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3 Top Cell Phone Photography Apps (Android or iOS)

28 Jan

The post 3 Top Cell Phone Photography Apps (Android or iOS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

One of the nice things about photography is that you don’t need an expensive camera or exotic lenses to produce good photos. Although such gear ensures the best image quality, to some degree that need has been nullified by the way today’s photos are shared. When viewed on a high-res smartphone or tablet, the technical imperfections of a phone image all but vanish. Cell phone photography is as legitimate as any other form of photography. Or is it?

In recent years, as the Internet has grown in power and influence, cell phone photography has become widely accepted by picture libraries and agencies. A huge market exists for web pictures, and it doesn’t always take DSLRs or even compact cameras to supply it. After inheriting an iPhone a few months back, and acquainting myself with various apps, I began sending phone photos to picture libraries.

When it comes to cellphone photos, libraries are surprisingly open-minded about the use of filters and effects. A conservative approach to editing is not necessary and may even be unhelpful. This article looks at three of the apps I use most for preparing images: MIX, PS Express, and Snapseed. Any of these three allows basic manual adjustments of color and tone. So instead of attempting repetitive in-depth reviews of all three, I aim to show you some of their individual features.

The opening screens of MIX by Camera360, Adobe PS Express and Snapseed by Google. All three are available for iOS or Android phones.

MIX by Camera360

MIX is filter-oriented with 100+ free filters and some in-app purchases. Of course, it also lets you make straight edits to your pictures (e.g. brightness, saturation, contrast, sharpness, spot removal). I’ve always liked presets and filters. If other photographers know exactly what they’re going to do with every photo, I’m not one of them. Sometimes it’s fun to try out different stuff and hit a few buttons.

Cine Filters

When you want to apply a color cast to an image, the Cine filters in MIX work well. They have various effects, including warm-up, cooling, and a classic orange & teal combo for movie-style color contrast (try Googling “orange and teal photography” to discover more). Using these filters is a bit like tuning the temp and tint sliders in Lightroom. They affect the white balance of the image.

Three top cell phone photography apps - teal and orange Cine filter from MIX

This orange (warm-up) and teal look is similar to an effect used in modern movies and comes from one of several Cine filters in MIX.

Slide Film Filters

As my photography predates the digital age, filters that imitate last-generation slide films appeal to me. I can’t testify as to their accuracy, but if I want a deep blue sky or just a bit more punch in color and contrast, MIX gives me an easy solution.

These deep-blue skies were achieved with the Fuji Velvia Slide Film filters in MIX and are true to the effect often seen in Velvia transparencies.

Holiday Sky Filters

Being an old-school slide shooter (or old at any rate), I struggle with the idea of grafting new skies onto photos, but then photography rarely tells the whole truth. MIX offers a range of Holiday Sky filters that might just rescue disappointing photos. To make artificial skies seem realistic, you must take notice of how the light falls in your photo and make sure it doesn’t blatantly conflict with the new background. There’s also a MIX “Magic Sky” filter series for more dramatic effects.

Sky grafting might be anathema for some, but Holiday Sky filters in MIX make it easy to replace a dull sky.

Adobe PS Express

As a long-time user of Photoshop, I tried PS Express hoping for a level of familiarity. I wasn’t disappointed. You can adjust photos using the same editing sliders found in other Adobe products: much of the toolbox seems intact.

Transform

If you shoot architectural photos, one of the best things about PS Express is its ability to easily correct the verticals and/or horizontals of a building. This avoids the “falling over” effect you get when pointing a camera at architecture. It helps if you leave space around the building when photographing it, otherwise, the transform tool will slice the edges off it.

The verticals in this photo of Florence were corrected with the Transform tool in PS Express.

Filters

PS Express has a decent selection of filters. I’m fond of the ones that apply a vignette, such as Basic/Autumn or B&W/pinhole. These give photos a sense of drama, and like all vignettes focus attention on the middle of the photo. You can give your photos a lot of mood with these filters.

Three top cell phone photography apps - PS Express pinhole filter

The PS Express B&W Pinhole filter focuses attention on the face of this effigy in Rouen Cathedral.

