SmartphonePhotography
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OlloClip's new mobile lenses cater to pros and amateurs alike
With smartphones piling on extra cameras with each new release, you'd think the clip-on lens would be in danger of becoming obsolete. Well, that's not the case for OlloClip, which is still releasing its mobile lenses at a steady pace. Its latest additions to its Connect X line for iOS and Android phones -- the Intro Series and Pro Series -- lower the entry fee for budding smartphone photographers and also offer up something for experts.
Huawei's P20 Pro rivals the best smartphone cameras out there
We're a skeptical bunch at Engadget, and when Huawei briefed us on its P20 Pro smartphone, listing an endless torrent of specifications and dubbing its Leica Triple Camera system "the most advanced camera on a phone yet," we collectively rolled our eyes. Forty-megapixel camera sensor? I've heard that one before, Huawei. It was only once I was able to test the P20 Pro away from briefing rooms and technical demos (spending a day shooting around a rain-soaked Paris) that the phone started to win me over -- and others. If you like the idea of an accomplished 5x zoom function, and the potential for gorgeous nighttime photography, you have to consider Huawei's latest phones.
Testing the Galaxy S9+ on a night out in Barcelona
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ didn't bring revolutionary changes to the table, but promised a "reimagined" camera that's supposed to change the way we use our mobile shooters. Most of the biggest changes Samsung implemented revolve around improving low-light photography, so what better way to make full use of our scenic surroundings here in Barcelona than to take the S9+ out for an evening sightseeing tour? Here's what we learned (other than that the Gothic Quarter is really pretty, and it can get pretty cold in Spain).
Razer gives its phone a major camera update
When the Razer Phone was first announced, we didn't know what to expect. Sure, the company had Nextbit, but a handset just "for gamers?" The whole thing smelled like a gimmick. Turns out, we needn't have worried. The Razer Phone is a solid flagship with a 5.7-inch, quad HD display (and a rare 120Hz refresh rate), a huge battery and loud front-facing speakers. The only problem? The camera is pretty average. Thankfully, Razer has heard fan complaints and pushed out a sizeable software update. Exactly what it's changed is a mystery, but the result should be "improved picture quality" with less noise, punchier colors and clearer shadows.
Snapseed adds new photo filters and cleans up its interface
As smartphone cameras have beefed up, so have mobile photo editing apps. These days, both iOS and Android users are spoilt for choice. Those looking to make their Instagram posts pop, can choose from a range of free and premium software -- including Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop Fix apps, VSCO, and Affinity Photo (for the iPad set). Sensing the increasing competition, Google has been adding more tools with each new update to Snapseed. To make more room for the upgrades (including "curves" and "face pose") the app is now getting a fresh interface.
The LG V30 is better for video recording than photography
LG has made a name for its V series by stuffing the phones with top-notch multimedia recording features, and its latest addition takes this much further than before. The new V30, unveiled here at IFA 2017, is the first smartphone to offer a glass lens with a f/1.6 aperture, and offers nifty video-recording tools that should excite aspiring Spielbergs. To see if it really lives up to LG's promises, I took the V30 around on a trigger-happy tour of Berlin's Tier Garden and found it a versatile, powerful camera (at least in daylight). In fact, its filmmaking features made me feel like I could pass for a somewhat experienced director.
The Met's latest exhibit puts oversharing on a pedestal
The rules were simple: For five months, 12 pairs of artists participating in the Metropolitan Museum's Talking Pictures: Camera-Phone Conversations Between Artists exhibit had to use their phones to take and share photos or videos with each other. Texts or captions were not allowed.
Impossible's Instant Lab printer now works with almost any smartphone
As the saying goes, the best camera is the one that's with you. For most of us that's a smartphone, so the traditions of printing and sharing physical photos have slowly fallen by the wayside. To bridge the growing analog-digital divide, Polaroid experts The Impossible Project (TIP) crowdfunded an instant photo printing kit back in 2012. The idea was simple: you took your smartphone, opened a photo and placed it face down at the top of the machine. The light from the display would then shine through the Instant Lab's underlying lens and down the tower to expose the Polaroid film, creating a new print.
Laptopmag.com photo shootout finds iPhone 5s camera beats vaunted Nokia Lumia 1020
You've probably seen the Nokia Lumia 1020 ads with the neon-lit motor scooters being photographed with the smartphone, with a tag line that says the photos are better than you'd get from an iPhone 5s. Well, the guys from Laptop decided to check out the cameras in a number of real-life situations, and they found that the iPhone 5s camera roundly beat the capabilities of the Lumia 1020. The team did 10 separate tests with identical lighting conditions and subjects. The iPhone 5s won eight of the tests (one was a tie), while the Lumia 1020 ended up winning three. What was the big difference? Well, the colors were more accurate on the iPhone, with the Lumia 1020 showing a blue color cast on a number of images -- even after a firmware update that was supposed to resolve the issue. Laptop also said that "Apple's device also excelled when delivering detail and contrast." Laptop notes that the Lumia 1020 allows recomposition of images after taking a shot due to the 41-megapixel resolution of the camera, but the iPhone 5s "snapped better-looking images in a wider range of conditions." The Lumia offers the user the ability to manually adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance and other settings, but the testers note that the iPhone 5s is a "better everyday smartphone camera" because you don't need to make those adjustments.
LG outs Pocket Photo mobile picture printer, says it's the smallest of its kind
Hankering for an instant photo solution without the vintage Polaroid look? LG's Pocket Photo, which measures up at approximately 2.8- x 4.7- x 0.9-inches and is touted as the world's smallest mobile picture printer, might fit the bill. Images are slung from smartphones to the Optimus Vu-sized hardware via NFC, Bluetooth or USB with the help of an Android app, which can also be used to apply filters and overlay QR codes and messages. Unfortunately for iPhone-toting photographers, there's no mention of an iOS companion application. Leveraging heat-activated Zink paper, the rig can churn out 2- x 3-inch prints without relying on conventional ink. Pocket Photo is making its way to shelves in South Korea with a roughly $169 price tag dressed in orange, pink and silver accents, but there's no word on a US release. Head past the break to catch a video of the gizmo in action.
Nokia's Damian Dinning goes in-depth on phase two of PureView for the Lumia 920 (video)
Nokia's imaging chief Damian Dinning has released a paper explaining the "second phase" of PureView technology that's included in the new Lumia 920. Charged with improving low-light photography and eliminating camera shake, the experimental 808 handset was developed with a 41-megapixel sensor that oversampled images down to 5-megapixels. However, such equipment is bulky and expensive, so it changed tack for its second crack at the whip, which you can find out about if you join us after the break.
