Showing posts with label iPhone Lenses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone Lenses. Show all posts
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Kickstarter: SNAP! 6 Makes iPhone Photography Easier
I already own several lenses for my iPhone 5s, but nothing currently works with my iPhone 6. After reading about The SNAP! 6, at iPhone Photography School, I decided to have a look at the SNAP! 6 Kickstarter campaign. I was impressed by the idea of a case with a dedicated shutter button that also includes lenses, so I backed the project at the highest level, $140 - in December I'll be receiving the full package with a SNAP! 6 case, Leather Strap, Wide Angle Lens + Fisheye Lens and 3x Telephone Lens + Circular Polarizing Lens. For me the leather strap will be a welcome addition. Just this week I was shooting over a bridge and was worried about dropping my iPhone.
I posted on Twitter and Facebook when I backed the project and one of the comments I received was the nature of the shutter button being accessible in the landscape mode only. Although I also shoot in portrait mode mainly, it should be relatively easy to press the button when holding in the portrait position too, but I won't know that until I give it a try.
If you'd like to back the project to get the reduced price (most Kickstarter items have a higher retail price once they are available to the general public), you'll have to pledge before October 29, 2014 at 9:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.
Once I receive my package, I'll be doing a hands-on review, but in the meantime for more information here's the official Press Release.
Press Release:
SNAP! 6 - The Easiest Way To SNAP A SHOT With Your iPhone 6
An iPhone 6 case with an actual shutter button & interchangeable lenses that make photo-taking easy, fun and professional.
Taipei City, Taiwan – With the launch of the new iPhone 6 photos will look better than ever, that’s if you hold your phone correctly by using your both hands or risk taking a shaky photo blocking your lens by using one hand. Inspired by traditional camera, SNAP! 6 allows you to securely hold your iPhone and take advantage of the uniquely-designed shutter button, just one press, and it’s done. SNAP! 6 is a complete game changer that makes snapping a picture with your iPhone easy and smooth. With an actual shutter button and portable, interchangeable lenses, now you can take photos with your iPhone with ease and at the same time go creative without sacrificing mobility.
WHY SNAP! 6 WORKS -
- Perfect gesture and shutter button placement: Lens is not blocked. Snapping photo with shutter.
- Single-hand control Easy and firm grip with one hand. Now, with SNAP! 6’s shutter button and anti-slippery grip design, we can hold the phone steadily and simply press the button to snap a pic without any trouble.
- Selfies Made easy
- Professional photo-taking: Similar to professional cameras, SNAP! 6 also comes with interchangeable lenses. By having a macro and wide-angle lenses, you can now enjoy the benefits of enhanced photo with amazing details, quality and wider perspective. Your iPhone is transformed into a powerful pro-level camera that is as intuitive and functional as it is sleek and compact.
Taking perfect selfies and amazing photos has never been so seamless, and taking a case out of your pocket has never been this satisfying. We came up with the idea of incorporating an actual shutter button on our SNAP! 6 case. When you hold your phone horizontally, the shutter button is on the upper right hand corner, just as how you would use the shutter on a real camera. With our patent pending mechanical design, the shutter button and volume rocker (-) button is situated within the back of the cover case. So when you press the shutter button of the SNAP! 6, the volume button will be simultaneously pressed as well to trigger the camera shutter (a built-in function of the default camera app).
Now you can quickly unlock the phone with a thumb swipe and then use your index finger to snap a shot with the shutter without your hand being in the way. We are hoping that with our patent-pending shutter-design case, we can deliver that same kind of feel and experience when using a real camera to our users. Snap!6 is being offered exclusively on Kickstarter for $35.
About Bitplay
Founded in 2009, bitplay has a small team of 6 exceptional individuals coming from a wide range of diverse background, including industrial design, visual communication and interaction design. With years of solid experience from the industries, bitplay has been recognized for its innovative design and won a numerous internal awards such as iF Design, Red Dot Design, Good Design and Golden Pin Design.