Text

Adding text to photos can seem a complicated process in some apps and programs, but PS Express makes it easy. You can easily create website graphics, greetings cards or memes and have plenty of control over fonts and opacity. As well, you can send your creations as layered PSD files to Photoshop CC on a computer.

Adding text with different fonts, opacity and colors is easy in PS Express.

Snapseed by Google

Developed by Google, Snapseed is an intuitive app that offers single-click “Looks” (filters by another name) and “Tools” for adjustable edits. It’s capable of great results with as little or as much input as you want. Among the tools, you’ll find anything from regular brightness, contrast or saturation sliders to more adventurous edits like “Double Exposure” or “Grunge”.

Looks: Fine Art

For black and white conversions, I find the “Fine Art” filter in Snapseed particularly pleasing. There is always a full range of tones to pack plenty of punch without much loss of shadow or highlight detail. The pictures are also very clean—no mid-tone noise in skies like there is with some B&W edits.

Three top cell phone photography apps - Snapseed fine art filter

The Snapseed Fine Art filter gives a well-balanced B&W conversion with a pleasing range of tones. I use it as my B&W cell phone default.

Tools: Drama

The Drama tool can easily produce overcooked results if you’re not careful, but it’s useful for bringing out the detail in clouds and/or lifting an otherwise dull photo taken on an overcast day. You can adjust the filter’s contrast effect as well as saturation to fine-tune the result.

Three top cell phone photography apps - drama tool

The Drama tool emphasizes mid-tone contrast and bleaches saturation on its default setting, often resulting in more dramatic skies.

Tools: Lens Blur

Snapseed’s Lens Blur tool lets you emphasize a particular area of a photo by controlling background blur and vignetting. The “Transition” slider lets you control the feathering area between the main subject and background, enabling natural-looking results.

Three top cell phone photography apps - Snapseed lens blur tool

The Snapseed Lens Blur tool emphasizes the face of this wooden sculpture of Christ in Venice.

Summary

The apps in this article will not be new to seasoned smartphone photographers, but I hope I’ve inspired others to use their cell phone cameras creatively. Phones have their limitations for some genres of photography, but that’s true of any camera and lens combo. They offer unrivaled portability. And while cell phones aren’t often seen in pro photography, they don’t rule out the chance of publication. Smartphones and their apps let you express yourself in countless ways.

The post 3 Top Cell Phone Photography Apps (Android or iOS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

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5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light

21 Dec

The post 5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video by Derrick Freske, you’ll learn 5 creative portrait lighting tricks using only phone light!

Using only a phone light and some handy reflective props, you can achieve some of the great portrait photography looks in Derrick’s video.

Derrick’s tricks include using:

A disco ball
Scrapbooking paper
Sequinned fabric
Lace fabric
Prism

Try these out and we’d love to see some in the comments section below.

Follow Derrick Freske on Instagram.

You may also find the following articles helpful:

How to use Colored Gels to Create Unique and Creative Portraits

How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home

Tips for Planning and Capturing a Creative Portrait

How to Make Unique Portraits Using Light Painting

One Speedlight Portrait Lighting Tutorial

The post 5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

26 Sep

You may have guessed from my use of the phrase real camera in the title that this article may contain some bias. Everything I write does to some degree, that’s normal. Hopefully, though my experience is helpful to you when you come to think about upgrading.

I want to present some of the pros and cons of upgrading to a real camera from a photographer’s perspective. This article is for you if enjoy using your phone to take photos but feel limited by it. It is also for you if you have a real camera to help answer questions from phone photographers who ask why you use a camera.

My intention here is to share information from my perspective. I am a long-time professional photographer and photography teacher. But I have also recently started taking phone photography more seriously.

Phone and Camera - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

Size Matters

Almost all cameras are bigger than a mobile phone. Phones have the advantage of portability, but this is about the only advantage size has. Let me explain.

Lenses

DSLR Lenses - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

A good camera lens is essential to being able to make good clear photos. If the lens is small and low-quality, you are not going to get the best results.

Lenses on phones are tiny and most often made of plastic or sapphire crystal. Lenses for real cameras are larger and most often made of multiple glass elements.

