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DJI announces Osmo 2 Mobile smartphone camera gimbal

08 Jan

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DJI has announced the Osmo Mobile 2, an updated version of its popular Osmo Mobile camera gimbal for smartphones. Though visually similar to the original model, the Osmo Mobile 2 adds some useful new features along with a more attractive price point.

The biggest change most users will notice right away is that the Osmo 2 Mobile no longer uses interchangeable batteries. DJI claims the new built-in battery will provide enough power for up to 15 hours of filming, which is probably more than most peoples’ arms will endure over the course of a day. Additionally, a new USB port enables the phone to charge off the internal battery while in use, preventing battery drain while filming, and can also be used as a power bank to charge other electronics.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the new Osmo Mobile 2 is a lower price: it will retail for $ 129, significantly less than the $ 299 price point of the original model

The new model also supports shooting in portrait orientation – perfect for people who want to create content that will primarily be consumed on mobile devices. It also includes a 1/4″ universal screw mount, making it possible to mount the Osmo Mobile 2 on a tripod or attach other accessories.

In addition to existing software features like ActiveTrack and time-lapse modes, DJI has added a hyper-lapse feature, as well as a zoom slider on the handle that will allow users to simulate the effects of a dolly zoom.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the new Osmo Mobile 2 is a lower price: it will retail for $ 129, significantly less than the $ 299 price point of the original model. It will be available for pre-order exclusively at Apple.com beginning on January 23, and directly from DJI and other authorized resellers beginning in early February.

If you’re attending CES 2018 in Las Vegas and want to try the Osmo 2 Mobile in person, DJI will be offering free daily ‘rentals’ of the device to attendees.

Press release:

DJI Reveals New Handheld Camera Stabilizers At CES 2018

A Redesigned Osmo Mobile 2 Turns Smartphones Into Smart Steadycams and Ronin-S Becomes DJI’s First Single-Handed Stabilizer for DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras

January 7, 2018 – DJI, the world’s leader in creative camera technology, introduced two new handheld camera stabilizers at CES 2018 – Osmo Mobile 2 and Ronin-S. Built for smartphones, DSLRs, and mirrorless camera systems, they give consumers, professional videographers and photographers new tools to capture smooth, steady videos and stunning photos wherever they go.

Osmo Mobile 2: The handheld smartphone camera stabilizer from DJI, redesigned for the storyteller in all of us. Using a lightweight design that supports portrait orientation, with simpler controls with cinematic zoom, a longer battery life for more filming, and intelligent features to help you share a professional-looking story wherever you go.
Ronin-S: DJI’s first single-handed stabilizer for DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras. Built for efficient setup and ease of use with a compact form and dedicated buttons to control camera settings and precise positioning, plus intelligent features for advanced shooting modes all designed to help bring a steady shot to any set.

“With the introduction of these two stabilizers, DJI now offers gimbal technology to help unlock the creative storyteller in everyone no matter what camera they’re using,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager at DJI. “Osmo Mobile 2 offers the best in smartphone stabilization at an affordable price, and Ronin-S brings the quality of DJI’s professional gimbal technology to a new form factor that is perfect for run-and-gun filming using your favorite DSLR or mirrorless camera system.”

Osmo Mobile 2 – Redesigned for the Storyteller in All of Us

Osmo Mobile 2 is a smartphone camera stabilizer that captures smooth videos and high-definition panoramas with cinematic movement and incredible ease. DJI’s industry-leading three-axis gimbal technology cancels out movement in three directions so your video stays steady even if your hands shake or wobble, while DJI’s built in SmoothTrack technology detects and compensates for your movement of the camera to ensure a smooth cinematic shot every time.

Designed to be lightweight and portable, Osmo Mobile 2 is made from high-strength modified nylon and features a folding design that makes it perfect for all-day use. The two-way mobile clamp lets you easily pivot between landscape and portrait orientation so that you can chose the most engaging full-screen format for your audience. In addition, a 1/4” universal screw mount ensures compatibility with your favorite photography accessories, making Osmo Mobile 2 more versatile than ever.

