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Review: Easy-Macro Cameraphone Lens
There are a number of macro lenses made for the iPhone and most of them work really well. The problem is that many of them require that you either use a special case that the lens screws into or you have to use some other kind of contraption to secure the lens to your iPhone. A macro lens gives you the ability to take pictures from a short distance and is best used to capture small detail. Flowers are a popular subject for macro lenses, but you can find some other very creative shots taken with them. The Easy-Macro Cameraphone Lens by Muses Consolidated, LLC, has to be one of the most simple and effective designs for a camera accessory I've ever encountered. It's a misnomer to call it a cover, as it is actually just a very thick band that stretches across your phone with a lens mounted into the band. The hardest part is aligning the lens correctly, so that the band doesn't cut across your iPhone lens. The lens offers 4x magnification and is made from optical-grade acrylic. The synthetic rubber band is 1mm thick and 3/8 inch (9.5mm) wide. You simply stretch the band around the iPhone and position the macro lens over your phone camera lens, and you are ready for your closeup, Mr. DeMille. (I don't recommend you take macro pictures of people, unless you are documenting pores or other unsavory skin conditions, although you can get a nice shot of your fingerprints.) The Easy-Macro has been tested with a variety of devices from the fourth-generation iPod touch up to 10-inch tablets. It is only limited by how much you can stretch the band, but guaranteed to work on devices up to eight inches wide. Currently, the band is available only in blue (except for some special lenses made in red for Lancôme Paris), but Muses Consolidated is investigating the use of other colors. I used the Easy-Macro on my iPhone 4 and tried it horizontally and vertically, with and without my Mophie Juice Pack battery case. I crawled around a local pond amidst the goose poop and other unidentifiable brown goo to capture pictures of amazingly small flying creatures and teeny flowers. I even made friends with a damselfly who elected to pose on my knee for all of 10 seconds! Unfortunately, the Juice Pack turned out to be a tad too thick to use the Easy-Macro length-wise and I tore the band while wrestling it on. Adam Hicks, inventor and president, thinks that it was a manufacturing defect and that the band should not have torn as it did. You can see from the picture below that it did not tear off the lens, but the band itself developed a hole. The only reason you might want to put the Easy-Macro on length-wise is if you want to use the iPhone flash, which actually puts too much glare in a closeup photo, but it was interesting to test it. The lens is secured to the band with glue and to date, each lens is hand-glued to the band. The glue is their secret sauce and works very well. Muses Consolidated will gladly replace the product if it accidentally tears as it did for me. The replacement product sent did not exhibit the same problem, but the band got stretched out from using it on my thick Mophie case. It took a day for it to contract to fit the iPhone without a case again. In the rare case of a broken band, Muses Consolidated requests that you send the broken product back and they'll replace the Easy-Macro free within 30 days of purchase. After that time, they will replace the product for US$5 (plus shipping for International customers) as part of their Customer for Life program. The site claims, "with Easy-Macro you get a perfect macro shot every time." Unfortunately, that's just not true. As with any new lens, you need to practice to get a good macro shot in which the focus is where you want it, plus learning to hold the iPhone perfectly still is a black art. Once you've mastered shaky hands, uneven surfaces and adjusting the lens correctly, then you can get a perfect macro shot every time. A successful Kickstarter campaign for a redesigned lens was completed in September. The product, expected to ship in 2014, includse a redesigned lens with more contact between the lens and band. Muses Consolidated's hope is to reduce the labor-intensive assembly time. The Easy-Macro sells for $15.00 and comes wrapped around credit card-sized laminated cards with instructions. I think the current product is a good choice for a holiday gift because it's inexpensive, provides hours of fun and is easy for anyone to use; plus it costs very little to ship to someone. You can see a selection of a photographs I made in the slideshow below.
UCSD engineers develop mini wide-angle lens that's ten times smaller than a regular one
What you see here, dear readers, is the image of a fiber-coupled monocentric lens camera that was recently developed by engineers from the University of California, San Diego. The researchers involved in the project say this particular miniature wide-angle lens is one-tenth of the size of more traditional options, such as the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L pictured above. Don't let the sheer magnitude (or lack thereof) of this glass fool you, however: UCSD gurus note that the newly developed optics can easily mimic the performance of regular-sized lenses when capturing high-resolution photos. "It can image anything between half a meter and 500 meters away (a 100x range of focus) and boasts the equivalent of 20/10 human vision (0.2-milliradian resolution)," according to engineers. As for us, well, we can't wait to see this technology become widely adopted -- don't you agree?