Light is essential for creating a photograph. Light must first pass through lens, which bends it and focuses it so an image can be captured by the sensor. If there is any distortion in the lens the image quality will be compromised. Good quality larger lenses are more capable of producing sharper, more accurate images.

The range of lenses for cameras is enormous. Even small compact cameras have the capacity to zoom from wide-angle to telephoto optically. When the lens does the work of manipulating the light and sending it to the sensor, the quality is far better. On a phone when you zoom in, the image is just enlarged digitally and the quality suffers dramatically.

Image Sensors

Smart Phone Photo selfie - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

Sensor size is the other main factor in the image quality difference between phones and cameras. By sensor size, I do not mean the megapixel count. Often phones can now have more megapixels than cameras. The actual physical dimensions of the sensor are what make the biggest difference.

A phone sensor is tiny and measures approximately 4.8 x 3.6 mm. There’s no room in a camera to put a larger sensor further away from the lens. Sensor size in cameras varies a lot, but suffice to say they are a lot larger than the ones in phones. Compact cameras have the smallest sensors in cameras which measure approximately 6.2 x 4.6 mm. Currently, the largest sensors in mirrorless and DSLR cameras are 36 x 24 mm (full frame).

Some phones boast huge megapixel counts, similar or larger than some cameras. I would prefer fewer megapixels on a sensor with a larger physical dimension. Squeezing more pixels into a tiny sensor may seem impressive, but it’s not in reality.

If you have the same number of megapixels on a sensor which is physically larger you will have technically higher quality images. To learn more about sensor size and why it’s important, please read this article.

Creative Control

Woman Photographer at the Shopping Mall- Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

Cameras are generally easier to have creative control over the outcome of the photograph. Phones are designed to be easy to use to get a quick snapshot. This is how most people use them. There are many good apps available to enable more manual control of the camera settings on your phone. Some are easier to use than others.

Entry-level cameras are not often any easier to control manually than phone cameras. Higher-end cameras of any type are more user-friendly for photographers who want a higher degree of control.

On cheaper cameras, it’s often necessary to dig into the camera’s menu system to adjust things like exposure and white balance. Higher-end cameras have more external controls so they are easier and quicker to set manually.

Creative Intention

Photographer at an Outdoor Event - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

One of the most significant differences between a phone camera and a real one has nothing to do with the technology. When most people pull out their phone to take a photo it’s for a quick snapshot. The picture may be posted to social media and quickly forgotten about.

Using a real camera requires more focused and creative intention. You are more likely to take time and think creatively when you are taking photos with a camera. This increases the likelihood of producing better photos. For me, taking the time to concentrate on photography is more important than the hardware I use to make the image.

Image Processing and Sharing

Photographer at an Outdoor Event taking a selfie - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

Processing and sharing photos from your phone is much easier than from a real camera. Phones are built for connectivity. The internal image manipulation, either native or in any number of apps, is impressive.

The biggest drawback when post-processing images on your phone, is that they are prone to lose quality. Often this is difficult to detect until the image is viewed on a monitor or you want to have it printed. It is very easy to over sharpen or saturate a photo using an app. It might look good on the screen on your phone, but not printed or on a larger monitor.

With a real camera there’s a certain amount you can tweak an image and share it, but it is not nearly as extensive as it is on a phone. Some cameras have built-in wifi and there are also memory cards with wifi available.

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You

Photographer n the Street taking a shot - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

This is true. You cannot take a photo if your camera is in a bag in the cupboard at home. But you don’t often forget your phone. This makes it a very good camera, because it is right there with you.

Learning to use your phone to do more than taking snapshots will improve the quality of all your photos. Spending money on a real camera that you don’t learn to use properly and leave at home is not going to make you a better photographer.

The biggest downside to phone cameras is the lower quality images they produce. Most of the time this is not relevant as most photos are shared and viewed on mobile devises these days.

bike on a path with a shadow - Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

I processed this image with the Snapseed app on my phone. It looked okay on my phone.

Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera - close up of image above

At 100% on my computer monitor, the deterioration of the image quality caused by processing is obvious.

