhone. Which just happened to a friend of mine.
 
It addresses two problems with dedicated still cameras:

1. Which are you more likely to have on you at any given time? Camera or smartphone?
2. Which is more likely to have immediate, capable, programmable and always connected capability virtually anywhere to easily disseminate the photos to various channels? Camera or smartphone?

None of the camera makers have solved #2. And given we have excellent examples of what phones can do optically in the Cell Phone Images thread, this was an inevitable outcome to solve the ergonomics problem of handling a candy-bar format.
 
I wish they would take it a step further and completely ensconce the telephone into a body so that no one cane even tell there is a telephone involved at all.

As if it were a roll of film. Open the back, insert the phone, close the back. Start snapping away with dedicated controls.

And as a nod to people that can't give up the "connected" part of cel phonography, the touchscreen is there to upload, edit, etc.
 
Luke said:
I wish they would take it a step further and completely ensconce the telephone into a body so that no one cane even tell there is a telephone involved at all.

As if it were a roll of film. Open the back, insert the phone, close the back. Start snapping away with dedicated controls.

And as a nod to people that can't give up the "connected" part of cel phonography, the touchscreen is there to upload, edit, etc.
Click to expand...
This. You get the controls of a camera with the connectivity of a phone. That’s not a combo exactly available otherwise. OTOH, I may take my phone everywhere but this grip looks nearly as big as a small camera. It’s not coming along.
 
You still have to carry something extra to give your phone those extra capabilities. The whole concept makes no sense. You use your phone. If you want more, you carry a camera.

[addit] Most smartphones have apps available which deal with the problems apparently addressed by this kit, with the exception of a viewfinder. Seriously... its just mad.
 
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Apps can not deal with the problems addressed by the kit......the kit adds physical controls like buttons and dials.

I understand the argument that it is still something "extra" to carry. It doesn't "replace" a camera as far as I am concerned. But for me (a person who enjoys tactile physical controls), it might be enough of a functional upgrade to ONLY a cel phone, that I may leave a camera kit at home if it's not a heavy photo day. Just a small something to enhance the photography experience while leaving the camera and lenses at home.
 
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Hrmmmm. Don't you not take many photos anyway, Luke?

I really think this is going to be one of those gadgets that people think they want, but when it comes down to it, will be left at home like everything else... except the phone.

I just carry a compact everywhere. and my phone.
 
kyteflyer said:
Hrmmmm. Don't you not take many photos anyway, Luke?

I really think this is going to be one of those gadgets that people think they want, but when it comes down to it, will be left at home like everything else... except the phone.

I just carry a compact everywhere. and my phone.
Click to expand...

Frankly, I consider myself out of the photography game. I don't count my TERRIBLE product photography....that's just shooting bad photos of stuff I sell on eBay. And the quality of my increasingly sporadic pet photography has gone rapidly downhill.

But that hasn't precluded me from being interested in seeing what new ways I might find to make what little photography I do more enjoyable.

And the "grip" is $100. For me (and everyone's situation is different), it's possible that this $100 "accessory" would allow me to sell several hundred dollars worth of camera bodies and lenses.

Probably not, but I'm almost intrigued enough to give it a spin.

*heads off to youtube to look for cheesy enthusiast-made "reviews"*
 
The reviews of the iPhone app used with the existing, lower spec models of this thing are mixed. They use a proprietary communication method instead of bluetooth, and some people are having connection problems.

The viewfinder interests me, but I’m not optimistic about miggo/Pictar’s ability to deliver it. Another company tried an iPhone viewfinder with a suction cup a while back. It didn’t last long and the app was pulled from the app store. The story I read was that Apple banned the app because they don’t want any iPhone accessories that physically touch the screen.

I see some kits at Walmart's online store with a tripod phone mount, tabletop size bendy tripod, and a bluetooth remote shutter release that can be had for $10.00 or so. That would give some interesting options for holding and using a phone as a camera.

Edit: Another alternative is a gimbal/grip for a phone. The are used for video a lot, but would work for still photography. There are a lot of different models around, some quite expensive and some less so.
 
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