Simpler controls let you use your phone’s camera like a professional camera with integrated settings for ISO, shutter speed and more. A new zoom slider lets you completely operate your smartphone camera from the handle and you can even produce dolly zoom, a visual effect usually created only on professional film sets.

A more powerful built-in battery system lets you film for up to 15 hours, over three times longer than the original Osmo Mobile’s battery. The new USB port enables phone charging during use and serves as a power bank for charging other electronics while on the go.

Smart software in the DJI GO mobile app unlocks intelligent photo and video features that help you create professional-looking content automatically. Videographers can use modes including ActiveTrack to automatically follow of subjects in motion, Motion Timelapse with up to five different camera positions, Hyperlapse to create dramatic time-lapse videos with the camera in motion, or stream live to popular social platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Photographers can expand their creativity with options such as Panorama, Long Exposure and LightTrail modes.

Ronin-S – Bring a Steady Shot to Any Set

Ronin-S is DJI’s first single-handed stabilizer for DSLR and mirrorless camera systems. Available in two frame sizes for either camera type, DJI’s powerful three-axis gimbal technology delivers smooth, shake-free video and crisp photos, adding a cinematic and professional look to your work.

Powerful high-torque motors support the most popular camera and lens combinations including the Canon 5D, Panasonic GH and Sony Alpha systems. Its stabilization system compensates for zoom lenses with higher magnification ratios and an external zooming barrel, while its advanced stabilization algorithms work with both in-camera and in-lens optical stabilization technology.

Capturing stabilized video has never been easier because Ronin-S was designed for easy setup and use. A new Push mode lets you adjust the pan and tilt axis by hand while the Ronin-S is powered on and axis locks speed up the setup process so you can spend more time filming and less time prepping your gear. Ronin-S has a comfortable, ergonomic curved design that helps capture smooth cinematic movements from upright to underslung positions without obstructing the camera’s display. Ronin-S also features DJI’s intelligent battery technology that can be hot-swapped during operation for extended shoots.*

Dedicated control buttons for the camera and gimbal let you toggle between SmoothTrack settings, record and stop the camera, and the high-precision joystick changes the camera position to help frame your shot perfectly. A new Sport mode allows for fast movements with tight and quick subject following speed.

Harness intelligent shooting modes on Ronin-S through the DJI Ronin mobile app to create complex camera moves automatically like Panorama, Hyperlapse, Track and CamAnchor that lets you designate specific camera positions in a scene and rotate between them on demand. Directly customize SmoothTrack settings with dedicated controls for responsiveness of each axis. Camera settings can be directly adjusted as well.**

Ronin-S is compatible with a variety of DJI Pro Accessories to capture any scene and expand your creative freedom on set or location. Supported accessories include a Focus Control Center consisting of a focusing dial and a screen allowing advanced gimbal and focus control without a mobile device, a vehicle mount solution, DJI Master Force, DJI Master Wheels, an external focus motor, and a cheese plate adapter so you can use your favorite third-party accessories. A dual-handle support will also be available for when an added level of comfort and stability is required.

Price and Availability

Osmo Mobile 2 retails for $ 129 USD and will be available exclusively for pre-order at Apple.com on January 23, 2018. Starting in early February, it will also be available at store.dji.com, DJI Flagship Stores, and DJI Authorized Retailers, with additional availability later in February at Apple Stores in select regions worldwide. For more information on all the new features and capabilities of Osmo Mobile 2, please visit www.dji.com/osmo-mobile-2.

Ronin-S will be available in the second quarter of 2018 from dji.com, DJI Flagship Stores, DJI Authorized Retail Stores, and DJI Resellers worldwide***. Pricing will be announced prior to availability. Additional information on Ronin-S can be found at www.dji.com/ronin-s.