The things that will keep you from relying too much on your phone for taking pictures are:

Lower quality images.
Less control over exposure settings.
Little ability to effectively zoom.
The possibility of getting a stunning image that cannot be enlarged and hang on the wall.

These things do not stop me taking photos with my phone. Currently, I am using it more than ever, but I need to understand my phone camera better so I can teach people to take better photos with theirs. I am particularly interested in experimenting with the panorama mode.

Poi Sang Long Festival Photographer- Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera

I believe there are still many years left when real cameras will hold their own against phone cameras. How quickly the technology evolves will determine just how long.

If you are a phone photographer I hope this article will tempt you to pick up a real camera. When you learn to use it you will discover the real joy of photography. If you already use a real camera I hope this information will help you better answer questions when people ask why you don’t just use your phone.

The post Pros and Cons of Upgrading from a Phone to a Real Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Cell Phone Versus DSLR – Can you tell which is which?

19 Aug

We live in weird times as photographers. Paradoxes abound and when it comes to the idea of cameras and whether or not cellphone photographic performance is on par with dedicated digital camera systems is an issue which sees even learned opinions hopelessly polarized.

“Cellphone cameras are killing photography!” – “It’s such a great time to be a photographer since we have cameras right on our phones.” – “A cell phone is not a camera!” – There are many opinions on this topic!

I have a good friend who photographed his way through Europe with nothing but his cellphone while editing along the way using Lightroom Mobile. His photographs are nothing short of incredible.

At the same time, even I sometimes get tired of all the “cellphone artists” who seem to bypass the fundamental nature of photography with their tiny little gadgets held out in front of them.

Canon camera and a smartphone - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

So with the debate still raging over whether or not a cellphone can match the performance of a more traditional camera…an idea suddenly came to me. Granted, I’m not the first person to ever think of this but it’s a new idea for me nonetheless and one that I wanted to share with all of you fine people.

I decided to put my own cell phone up against one of my standby full-frame DSLR camera bodies and do some blind comparisons of the images.

I want you to come along for the ride. Can you tell which images were shot with the DSLR and which were done with the cell phone? Could it be that a cell phone will ever be capable of producing images that are close to or dare I say even exceed the results obtained from a “professional” grade DSLR?

The Test

For this fun little evaluation we will be looking at the core quality of both RAW and JPEG files from a DSLR and a cellphone. The test camera is a Canon 5D Mk3 and the phone is the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active.

The comparison is for image quality only. Pay attention to the sharpness, the color, and the contrast presented in each one of the images. I’ve numbered each photo so you can make your guesses down below in the comment area if you like!

And yes, before you mention it, lenses play a huge role in final image quality. To me that makes this test even more interesting because the glass of the cell phone camera isn’t interchangeable; meaning the lens you have on your phone is the essentially the only one you can use (unless you go with aftermarket attachments) which makes its fidelity all the more crucial.

Let’s talk sensors…

As far as image sensor size is concerned there really isn’t much comparison between one inside a full-frame DSLR image and the one that fits inside of your cellphone. This is what interests me. Dimensionally speaking the image sensors from the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active is like comparing grapes and watermelons.

That being said, deciding how that impacts image quality is completely up to the eye of the beholder depending on your definition of “professional quality”.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Samsung phone - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

The camera on the Galaxy S8 Active sports a 12MP sensor which has a physical dimension of 1/2.55 inches or about 12.7mm with individual pixels measuring 1.4 microns. I assume the 12.7mm is the diagonal measurement but I have found no information directly indicating this.

The lens of the S8 Active has a maximum aperture of f/1.7 and fixed (??mm) focal length.

Canon 5D MK3

The Canon 5D MK3 has a 22.3MP full frame sensor featuring a diagonal measurement of approximately 1.7 inches (about 43.27mm) with a pixel size of 6.1 microns. I used a (??mm) lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4.

Canon camera and 50mm lens - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

I know I know…there’s no focal length indicated for either the S8 Active or the one I used with the 5D MK3. This is because some of you astute readers would probably connect the dots for each image and that would ruin the fun!