Geri's Note: Since SNAP! 6 met their first goal, the creators are also working on a dedicated app SNAP! Pro which will have a traditional camera like interface with ability to adjust shutter speed, white balance, exposure and also include filters, frames along with more features. Goal 2 enabled them to develop the 3x Telephoto and Polarizer lens and if Goal 3 ($80,000) is reached they will be able to make an iPhone 6 Plus case too.
Geri's Note: Since SNAP! 6 met their first goal, the creators are also working on a dedicated app SNAP! Pro which will have a traditional camera like interface with ability to adjust shutter speed, white balance, exposure and also include filters, frames along with more features. Goal 2 enabled them to develop the 3x Telephoto and Polarizer lens and if Goal 3 ($80,000) is reached they will be able to make an iPhone 6 Plus case too.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
SquidCam - A Talk with the Creator and a Giveaway!
What is your name and where do you live?
CM: My name is Charles Mercader and I am from Sacramento, California. I’m the founder of SquidCam. My current duties are everything from marketing, social media, assembly, support etc. I started this product a little over a year ago and slowly I'm growing it. Product design and mobile photography are my passion.
How and when did you come up with the idea for SquidCam?
CM: I came up with the SquidCam when I started noticing magnetic attached lenses on mobile phones, but I noticed typically one could not use a case while using these lenses. I’ve always liked building block toys and I realized that a case with a grid pattern to attach lenses would be awesome. The case alone would stand out itself and now add lenses, it immediately gave me the drive to start this product.
An iconic case design, built around the building block look + iPhone lenses kit.
How did you decide on the name?
CM: The case started as a silicone case with the iPhone 4/4s and the inside of the case looking like suction cups. The rubber feel of the material reminded me of a mollusk like “octopus,” since Octopus was a little long, “squid” made more sense. Add the “cam” for camera and there you have it, “SquidCam.”
How does the SquidCam work?
CM: The lenses are bonded to the adapter piece - simply align and snap them on to the case. The fisheye lens has a 180-degree view, unscrew the fisheye lens for 15x macro. The wide angle has almost 2x the viewing range, unscrew the wide angle lens for the 10x macro.
What lenses come with the SquidCam? Are they comparable in quality to Olloclip?
CM: We basically have the same functioning lenses 4in1: fisheye, wide angle and 10x/15x macro. The main difference is that my lenses attach by snapping on to the case. The lenses never touch the phone, so it cannot scratch the phone from repeated removal.
With the lenses mounted it is much thinner than most other setups since it is all on the backside of the phone. The case for the 5/5s is a hybrid polymer material; stiff polycarbonate back and over molded thermo polymer sides that won't crack or stretch.
What sets ours apart is that the SquidCam is bold and colorful. It really speaks for itself, everywhere I go people notice the case and the lenses; it really is a conversation starter. (Geri's note: I can vouch for this, I carried mine with me out to dinner last night and got all kinds of questions from the server at the restaurant).
The colored blocks can be customized upon ordering to create different aesthetic looks to match your favorite colors, sports team colors, college colors, etc.
With the lenses attaching to the case, there is a little bit more vignetting/shadowing since there is more space between the lens and the camera. A lot of photographers like this effect for the fisheye and wide angle, but it can easily be worked around via zooming or post cropping.
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| Macro Sample © @trumaebelle |
Can the lenses be purchased separately or do you have to buy the whole set?
CM: I want everyone who purchases a SquidCam to have the full experience, so all 4 lenses come together with the case. Replacement lenses can be purchased separately.
Are you an active iPhoneographer?
CM: Yes I’m an active iPhoneographer. I’m the one and only curator on the @squidcam Instagram account. The SquidCam IG account has a lot of my customer’s SquidCam photos. For the product photos, those are all taken by me with the iPhone, I only use the iPhone and my lenses to take product pics of my product. Being a car hobbyist, the automotive related photos on my page are typically my personal photos.
My followers will definitely agree that I’m very proactive in my community; every comment and question I receive is thanked and replied to. I make customer service my priority and having social media like Instagram is perfect for connecting with your fans and customers.
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| Fisheye © @antoinettemarrie |
Olloclip has an app that removes some of the distortion from images using their lenses. Have you thought of adding an app to the SquidCam line?