?Osmo Shield for Osmo Mobile

Osmo Shield is a coverage plan that extends the warranty of any Osmo series product by one additional year, including accidental hardware damage coverage, that covers up to one free replacement and provides repair solutions for two years. Osmo Shield is currently available in select countries, including China, the United States, and Canada.

Photos and Videos Available for Download

Osmo Mobile 2 photos: http://bit.ly/2CGwrPf

Ronin-S photos: http://bit.ly/2lXk4E8

DJI at CES 2018

Visit the DJI booth at CES to see the new Osmo Mobile 2 and Ronin-S, and experience the entire DJI product portfolio of camera drones and image stabilization systems. Onsite activities and promotion for CES attendees at the DJI booth include:

Rent an Osmo Mobile 2 for free each day
Compete in DJI’s daily flight simulator challenge to win a DJI Spark Fly More Combo
Register to enter a daily raffle for Ronin-S and receive a $ 100 USD discount coupon

DJI’s main booth is located in the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall, Level 2, booth #26002. Drone flight demos will also take place at DJI’s booth in the Central Hall, booth #14710T.

*Can be utilized with dual-handheld accessory as well

**For supported camera models

***The Ronin-S products shown at CES 2018 are prototypes and the final specs and features may vary

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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GorillaPod unveils the Mobile Rig: A flexible tripod with two extra accessory arms

30 Dec

GorillaPod has launched a new flexible tripod product called the Mobile Rig. With Mobile Rig, smartphone filmmakers get two extra arms in addition to the smartphone mount, making it possible to attach a small secondary camera or accessories, such as lights and a microphone. And, of course, Mobile Rig has the same flexibility as past GorillaPod tripods.

The GorillaPod Mobile Rig includes a pair of arms, each with 1/4″-20 connection points, as well as a pair of Cold Shoe mounts and a single GoPro mount. Joining those is the GripTight locking mount for securing a smartphone to the tripod. The tripod is made of aluminum, ABS plastic, zinc-aluminum, stainless steel, and TPE.

GorillaPod Mobile Rig is in stock on JOBY’s website for $ 100 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Google launches three mobile photography ‘Appsperiments’

13 Dec

Google today launched the first three installments in a series of experimental photography apps that the company calls ‘appsperiments’. The apps build on a range of technologies that are currently under development at Google, including: object recognition, person segmentation, stylization algorithms or efficient image encoding and decoding technologies.

Storyboard – Android only

The Storyboard app is currently available for Android and converts videos into single-page comic layouts. After shooting a video the app automatically selects interesting video frames, creates a layout, and applies one of six visual styles to the imagery.

And since privacy is a big concern with anything ‘intelligent’ like this: all of this happens on-device, without sending any data to the cloud.

Selfissimo! – iOS and Android

Selfissimo! is available for iOS devices and Android. Once you activate the app, it automatically captures a black-and-white selfie each time you strike a pose. The app encourages you to pose and captures a photo whenever you stop moving.

You end the ‘photoshoot’ by tapping on the screen, and can then review a ‘contact sheet’ to save your favorite images.

Scrubbies – iOS only

Scrubbies is an iOS app and allows you to adjust the playback speed and direction of videos, as well as create looping clips. The idea is to shoot a video using the app and then ‘remix’ it by ‘scratching’ on the screen like a DJ would do with vinyl.

Scrubbing with one finger plays the video. Scrubbing with two fingers captures the playback so you can save or share it.

If you try one or more of these so-called appsperiments, you can send your feedback to Google via in-app feedback links. More information about each of these creations is available on the Google Research Blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Lifeprint unveils larger, WiFi-enabled version of its AR-equipped mobile printer

06 Dec

Lifeprint, the company behind the mobile photo printers with embedded augmented reality technology, today announced its second model, which produces larger prints than the original version and offers Wi-Fi connectivity as well.

The new printer can print images that are 3 by 4.5 inches in size—compared to the original model’s minuscule 2 by 3 inch prints—and thanks to the new Wi-Fi feature you can remotely send an image for printing to a Lifeprint printer from anywhere, or send photos to printers owned by friends and family. For local printing, a Bluetooth connection is available as well.