So, I’m keeping everyone in the dark as far as the focal lengths for both lenses are concerned.

RAW Versus RAW

Just like the estimable 5D MK3, the Samsung S8 (like many others) has the capability to record both RAW and JPEG image files when shooting in “Pro” mode.

So the first series of photos will be comparing the typically drab RAW images from both the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active. Each image was shot at ISO 100 with the shutter speed being matched as closely as possible.

Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs - red fire hydrant

Image #1

Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs - puddle reflection

JPEG Versus JPEG

Moving into the realm of non-RAW (uncooked?) image files, it’s time to take a look at the JPEG photos from both the Canon 5D MK3 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active.

Just like the RAW files before, each one of these images was shot with the same ISO setting except this time at ISO 400. The 5D MK3 was set to Adobe Standard Fine JPEG and the S8 Active was set to its “Standard” profile mode as well. Again, shutter speeds were kept as close to uniform as could be achieved.

shadows of door handles - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

door handles - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

#8…These two looked so similar that I had to include them both.

laptop keyboard - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

fence design - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

#10

Peeping at Pixels

Alright, you know you want to do it. Let’s really take a close look at the images from my S8 Active cell phone and the tried and true 5D MK3.

Just to refresh ourselves with the rules of the game here, we are looking at overall image quality. First, let’s have a look at a RAW file of a leaf lying on a bed of grass.

leaf on grass - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

Then I cropped and got extremely up close and personal with said leaf…

11a (left)
11b (right)

And here’s one more for those of us who like to hold a magnifying glass up to each one of our photos. This time let’s take a look at a side-by-side zoom of a JPEG image from both the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active.

Here we have a photo originally shot as an in-camera JPEG.

Sony camera - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

Now zooming in on those knobs and buttons.

12a (left)
12b (right)

Final Thoughts

I realize that it’s somewhat of a risky move not telling you which one of the images are which here at the terminus of this article. Alas, that is exactly what I’m going to do.

Have a look at each one of these images which I assure you were, in fact, each shot with both my everyday-carry Galaxy S8 Active cell phone and my trusty 5D MK3. As you look at the photos examine them closely and pick which one you think came from which source.

I also encourage you to evaluate where you stand on the idea of whether or not cellphone photography is a good or a bad thing for the medium as an art. Do you think cameras and cell phones will forever remain separate pieces of technology or do you feel that some day they will be one in the same?

I’d love to hear your ideas on the future of camera tech and your opinions on the photos from the above tests. Please post your thoughts in the comments below. And yes, eventually I will provide an answer key so you have to forgive me.

The post Cell Phone Versus DSLR – Can you tell which is which? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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RED’s Hydrogen One phone with holographic display is coming to AT&T and Verizon

22 May

Although no exact release date or pricing has been announced yet, it seems the RED Hydrogen One modular smartphone with its holographic display will be available to the masses before long. According to an announcement last week, the phone will be available through two of the United State’s largest mobile carriers, Verizon and AT&T, sometime this summer.

The device was first launched in July 2017, with preorders starting at $ 1,200, but delivery was recently pushed back to August of this year. According to RED founder Jim Jannard, the company needed some extra time to receive carrier certification. Looking at the latest announcement, this process appears to have gone well.

The Hydrogen One’s key selling point is a 5.7-inch lightfield holographic display for mobile gadgets, which uses Nano-Photonic technology and RED’s 4-View video format to create a 3D effect without the need for glasses. The display is made by Leia Inc., in which RED is an investor.

The phone will also come with a pin-based expansion system which will allow for attaching a range of hardware modules, similar to Motorola’s Moto Mods, but probably more high-end video focused given the brand we’re dealing with.

