Snapture Flash adds crappy flash to crappy iPhone camera
By Nilay Patel 
posted December 23rd 2008 10:36PM
posted December 23rd 2008 10:36PM
[Via Engadget Spanish]
posted December 23rd 2008 10:36PM
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As a photographer, that actually makes it look even better to me. Because the first thing that comes to my head when I see a high megapixel number on a small phone camera is "why on earth put a high-res sensor on a camera that has such a small lens?" The answer is, of course, purely for marketing reasons. So I'm glade Apple didn't go down that path.
Justin, you'd be right if it were a small camera carrying an 8-15 MP sensor, but even a small lens can resolve more detail than a 2mp sensor can handle. Upping from 2mp to 3mp or even up to 5mp would help resolve more detail. Granted, having a lens that isn't fixed focus is way more important but the Canon S230 3.2mp camera I had clearly resolves less detail than the same sized SD500 7mp camera I got a few years back. Apples to Apples my friend. Can't compare my SD500 to my 30D, that's for sure. And even that's only 8mp.
Why is it nokia can have a 5 megapixel cam with flash but apple cant?
It's not a matter of "can't" there is little Apple "can't" do with the iPhone, there is however many things they just don't want to do for whatever reason. I love my iPhone, but that doesn't mean I don't have the same "Why the hell didn't they...: questions. Not upgrading the camera on the 3G was one of the first WTF moments after I saw it. But, it does take pretty decent pictures if the lighting is good.
Same reason the Macbooks sport the Min"i" Displayport instead of, uh, I don't know... HDMI?
It's because apple has created the most inovative technology ever to grace my palms
The link on the article is wrong
Before/after pictures here
www.snaptureflash.com
Seriously guys, before trashing this, take a look at the before/after images. Name a better solution than this product. You can't, there is none. The difference is night and day, hands down the best solution available.
Sure, you can get a sony ericsson phone with a better camera, but there's a reason why there are more iPhones than any other cameraphones in the world. http://flickr.com/cameras/
my 2c
Umm, because people are sheep and if the herd determines something to be cool, then everyone has to have it?
"there's a reason why there are more iPhones than any other cameraphones in the world. http://flickr.com/cameras/"
Jesus, are you seriously trying to tell me that there are more iphones than any other cameraphones in the world? Jackass.
I believe Nokia has more camera phones sold than iPhones.
Well, put in together with an extended battery and I might be interested.
I agree with jesus. People are just trashing this great product simply because it's an iPhone product.
Don't people realize instead of bitching and moaning and iPhone's camera, some people are actually out there to do something about it.
This article is pretty badly written, how is this a bad flash? How is it a bad cameraphone?
As far as I know, xenon flash is absolutely the best flash available anywhere. Don't tell me you thought LED would be better... Seriously if you do then please pack your bag and leave engadget, you're an embarrassment.
And a bad cameraphone? Name another cameraphone that is as widely accepted as the iPhone. Going back 2 years ago there are people who don't even know how to take pictures out of their cameraphone before the iPhone. Sure the sensor is only 2MP, but the ease of use has paved the way for so many phones that followed. Honestly speaking, how many pictures have you taken with your __insert any model__ cameraphone before iPhone? And how many have you taken with your iPhone?
Be fair now, give these guys some credits. The results look absolutely phenomenal. I wish my iPhone camera do this...
I'm not trashing it because its an apple product. I think its just a bad product. If apple produced this, I'm SURE people would kill it, not just anti-apple people
Also a huge reason the iPhone camera sucks is because it is so incredibly shaky, as compared to most other phones
arcticpenguins, you're still not giving a reason why you think it's a bad product.
The case looks good, performs well. What, do you not like the idea? Have you even seen the before/after pictures?
And please, define "shaky". That's not a real camera term. It feels shady because of the low framerate, and guess what causes that Sherlock? BINGO! Low lighting conditions!
===
Another word to all the 2MP haters. MP !=quality. Please, this is a gadget blog, shouldn't the reader be semi-intelligent?
Adding on to Carrie's comment...how can you title a product "crappy" without even testing it out first...and also, this isn't the crappiest flash for the iPhone, it's the best out there...because it's the only one out there.
"Name another cameraphone that is as widely accepted as the iPhone. Going back 2 years ago there are people who don't even know how to take pictures out of their cameraphone before the iPhone. Sure the sensor is only 2MP, but the ease of use has paved the way for so many phones that followed. Honestly speaking, how many pictures have you taken with your __insert any model__ cameraphone before iPhone?"
Anything with a decent lens.
Paved the way for what exactly? How so?
Bloody tons.
Honestly this entire paragraph is ridiculous.
The apocolypse is... here!
Engadget I dont kno if something is wrong with your keyboard, website or what, but the title got fucked up, I believe you meant it to say...