As with the original Lifeprint, you can print video stills or a frame of an iPhone Live Photo and then view the full version via the Lifeprint app, merging physical print with digital display technology and offering a novel way of sharing videos with friends and family.

Like most mobile printers on the market, the Lifeprint prints on Polaroid’s ZINK paper, which does away with the need for ink cartridges and comes with an adhesive backside. Inside the app you can add stickers, captions and filters before printing. At more than $ 1 per photo, the luxury is not cheap, so select your images and videos wisely.

Lifeprint’s new larger printer is available exclusively through Apple Stores and on Apple.com for $ 150. A film pack of 20 is $ 30; $ 50 will get you a pack of 40.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Lightroom Mobile – The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

30 Nov

Why use Lightroom Mobile

Many people don’t realize the benefits of using Lightroom Mobile with your Adobe Lightroom Subscription. When you subscribe to Adobe’s Photographer’s plan, not only will you receive Adobe Lightroom Classic, but you also get access to Lightroom Mobile.

Lightroom Mobile - The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

Lightroom Mobile is a cloud-based program which originates from your Lightroom Classic desktop. It’s easy to set up, and Adobe’s help desk is there to quickly assist if you have any questions. You not only have the ability to share your images across multiple devices, but you can also shoot and edit quality RAW images right from your phone or tablet.

Setting up Lightroom Mobile

The first thing you need to do is enable Lightroom Mobile from within your desktop version of Lightroom. This will signal Lightroom to sync the files that you select. Below is a screenshot of Lightroom’s Activity Screen that shows the status of Lightroom mobile. The activity screen is located in the upper left-hand corner of your Lightroom desktop page.
Lightroom Mobile - The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

Creating Collections

The secret to working with Lightroom Mobile is to create collections within your Lightroom desktop version that you want to sync with Mobile. It will not automatically sync everything in your Lightroom catalog, you have to tell it which images you want to show on your devices and this is done through collections. I wouldn’t recommend syncing all your images to Lightroom Mobile. Leave this for special collections and your portfolio.

Select a group of images you would like to include in a collection and navigate to the collection module on the left panel of the Lightroom desktop app. Click the + sign in the collections pane to create a new collection.

Lightroom Mobile - The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

Create a new collection.

Once you have created the collections and added images to them, you need to be sure that these collections will sync. When you first create them, there is a box to tick to enable Lightroom Mobile and syncing between devices – make sure that is checked off.

Lightroom Mobile - The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

Enable Lightroom Mobile

If you don’t enable Lightroom Mobile upon import or when you create a new collection, you can always enable it after the fact by making sure the firebolt is enabled located to the left of the collection name. Just tick the box next to the collection you want to sync and the firebolt will show.

Firebolt Icon is Located to the Left of the Collection Title

To stop a Collection from syncing with your device, do one of the following in the Collections panel:

Click the firebolt sync icon next to the name of the Collection to turn it off.
Right-click a Collection and deselect Sync With Lightroom Mobile from the sync menu.

Viewing Images on Your Device

If your Lightroom Mobile is enabled correctly, you will need to sign into the Adobe Creative Cloud with your password. The mobile version should start filling up with the collections you enabled on your Lightroom desktop. You can also enable Lightroom Mobile to automatically pull images that you take from your Mobile device. Make sure you create a special collection of those images only.

Creating Images with Lightroom Mobile

With the current version of Lightroom mobile, you can create images on your Smartphone with the app. It gives you the option of either shooting in JPG or DNG. You can also shoot in automatic or professional mode and use a variety of presets. I prefer to shoot an image without any preset adjustments made to it and apply any edits afterward. That way you will always have the un-retouched original image.

The automatic shooting mode on Lightroom mobile works really well. It gives you separate focus and exposure points as well as overexposure indicators that show up as a series of parallel lines indicating highlight clipping. These three tools are the keys to getting a good shot on your mobile device. If you scrub left or right on the screen, the highlight clipping indicators will go away when the exposure becomes balanced. If portions of the image are overexposed, it will show up as you see in the image of my white dog below.