The Verge got to take the phone for a spin during a media event in LA this past weekend, and while they couldn’t show you the screen (because the holographic effect apparently doesn’t show up well on video) they did have some thoughts about the entire Hydrogen One experience:

Given the Verizon/AT&T announcement, it now seems certain the Hydrogen One has made the transition from concept to production device. And while we have no doubt the new tech will be impressive, it’ll be interesting to see if the device can compete with the established brands in the smartphone sector.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Don’t buy the phone with the ‘best camera,’ buy the phone you like as a phone

14 Apr

If your job entails giving people on the internet buying advice about photo gear, you field a lot of questions from friends who want to make a camera purchase. It sounds corny, but we at DPR actually love these questions – it’s a chance to put an otherwise somewhat useless store of knowledge to work. We get something out of the transaction too: a data point about the needs and wants of people who are actually buying cameras. It’s like a pop quiz we spend 40 hours a week studying for.

Lately, it’s not just cameras we’re asked about. Friends have seen plenty of advertising declaring this or that smartphone as having the ‘best camera.’ More and more, we see people treating their smartphone purchase as a camera purchase too, so it makes plenty of sense that these claims hold a lot of sway. People who seek our advice are now debating between a couple of flagship devices, sometimes within the same operating system, and sometimes not. But the question is the same – “‘Such and such phone’ has the best camera, should I buy it?”

Here’s the short answer: Not necessarily.

The flagship phones from the major manufacturers all have pretty darn good cameras at this point. Sure, there are slight advantages in image quality in different scenarios, but overall, any minor shortcomings are going to be easier to live with than an operating system you don’t like. This is especially true if you’re upgrading from a phone that’s several generations old. Manufacturers have been leaning hard into camera tech innovation for the past few years, so you’ll probably see plenty of improvement even upgrading from a device several years old to last year’s flagship.

You’ll probably see plenty of improvement even upgrading from a device several years old to last year’s flagship

There’s a slight caveat here: while quality from most smartphone cameras is good, a few of them do offer unique hardware-based camera features. The LG V30’s super-wide-angle lens is a good example – if a wider lens is something you really want, it’s worth checking the V30 out because it’s basically one-of-a-kind right now.

It’s also worth remembering that the demands on image quality in smartphones are, in most cases, much lower than on dedicated cameras. Photos taken with phones will likely only ever be viewed at lower resolution on another device screen or in smaller printed formats, like Chatbooks. In many situations, even the image quality benefits of a dedicated camera will be negligible when images are downsized for viewing on a 5″ screen.

So why even test phone cameras if they’re all good enough at this point? The same reason why we test cameras: so you can make an informed buying decision. We also fully expect them to eventually challenge more traditional cameras, but that’s another story for another day. Even if we could declare one traditional camera as the objective ‘best camera,’ that would be a pretty meaningless award. Size and cost, for example, are two huge factors to consider when buying a camera. It doesn’t matter if you bought the ‘best’ camera of all time; if it’s too heavy and you leave it at home most of the time then it wasn’t the best camera for you.

How you get along with your smartphone is an important consideration since many of us spend an embarrassing amount of our waking hours using them

How you get along with your smartphone is an important consideration since many of us spend an embarrassing amount of our waking hours using them. It has taken the place of a dedicated camera for lots of folks, but it’s not just our camera – it’s also our communication hub, media player, notepad, grocery list, bank, travel agent, the list goes on. How you like using it and how it feels in your hand should be given as much, if not more consideration than whether the camera scored three points higher than another.

We’ll keep testing smartphone cameras so we can help inform your decision and point out where there’s still room for improvement. In the meantime, if you’re debating upgrading to a new phone and you’ve got an eye on the one with the ‘best camera,’ consider heading to a wireless retail store and see if that’s the one you like best as a phone. You’ll be glad that you did.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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This Samsung infographic tracks the evolution of the camera phone

10 Mar

With a variable aperture, super-slow-motion and (in the case of the Plus model) a dual-camera setup, Samsung’s newly announced flagship smartphones Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus put a lot of emphasis on camera features and performance. But, of course, this is far from Samsung’s first foray into camera phone tech.

Samsung has long been at the forefront of mobile imaging, and to visualize this fact, the company has released am infographic that puts its camera phone innovations onto a timeline of the past 18 years.

The graphic starts with Samsung’s first camera phone—the SCH-V200—which was launched in 2000 and allowed you to shoot and store up to 20 0.11MP images (you still needed a computer to view them, though). From there, it move on to a number of flip-style feature phones and smartphone classics, such as the first Galaxy S or the Galaxy S4 Zoom.