...Snapture Flash adds crappy flash to crappy iPhone camera for Crappy iPhone...
gotta fix this
Was there a difference between cameras in the first gen iPhone and the 3G? If I move the phone while taking a shot I get the CMOS jellocam effect, but I tried it on a 3G and didn't get that problem -- or at least not nearly as bad. Until then I had assumed both phones had the same mediocre camera.
honestly? i run WinMo, but i can appreciate what the iPhone has done. It has brought smart phone capabilities to the masses, it has some serious design points. That's not to say the iPhone is perfect[cut and paste, crappy camera, spotty 3g, etc]. Honestly, though, i think it has revolutionized the mobile market.
I wonder why no company makes a phone without flaws/missing features... MMS on the iPhone would take about two days to crank out of Apple's software designers, especially with the SDK. I suppose they could be afraid of selling too many, and then losing it all when they become and illegal monopoly. Aww, well. I guess the world will never know.
I can't speak to the flash, but I will say that Snapture is much better than the built in Camera app. Just the ability to use the volume button to trigger the shutter was reason enough for me to buy it, but it has a lot of cool features too.
The sample images on the site do look cool, but I agree, put an extended battery in there, and I'd be a buyer.
Engadget, are you on your period or something? It's fair to criticize the iPhone camera because it has been well tested and proven to be crap, but you smeared this flash - calling it crappy - without even testing it? C'mon, that's TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE! I expect much better from you guys. Get your head out of your proverbial ass please. An apology and review is in order.
I'm sorry, were you looking at a different f*****g camera flash add on? This is another shit product to 'enhance' an already shit product! (the camera is shit, as you admit). If there's one thing life's taught me, it's that you can't polish a turd and as much as I am getting tired of hearing about the f*****g iphone from readers on this website, I agree with engadget on this one. If you really want to bolt on a useless, poorly produced plastic half case that looks like an old kodak camera melted down and stamped on, then please feel free to splash out and come back with a review of your very own! C**k. xx
Love you x
ipubs
Did you actually count the number of letters in "fucking" and replace them with stars? How fun.
Um... actually you can polish a turd. Proven by the Mythbusters using a technique called Dorodango. Season 6 episode 20.
If there's anything that can help a piece of sh*t look better, I'm all for it. The people at Snapture know what they're doing. If you've ever used their software, you would know that. There's no doubt in my mind that this device would actually improve the camera's ability to take decent pictures... would they be perfect? Nope... but that's not the point. Make them better. Polish that shit and STFU.
wow - i can't believe nobody asked if this flash thing plays crysis
Holy shit engadget readers are dicks. Finally engadget posts something that doesn't lick apples ass and all of you are screaming bloody murder over it. I remember a post for an extended iPhone batter a while ago, that engadget said was good enough that looked very similar to this and you all tore them over that because it changed the physical shape of the phone. Just give up. I'm so sick of people bashing Nilay Patel and I am more sick of people bashing engadget. They are not "in apples pocket" and they are allowed their own opinions, and not just when it is convenient for you apple worshipping, shit for brains, barbara streisand dickheads.
!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel like I should contest the before and after photos on their website... I'm sure even in darkness you'd see some light or at least some other colour other than #000000... balls to you and your crap case.
WTF? What's wrong with hoping the device can be used by all iPhones by the time it's released? Only a tiny fraction of iPhone users are ever going to jailbreak them.
The flash is lower than the camera's aperture. This will make your pictures look spooky: lit from below.
I can't wait to get this!
Sent from my iPhone 3G.
Sony Ericsson phones are being modded to detect the aids virus in blood samples and the iPhone gets this... BLEH
Just amazing what a good camera can do.
Send me some email! afa08cadet@aol.com
@ipubs bastard child ...
Go get an iPhone and go take a picture in a completely dark room.
Done? Okay, now you can stop talking and making a fool out of yourself.
This is the whole point why there needs to be a flash in the first place. iPhone in dark places aren't just bad, it's completely unusable.
In store conversation...
Customer: "So this thing adds a flash feature to my overpriced iphone?"
Employee drone: " That's right sir and your pics will be better with the flash added."
Customer: "Alright cool!" (grabs it quickly and heads to the register)
Employee at register: "So that will be all for you sir?"
Customer: "Yeah... I did have one question...does it also raise the megapixel count to 5 mega pixels?"
(Employee with blank stare at register signals one of the tech savvy guys to the register)
Employee at register: "He wants to know if this device will raise the megapixel count on his iphone."
Tech Savvy Employee: "Not really...also did the guy that helped you mention you have to also jailbreak your iphone?"
(Customer walks out the store and leaves without snapature)
Long story short....for the asking price w/service plan of the iphone it should already have a built in flash and at least 5 megapixels. Its a REAL shame we have to wait till apple releases the next reiteration of the phone (after improving the battery life) & brings up the megapixels to the reasonable 5 megs w/built in flash & on top of that it will probably be the price it is now subsidized w/horrific data service plan you pretty much pay full price over 2 years. Come June of 2k9 theres gonna be alot of peeps slamming their older models on ebay. I will get this latest iphone though and just buy a REAL camera because a decent 8 meg can be had for less than 1 one Benjamin.
This definitely calls for some kind of "how hideous an iPhone add on can you draw" Photoshop contest. Look, you just snap this 20 story building onto your iphone, and it adds 20 foot story building functionality. You can charge rent!