Automatic Shooting Mode with Over Exposure Highlights

The beauty of using Lightroom Mobile is you can edit images on your Mobile device or from your main computer. They can be located in a collection taken with your DSLR, or they can be images taken with your cell phone and located in your Lightroom Mobil collection.

Note: if you have your monitor calibrated, the colors may come out differently on your pad or phone if you decide to edit from there. No editing is permanent within Lightroom, so it’s an easy fix if it doesn’t look right on your main desktop computer.

One of the keys to success in mobile photography is to get it right in the camera just like a DSLR. Using these tools with this intuitive mobile app will help you accomplish that goal.

Please keep in mind, your phone or tablet is not a DSLR, so know that the images will not be of the same quality as a high megapixel DSLR. However, the Lightroom Mobile camera app gives you some great tools to create some really nice Smartphone images.

Editing in Lightroom Mobile

Once you have created your images and imported them to Lightroom Mobile (either from your desktop or from your smartphone), you have almost as many options for editing on your device as you do on your desktop.

If you tap on the edit screen in the top left corner, it will open up a menu of several different editing options.

Select the Edit Tool

On the edit screen, you can choose to edit the image globally or choose selections and edit specific areas individually. This is how to start a post-processing workflow, whether you’re using Lightroom Classic CC desktop version or Lightroom Mobile.

Then you can go through the different options for post-processing, starting with light, color, effects and finishing off with detail. You can also make a selection in your image and go through all of those same adjustments, just affecting the selected areas.

Local Adjustments

By tapping on the selective icon on the bottom left, it will bring up a menu with a paintbrush. Tap on the brush, and then select the middle brush size and paint with your finger over the area you would like to edit. If you overdo it, you can use the eraser tool to clean up your selection. After you make the selection, then you can make any number of adjustments on just that area. Once you have made all the necessary adjustments, save your edits.

Lightroom Mobile - The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone

Using this technique will give you the most interesting effects by truly painting with light and not just adding random light adjustments for the whole image.

Give Lightroom Mobile a try and make it a part of your everyday photo organizing and editing. Give some of these selective tools a try and let me know how it goes in the comments area below.

The post Lightroom Mobile – The Secret to Shooting and Editing on Your Smartphone by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Moment counterweights let you use add on lenses with DJI Osmo Mobile

28 Nov

Moment has launched 50g and 100g counterweights for DJI’s Osmo Mobile, making it possible to use Moment’s add-on lenses with the handheld gimbal stabilizer for your smartphone. This also ostensibly makes the Osmo Mobile the first smartphone gimbal that supports add-on lenses.

Normally, if you try to use an add on lens with your smartphone gimbal, the added weight throws the stabilizer off. The counterweight compensates for that weight, enabling users with large and small smartphones to use them, the lenses, and the gimbal together. As demonstrated in the video above, Moment’s counterweights clip onto the Osmo Mobile’s arm and can be easily removed when the add-on lens isn’t in use.

Interested Osmo Mobile owners can pre-order the counterweights now for a discounted $ 32, with shipping expected to start on December 11th.

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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Review: Struman Lenses for Mobile Phones

18 Oct

As the use of mobile phones as cameras become more popular people want to get the best possible images with them. In some ways, they are very limited in how you can take photos. There are many companies now making lenses for mobile phones to help you get much better images.

Some are better than others with most requiring a magnetic ring to attach them to your phone, over the camera lens. They can have varying degrees success. Some have good lenses, but the rings don’t work, while others are designed for a particular camera and aren’t good on other models.

Review: Struman Lenses for Mobile Phones

The Struman Optics case, the clip, and three phone lenses.

Struman Optics has come up with a set of lenses that consider all aspects of using them along with different phone products. Through phone cases for the most popular brands, or a special clip for the others, you can now use their lenses (the macro, fisheye, wide-angle and telephoto) with any phone.

