Categories
Imaging

Lomo’Instant Automat camera makes film creativity easy  

Automatic cameras have often provided photographers with convenience at the expense of creative shooting capabilities.

The Lomo’Instant Automat, however, is an instant camera that combines automatic settings with a wide variety of creative features. Aperture, shutter speed and flash output adjust automatically to make sure that the user’s shots are perfectly lit — foreground and background — in each and every shooting situation.

Users can take quick and easy snapshots or create surreal works of art with the camera, its makers say.  Bulb Mode, for example, lets users shoot long exposures of up to 30 seconds, and is ideal for low-light shooting.

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Connected Objects Imaging

Unleashed unleashes full potential of your camera via remote control

Placing all the controls of an interchangeable lens camera (ILC) into the palm of a user’s hand can make it much easier to get that perfect photo.

Unleashed is a small Bluetooth module that attaches to an ILC and offers full wireless remote control of it. The device is used in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices. The app lets users change all the important camera settings, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and exposure compensation. Unleashed automatically reconnects to the user’s smartphone using Bluetooth Low Energy, so there’s no need to reconfigure Wi-Fi settings each time it’s used.

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Imaging Wearables

TimeCap helps you capture once-in-a-lifetime moments

One problem with cameras — no matter how good they are — is that it often takes too long to take a photo or start shooting video with one. The result is that many people often miss unexpected, but highly memorable moments that they would have loved to capture and share with others.

TimeCap is a wearable camera that attaches to one’s shirt or other garment and continuously records video. The device then streams the video footage through the user’s smartphone and stores it in the cloud. It also takes 5-megapixel still images. TimeCap turns on and off by holding the power button for three seconds. Other features include Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi support, as well as 32 GB of internal NAND flash memory, good for 24,000 photos or 4 hours of HD video.

The device works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app that lets users control recording, as well as various other features including social media sharing.

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Connected Objects Imaging Television

Hello camera makes it easy to say chat with people on your TV

Videoconferencing is a pretty good way to communicate with fellow workers and business clients without having to be in the same room together. But existing solutions can be more complicated to use than the average person would like.

Hello is a voice-controlled videoconferencing camera that easily connects to a TV via HDMI. It offers wireless screen sharing and live broadcasting capabilities, as well as security surveillance with motion detection.

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Cell Phone Accessories Imaging

The New Glif keeps your smartphone photos on the level

As the cameras on smartphones get better and better, the need for a good tripod mount to take better photos on those smartphones keeps growing also.

The New Glif is a redesigned version of the pioneering Glif tripod mount for the iPhone 4 that adds new features and now works with the latest iPhones. The mount’s makers have focused on a quick release mechanism, as well as portrait and landscape support, with the new model.

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Connected Objects Pets

PlayDate lets you play with your pets even when you’re apart

Cats and dogs love to play, but pet owners can’t always be home to do that with them because of other commitments, including work and travel.

PlayDate is a remote-controlled ball toy that engages dogs and cats, and records HD video of them playing with it. The pet owner controls the interactive camera remotely from anywhere, via an app on Android and iOS mobile devices. Pet owners can hear their pets through a microphone in the ball and also speak to the pets through a speaker in the ball.

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Imaging Robots/Drones

Up & Go aerial camera leaves your hand, comes back to land

Using an aerial camera to take photos can be a lot of fun. But having to chase one around to make sure that it goes where the user wants is not.

Up & Go is a lightweight flying camera that takes off from and lands in the user’s hands. At the click of a button on its companion, wearable (and waterproof) tracking device, Up & Go starts shooting and following the user. It shoots 1080p HD video and takes 12-megapixel still images. Up & Go ships in October at $499. But Indiegogo backers can order one for $299. Its maker is hoping to raise $50,000 by July 24.

There have been several other aerial cameras and drones designed to record action sports activities, including Onago, so this is hardly a new idea. Unlike at least some other aerial cameras, Up & Go features interchangeable batteries that are compact and easy to insert. It’s also apparently tougher than at least a few  rival products because it features a carbon fiber frame. The wearable tracker is another nice touch.

 

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Imaging

Vitrima turns your GoPro camera into 3D recording device

Shooting stereoscopic 3D video with an existing 2D camera would be a nice feature to have. But most cameras aren’t designed to do that and achieving a stereoscopic 3D effect typically requires two separate cameras, plus additional software to stitch the two videos together.

patent-claimedVitrima is a stereoscopic 3D lens that connects to a GoPro camera via the camera’s standard housing that comes pre-attached to the lens. The lens transforms the camera into a 3D recording device without the need for another camera or special software. It uses mirrors to create the 3D natively in the camera. Another nice feature is that Vitrima is waterproof.

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Imaging Maker/Development

I’m Back camera back adds digital functionality to your film camera

Digital cameras became the standard for professional photographers years ago, but many still have film cameras for which they’d like to have digital functionality.

patent-claimedI’m Back is a digital camera back based on thin Raspberry Pi single-board computers that attaches to film cameras and allows users to transfer photos directly to the Internet via a browser send feature and also receive emails. It connects to wireless devices via Bluetooth. Other features include a touchscreen TFT display. I’m back ships in December. Future pricing isn’t set yet, but its maker says he hopes to sell it for $199 or less. He hopes to raise $22,714 by July 21.

The concept is a good one and not without precedent. But it’s not clear just how many consumers beyond photo enthusiast film purists there are who wouldn’t rather just use their smartphone to take a photo if they want to make use of digital functions … or just buy a digital camera instead of I’m Back. The biggest issue for now, however, is that it’s not clear just what cameras the camera back is even compatible with. Its maker says only that I’m Back works with “a great number of models.”

 

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Connected Objects Imaging

Wow Frame seeks to bring social media into the pictures

Once upon a time, digital picture frames were among the most popular consumer electronic devices. But mobile photo sharing has largely killed the category.

The Wow Frame is a digital picture frame that receives photo and video feeds from social networks and mobile devices. Its maker intends consumers to buy multiple Wow frames and place them next to one another on their walls. Users would be able to share free or “premium” HD photos and videos with other Wow owners as part of an accompanying service.