Ask Engadget: best lens for wedding photography?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Van, who needs some help recording his sister's wedding. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm supposed to be shooting my sister's wedding in June, with an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception. I've got a Canon T2i (550D, non-Americans) with the kit 18-55mm lens and a 50mm f.18 prime lens. I'm looking for suggestions for an additional lens I could rent for the day, would a 200mm or a telephoto be worth it? Also, if anyone can suggest a good filter for an afternoon shoot, that'd be very welcome. Thanks!" That's the second wedding-related query we've had this year -- there must be something in the water. We're sure plenty of you want to help Van's sister's big day go perfectly, so any photogs, camera buffs and bridezillas with an opinion, please add them below.
Photorito disguises your supersized lens as the world's most delicious thing
After the recent rash of burrito robberies that has been plaguing our nation, we're not really sure why anyone would opt to pick up a case that disguised their camera lens as the popular Mexican dish. If you're so inclined, however, you can nab the Photorito, a lens wrap made from Tyvek and neoprene, which promises to protect lenses from 24mm to 200mm from water, dust and bumps. The Photorito ships with a band that will keep it in place -- it'll run you $15 if ordered directly from Photojojo, just don't come crawling to us when you get some guac in your sensor.Update: Photojojo has written to inform us that the price of the Photorito has been bumped up to $20 -- but really, can you put a price of making your camera lens look like Mexican food?
Olympus Pen E-PM1 hands-on (video)
Joining the family of Olympus Pen products is the lovingly nicknamed "PEN Mini," or E-PM1. Compared to its big brothers the PEN E-PL2 and E-PL3, this little guy packs some serious punch in a tiny body, with a similarly small price tag of $500. But can this ILC that Olympus claims offers "DSLR quality in a compact camera design" stack up against the big boys in the pit at the US Open? The 12.3 megapixel camera comes with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens and includes a Micro Four Thirds mount, enabling it to accept compatible lenses from both Olympus and Panasonic -- something that was really easy to get the hang of for speedy switching between sets. Check out our impressions as we go hands-on with the camera at one of the biggest tennis matches of the year. %Gallery-132239% %Gallery-132243%
Plush camera lens pillows get you through the night, koala hug approved
Here's something you can curl up with after those long winter... photoshoots? Straight out of the there's something for everyone department comes a trio of plush toy camera lenses -- in Nikon 35mm, Canon 50mm and 24-105mm varieties -- for even the most discerning leisure connoisseur. These hand-crafted part fleece, part felt creations are the fruits of Plushtography's shutterbug-obsessed labor and come "pre-hugged by a team of koalas to ensure maximum huggability" -- we guess Olivia Newton-John was busy. The pillows range from amateur to expert, in keeping with their lens type and could lighten your wallet to the tune of $35 - $65 smackeroos. These lenses won't imbue you with any magical pro-photographic skill, but they should prove to be an interesting bedroom conversation piece.
Canon 18-55mm lens torn open to expose visuals of Image Stabilization (video)
Hey there, snap-shooter. If you've ever used a Canon DSLR with an 18-55mm lens, you may be horrified to know that the image above is its exposed lens elements. Don't worry, though, it's for science! Recently, Preston Scott from Camera Technica used a laser to show how unsteady your hands are when taking a photograph; now he's back to detail how lenses with Image Stabilization compensate to help in achieving crisper images. IS isn't exactly new technology, but seeing how the glass' internal springs, accelerometers, and gyroscopes react to movement is mesmerizing. Not surprisingly, he also found that photos taken with IS deactivated were usually less sharp. You'll find a steady video of the action past the break, as well a detailed breakdown by hitting the source link below.