Phone cases

Unlike many other lenses for mobile phones, the Struman Optics ones have covers for the top two brands – both iPhone and Samsung. The phone covers have a section where the camera is that allows you to screw in the lens so it is aligned perfectly with the camera.

The case makes taking photos a lot easier as you can hold your phone in any manner, and not worry about the lens coming off. It makes the whole system much sturdier.

The phone case with a lens screwed into it ready to be used.

Clip

If you have one of the lesser known phone brands or models, the lenses come with a clip that allows you to put them over the phone. They come with a spongy surface that sits against the screen so it won’t scratch. This takes a little more mucking around to get the lens correctly aligned, but once it’s done you can take your photos.

You can put the empty clip to help you work out where it should go. You can then screw in the lens that you want to use and take your images. If you decide you want to change to another lens, it isn’t a problem as they are easy to swap out.

The clip on the phone with a lens in it.

The Lenses

There are two kits available. The first includes a macro, wide-angle and fish-eye lens. The second is a telephoto lens that also has a holder for your phone and small tripod that you can use to help you steady the camera.

Macro Lens

Trying to get really close to objects for macro photography with your phone seems to be something that so many of us try to achieve. Some phones do it well, while others struggle. My current phone has trouble getting close and it can be frustrating. I do like macro photography, so having a lens I can put on my phone is great.

The Struman Optics macro lens is incredible. It will allow you to get a lot closer to your object than your phone can. It gives you a great amount of detail and is very sharp. When you go to take an image you can get as close as a couple of centimeters or an inch away from the subject.

This photo was taken with my phone and the macro lens screwed into the phone case.

Perhaps the one negative thing about this is that you don’t have a lot of choices, you only get the one focal range. All images have to be taken from the same distance, which is really close. However, if your intention is to get as near as possible, then you will love this lens.

This is as close as you can get with just my phone and no added lens.

When you screw in the Struman macro lens, you can get a whole lot closer and capture a lot more detail.

If you decide you want to get a little further away the wide-angle lens is what you need.

Wide-Angle Macro Lens

The wide-angle lens will let you take photos at any distance. You can get a wider angle than what your phone will take. If you have a subject that is hard to photograph because you can’t quite get it into the frame, then this lens will allow you to get a wider angle of view.

Compare the images below. The first image shows you the lighthouse taken with the phone and no lens. It is a tight image, and to get more distance I would have to move farther back. But as there was a cliff behind me so that was not an option.

The lighthouse taken with the phone and no lens attached.

The Struman wide-angle lens was attached to the phone and now you can see that there is a lot more room around the lighthouse. This made it a better image.

Same Lighthouse, but with the wide-angle lens attached.

The lens also has macro capabilities. If you find that you don’t want to get as close as you have to with the macro lens, put the wide-angle on and you can get that distance. It is good for photographing the whole flower or getting more than one in the shot. It is a great lens to go with the macro.

Fish-eye Lens

The fish-eye lens is a lot of fun. When you use one for the first time it is addictive to see what you take with it. This lens is similar to other fish-eye lenses for phones in that the image is a circle. If you give your subject enough space you can crop it so it is square or rectangle. However, if you do that you are reducing the size of the file.

Fish-eye lens used to photograph the lighthouse and then cropped to make a normal rectangular image.

Like the wide-angle lens, the fish-eye can also do macro. It can be used when you want to highlight an object in particular. It creates a bokeh effect with everything around it.

Some shelves with an assortment of things, taken with the fish-eye lens.

Carry Case

The above three lenses and the clip all come in a little case that fits in your bag or your pocket. It makes it very easy to carry them around. There is a little pocket that has some instructions and a cleaning cloth for the lenses. The case is not soft and is quite solid, so it keeps everything inside safe.

Telephoto Lens

As stated earlier, Struman Optics also makes a telephoto lens which you can purchase in a kit with a stand and a holder for the phone. This also fits into the phone cover case or the clip to help hold it still. You do really need the stand and phone holder as it’s a large lens. It is hard to hand-hold it to take photos.