As you would expect, the infographic ends with the new Galaxy S9 models, but it includes technical data and interesting tidbits about all the featured phones—well worth a closer look for anyone interested in tech history. Check it out for yourself below:

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Samsung’s new W2018 flip phone features a variable aperture F1.5-F2.4 lens

02 Dec

Samsung just announced something that looks like it belongs in the mid-2000s… but looks can be deceiving. Meet Samsung’s new flip phone: the W2018. Announced earlier today at an event in Xiamen, China, the followup to the W2017 is an Android-powered flip phone that boasts smartphone-caliber specs. In fact, the 12-megapixel rear camera is nearly identical to the one found in the Galaxy S8, featuring dual pixel autofocus, optical image stabilization and 1.4?m pixels.

It does differ in one very interesting way though.

Not only does the W2018 boast an F1.5 aperture—the brightest you’ll find on a phone—that aperture is actually variable, switching between F1.5 and F2.4 when it senses there’s enough light around. In this way, the phone automatically captures as much of the background as possible.

You can see the trick in this close-up video uploaded to Weibo by Jason Wang:

Rumors have been floating around that the Galaxy S9 will feature a variable aperture F1.5 lens; as you might expect, the appearance of the selfsame lens in another Samsung phone makes us pretty confident that will, indeed, be the case. As to whether or not you ever really need to ‘stop down’ a smartphone camera lens… that’s another topic entirely.

Like the W2017 before it, this phone will first be released in China, comes with a bunch of “VIP” perks like free tech support, and will probably cost upwards of $ 3,000… no, we didn’t add another zero.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

05 Nov

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you. Even though I love my digital SLR, quite frequently, I shoot with my smartphone. This is why mobile phone photography is so popular.

There is a collection of stunning oak trees near where I live. Each time I go there, the trees look different based on the weather and time of year. Did I need an expensive $ 5,000 camera to get these pictures? No, because I know some tricks for shooting with my smartphone.

9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Phone Photography

For these types of images, it doesn’t matter what type of camera you have. If you’ve got a camera, the inspiration, and the time, you can create some great images with your smartphone. Great images come from a good eye and a basic knowledge of composition and light. If you practice with these elements, you can take awesome pictures with any device even if it’s a phone camera. In this article, I will give you some of my favorite apps that will inspire you to have some fun with the camera that is always with you.

Is the era of the compact camera coming to a close?

9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

Either people shoot with their smartphones or they use an advanced digital SLR. There’s not much in between. Why is this happening?

For the general public, smartphones have more capacity and are easier to use than the current lower-end point and shoot cameras on the market. People are getting better results with less effort. When someone asks for a recommendation on a camera and they only have a couple hundred dollars to spend, I usually recommend that they use their cellphone.

As a photography educator, I find my iPhone to be easier to use and more consistent across multiple models. Some Android models work differently and don’t have the same capabilities as other phones. Some apps don’t work on all Androids, so please take that into account when trying out the apps mentioned in this article.

Smartphone-workshop 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

The current compact cameras are more menu-driven than most people can handle. And if their photography skills are not up to snuff, it is hard to get past the automatic modes on those cameras. I have had clients in my classes with these lower-end compact cameras where the manual modes do not work at all. These little gadgets are almost as complicated as the advanced digital SLRs, but without the quality results. The only things that are of benefit are their size and price point, but even then it means a smaller lens, a smaller sensor and diminished results.

Smartphone photography

I discovered smartphone photography after attending a professional photographic trade show. I took a little seminar on an app called Hipstamatic for iPhone and I was hooked. I was no longer a photo snob! All of a sudden, I realized I could create stunning photos in moments that would take hours in Photoshop.

Over the next year or so, I shot thousands of pictures on my smartphone and I got really familiar with the ins and outs of this type of photography.

San Simeon Hipstamatic - 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

I also realized this was the future of social media and photography for the general public. You could create little masterpieces that were appreciated online. They were not high resolution and the use of these images was limited, but that works just fine for most people. As a photographer, you don’t want to post images that can be stolen and easily used somewhere else, so the smartphone low-resolution image size is perfect.