Olympus E-PL2 camera gets reviewed, deemed worthy to carry on the E-PL1's torch
Olympus's E-PL2 only surfaced on the public radar just last month, and already reviews are rolling in indicating The Schwartz is quite strong with this latest Micro Four Thirds entrant. Interestingly enough, both Photography Blog and Popular Mechanics saw the improved MSC 14 to 42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens as the most important change to the new rig. That's because it's been retooled to be lighter, slimmer, and shorter, adding to the overall compact feel of the camera. A new internal focus is also apparently much faster and nearly silent -- making it more appealing for video shooting. Outside of the lens changes, both saw the camera's new 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD, faster max shutter speeds, and greater ISO sensitivity as welcomed additions to the solid foundations laid by the E-PL1, resulting in a highly recommended rating from PB. Reviewers at Popular Mechanics also futzed around with the new Bluetooth-enabled photo sharing PENPal accessory and found it great for transferring photos to a phone -- but lamented how it blocked the camera's hot shoe in the process. To dive into all the juicy review details for yourself hit up the source links below.
Next iPad's camera supplier outs itself in Taiwan Stock Exchange filing?
At this point, is there anyone that doesn't suspect the next iPad will sport a camera? We've heard as much, more or less, and now here's more fodder for the suspicious out there: according to Digitimes, a Taiwan Stock Exchange filing from Largan Precision pegs itself as the "sole lens module supplier" for the impending second-generation iPad, with shipments (of the part or of the tablet, we're not sure) due out in the first quarter of 2011. It's worth noting that Largan is the camera parts supplier for the iPhone 4. We haven't been able to check out the filing ourselves yet, and for its part Largan's not saying a word, but we'll let you know what we dig up. You can now return to the part of your iPad 2 dream where it's rocking a glasses-free 3D ultra-retina display... on both sides... and it's transparent... and foldable... and not real. Update: China Times is reporting that Largan got lucky with the exclusive order because Apple's other iPhone 4 camera supplier GSEO (Genius Electronic Optical) is already running at full capacity. Said publication also casually mentions an "end of Q1" launch for the iPad 2, which makes sense given that the original iPad was launched in April.
Canon 5D Mark II goes back in time with circa-1908 lens
Old camera lenses being re-purposed on modern DSLRs is hardly anything new, but Canon 5D Mark II user Timor Civan's latest bit of kit is anything but common. He came into the possession of a circa 1908 Wollensak 35mm F5.0 Cine-Velostigmat lens (for a hand-cranked film camera) by way of a Russian lens technician described as a "mad scientist," who also managed to fit the lens to the 5D after about six hours of work. Needless to say, the results speak for themselves. Hit up the source link below for a collection of samples, and a closer look at the lens itself.
iPhone 4 gets outfitted with vintage SLR lens
Sure, the iPhone 4 may have a pretty great camera as far as phones go, but there's always room for improvement -- right? Continuing the great tradition of iPhones awkwardly outfitted with camera lenses, one intrepid individual has now come up with a contraption that will let you "attach" a full-size SLR lens to your iPhone 4. While complete details are a bit light, Technabob notes that the camera mount at the bottom of the rig is a Manfrotto pocket tripod -- so you at least have a place to start for building your own. [Thanks, Demetri]
Homebrewed Nikon D90 lens is a fish-eyed theft deterrent
It may look like just a bit of corkwood taped to the front of a pretty expensive shooter, but that's only because it is. If you're already willing to withstand gadget muggles sniggering at your mighty DSLR and its six inch frontal protrusion, surely adding this sort of a ghetto mod isn't going to dent your self-respect too much. Put together using the ultimate in ordinary household objects, this fish-eye lens manages to kick out some pretty useful-looking images and seems a viable alternative for those with more time than money. Check out the read link for the full instructions and a gallery of photos taken with the lens.
Really affordable camera lens calendar is just what your layoff asked for
It's a camera lens... no, wait. It's not. It's actually a calendar to goes up to the year 2032, designed by artist Sharad Haksar. It's apparently made from a solid piece of aluminum, though nobody seems sure if this is a manual calendar or one that is powered and self-updating. That's about it for details, but we hear they're going to be available on the artist's website for two grand -- according to a commenter on Yanko Design -- and the calendars will be ready to ship about two weeks from the time of the order.[Via SlashGear]