When you find a subject you want to photograph, you have to be a certain distance from the object, a meter or a yard away. You do have to focus it manually, so if you find it is too hard to focus that could your subject is either too close or too far away.

Out of all the Struman lenses, this is the hardest to use. You do need to use the stand, or a stand with the phone holder. It does mean you have to carry a bit more equipment with you if you want to use this lens.

The telephoto lens in the phone case, with the phone secured by the holder and kept up-right on the stand.

Stand and Phone Holder

The stand is basic and not very big, though it is easy enough to carry around. You do need to have a surface to put it on and that isn’t always possible.

The phone holder screws onto the top of the stand and you put your phone in it. It is easy to use, though it can be a bit stiff to mount your phone. The holder will also fit on other tripods or Gorillapods. That allows you to use it with your other gear if you decide to throw the holder and lens in your kit when you go out.

This flower image was taken with the wide-angle lens, shot very close to the flower.

In Practice

When I went away recently I put the cover on my phone so I could use the lenses anytime I wanted. I didn’t take the telephoto lens with me, but I most definitely packed the other three. They were always with me, either in my bag, or my pocket.

They are the best mobile phone lenses I’ve seen yet. The images are amazing and the detail you can get in your images is so sharp. If you love using your phone for photography and want to get more out of it, then here are the lenses that may be perfect for you. Struman Optics is an Australian company, but they ship all over the world.

I would give these lenses 9 out of 10, I love them.

The post Review: Struman Lenses for Mobile Phones by Leanne Cole appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Mobile E-Home: Solar-Powered Electric Motorhome Recharges on the Road

22 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

Electric vehicles are often limited by recharge options, a design problem this Dethleffs camper tackles with solar panels and German engineering.

Their E.Home has a maximum range of over 170 miles but can potentially run indefinitely (at least by day) thanks to over 300 square feet of thin solar film covering most the exterior. These panels to generate up to 3,000 watts of electricity, powering up a sodium-nickel-chloride battery.

Of course, the less energy needed the better the range, so the manufacturers have also added phase change materials to help keep the interior warm when it’s cold and deflect heat on hot days. Infrared heating panels in the floors, walls and furniture also provide targeted supplement heating on demand.

Thinking forward, the camper includes various other cutting-edge technologies, like driver assistance and vehicle monitoring systems. Give it a few more years and these things will presumably end up driverless, too — the ultimate in automatic, go-anywhere mobile homes (with even more room to relax without a driver’s seat!).

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Report: Samsung is developing a 1,000fps mobile image sensor

20 Sep

According to sources who spoke to Korean publication ETNews, Samsung is planning to kick its mobile camera technology up a notch with a 1,000fps smartphone camera sensor that will compete directly with Sony’s similar sensor. This technology is called a “3-layered image sensor,” and Samsung has reportedly ordered special equipment necessary to start producing the hardware in November. Smartphones featuring this technology, like the Sony Xperia XZ, can record super-slow-motion video.

ETNews, which has a good track record in relation to Samsung leaks, claims that this 3-layered image sensor is comprised of TSV stacking technology alongside a DRAM chip and system semiconductor. Pilot production of the image sensors will start in October, the sources claim, followed by mass production in November. By comparison, Samsung currently uses 2-layered image sensors in its newest flagship smartphones.

It is the DRAM chip for temporary data storage that will enable the mobile image technology to capture at 1,000fps, and as we mentioned earlier, Samsung won’t be the first company to develop this technology for mobile devices. Sony was the first to bring this 3-layered image sensor tech to commercial devices, though the sources say Samsung will use TSV stacking rather than thermal compression to avoid the costs that come with licensing other companies’ patents.

Questions remain about which Samsung smartphones will receive the new 3-layered image sensors. Assuming mass production does start this November, it is reasonable to assume we’ll see the sensors implemented into the next batch of Galaxy smartphones the company will unveil in 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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