I knew then there was a huge future in this art form for the general public. I continued to research new apps, reading everything I could and staying updated. Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile phone photography.

Shooting apps

Camera+ for IOS

This app allows you to control separate focus and exposure points, one of the secrets to good mobile phone photography. You can also use additional features such as selective focus, exposure compensation, and exposure lock. I use Camera+ on every picture I take.

Unfortunately, Camera+ is not available for Android.

Big Sur-iPhone 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

ProShot – for IOS and Android

This app has all of the auto, program and manual modes that Camera+ has and is available for both IOS and Android (as well as Windows phones). With ProShot you have full manual control over exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. The most important aspect here is the ability to separate focus and exposure like you can with the Camera+ app.

My go-to editing app

Snapseed

This app is a must for both IOS and Android users! Snapseed is a go-to app for processing photos. It has such an easy interface, that you can make it part of your normal workflow and literally do your editing in seconds when taking a shot with your mobile phone. There are so many options in this app, but my favorite is the selective contrast and exposure settings. It allows you to go into the image and change exposure, contrast, and saturation in specific parts of your picture. Other settings such as grunge, HDR and Retroux let you create a variety of special effects.

Snapseed is available for both iPhone and Android.

Graphic Apps

Wordswag – for IOS and Android

Are you looking for a simple text app where you can create text overlay or a watermark? Wordswag will help you create professional looking graphics like this in just seconds!

Retro Apps

Hipstamatic – for IOS

This app allows you to select “film” and “lenses” in the “classic mode” before you shoot to create the perfect effect. Hipstamatic also added a modern interface with the ability to change your “lenses” and “filters” after you have taken the shot. Find one combination you like to create your own shooting style.

Hipstamatic - 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

Retro Camera – for Android

With Retro Camera you can take Hipstamatic-style images with five cameras, five sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch and cross-processing options.

Creative art apps

Prisma – for IOS and Android

Prisma

Here’s a fun app that will turn your images into works of art in seconds. Lots of different options to create in this app. Each option in Prisma is preset and instant with very little custom editing needed.

9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

Diana – for IOS and Android

This app is an easy way to create double-exposure images in seconds. You can create images by selecting specific photos to combine, or you can randomly let Diana select for you. It works better if you have a vision in mind before working with this app, but sometimes a random selection works as well!

Diana app - 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

Waterlogue – for IOS and Windows 10 devices

Waterlogue

Create beautiful watercolor style images with Waterlogue. Select from a number of different styles to create your own masterpiece!

waterlogue

Conclusion

The beautiful thing about photography with the smartphone is that it expands your creativity and can even help with your Digital SLR photography. You can use more than one app to create even more customized effects. Take each image through a series of apps before getting the final look you want. You never know where you’re going to end up, and you might just like that.

What are your favorite Smartphone apps? Has it changed the way you shoot with your Digital SLR? Which of these apps is going to become a regular part of your smartphone photography workflow?

The post 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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This ‘pancake lens’ is a wireless charger for your phone

24 Oct

Pancake lenses are small and inconspicuous, making them ideal for street photography and similar applications. However, the LightPix Labs Power Lens 40mm F2.8 lens we are looking at here won’t be of much help when out shooting in the street. That’s because it is a wireless smartphone charger that has been designed to look like a pancake lens.

That said, it still looks like a useful accessory, especially if you like charging your phone in style.

The Power Lens works with all devices supporting the Qi wireless charging standard and that’s most of them, including the iPhone 8 / 8 Plus, iPhone X, Galaxy S8 / S8+ / Note 8, and many other high-end devices. The makers of the gadget say the Power Lens can also charge your smartphone up to 1.5 times faster than a standard wireless charger if used in combination with a QC 2.0 / 3.0 compatible wall adapter.

The lens makes a shutter sound when charging starts but can be muted if you prefer peace and quiet.

The Power Lens will start shipping November 28th and comes with an introductory price tag of $ 30 for the first 200 units—the regular price is $ 40. More information is available on the LightPix Labs website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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