CM: I have thought about it, but my main priority is expanding the product line. For an app like that, I will definitely have to find an expert camera app developer team to create what I would like since app development is not my field of expertise. There are many apps out there which can be used to edit SquidCam fisheye and wide angle photos including the Olloclip app.
How has the SquidCam been received by the public?
CM: People love it, the case is so bold and speaks for itself and add the lens to the whole package; it serves as functional and fashionable. I always have people asking me about the case as they’ve never seen anything like it before.
Do you have any other projects you're working on?
CM: I want to work on creating formal packaging for the product. By operating mainly through online sales, I haven’t needed formal retail product packaging. I think it will be a step to making the product experience better and is the first step towards possible retail sales.
Another product I’m working on is a tripod mount adapter and a lens kit for the Samsung Galaxy phones.
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| Wide Angle Lens ©lowerthenu |
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
CM: It’s been a lot of work and I hope everyone can enjoy it. I’m definitely thankful for Instagram, the greater percentage of my orders come from Instagram alone and will continue to listen to my customers/fans on further developing the SquidCam.
I think the Olloclip is a great product, one of the best; they are the biggest in distribution. A lot of the mobile lens systems do the same thing, but we all differ in the ways they attach to the phone and our execution. I think we all have our strengths and weaknesses and it is important for iPhoneographers to know of the lens kit options that are in the market place.
I’m not saying we are the best, but the SquidCam does it with more flair!
Links: SquidCam / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / Tumblr
Geri's First Impressions on SquidCam
I didn't quite know what to expect when opening up my SquidCam packaging. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really loved the case. Charles sent me a black case and and a red case along with the lenses and four colored blocks to spruce up my SquidCam. The case easily slipped right on my iPhone 5s and all openings perfectly aligned with the iPhone. I tested the Sleep/Wake and Volume buttons and everything worked. The case provides a nice bumper edge to my phone as well, so it not only looks cool, it protects as well.
Next, I had a look at the lenses. They fit very tightly on to the case and feel really secure. I shook the case up and down and the lenses didn't budge. I gave each of the lenses a test run as well. All shots were clear and crisp and the lenses each provided the expected results. I'm looking forward to trying them further the next time I head out on a photo shoot, especially the fisheye and wide angle.
If there is ever an update to the SquidCam case, I have only one suggestion. Currently you can attach one lens to the case for shooting and attach the other right next to it which makes it easy to switch lenses. I would love to be able to attach both lenses to the case. This would allow easy access to both lenses and still allow me to shoot without them as well.
I'd like to thank the following photographers who granted permission to post their photos - find their Instagram galleries here:
@trumaebelle
@antoinettemarrie
@lowerthenu
Geri's First Impressions on SquidCam
I didn't quite know what to expect when opening up my SquidCam packaging. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really loved the case. Charles sent me a black case and and a red case along with the lenses and four colored blocks to spruce up my SquidCam. The case easily slipped right on my iPhone 5s and all openings perfectly aligned with the iPhone. I tested the Sleep/Wake and Volume buttons and everything worked. The case provides a nice bumper edge to my phone as well, so it not only looks cool, it protects as well.
Next, I had a look at the lenses. They fit very tightly on to the case and feel really secure. I shook the case up and down and the lenses didn't budge. I gave each of the lenses a test run as well. All shots were clear and crisp and the lenses each provided the expected results. I'm looking forward to trying them further the next time I head out on a photo shoot, especially the fisheye and wide angle.
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| Left to Right: Without SquidCam, 10X Macro, 15X Macro © Geri Centonze |
I'd like to thank the following photographers who granted permission to post their photos - find their Instagram galleries here:
@trumaebelle
@antoinettemarrie
@lowerthenu
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. Note SquidCam is available for iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5/5s and iPod 5 only. I will draw one winner by random draw on Thursday, July 17, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. PDT. Good Luck!
UPDATE: For anyone ordering the SquidCam case and lenses you can get free domestic shipping by using the promo code "ptakephotoplus".
UPDATE: The winner was chosen by Random Number Generator. I assigned each entry a number and used the generator to select the winner. Congrats to Carolyn Hall Young. I will be in touch by email to give you the details. Thanks to all who entered.
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