Smartphone News

Miggo has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Pictar camera grip—an ergonomic device that enables iPhone users to take mobile photography to a whole new level thanks to an array of SLR–like external controls. The unit includes five user-programmable wheels, and an ergonomic grip for one-handed operation. 

DxO, the Paris, France-based company known mostly for software, introduced an intriguing new piece of imaging hardware this morning: a 20.2-megapixel camera with a 1-inch sensor and an f/1.8 lens that fits in your pocket and attaches to an iPhone. Called the DxO One, the 3.8-ounce, 2.65-inch tall camera, connects to an iPhone via the phone’s Lightning port, creating what the company hopes will be a photographic one-two punch to conquer the smartphone conundrum: that is, how do you shoot DSLR-quality images from a slender, inherently limited phone.

We rarely use this space for opinion pieces, but Google’s new Clips camera really bugs me and I’m going to rant a bit, so please bear with me. Billed as “A new way to capture big moments and little ones,” Clips works in tandem with the Google Pixel 2 smartphone (as well as with Samsung’s S7/S8 and the iPhone 6 and up) to let you “shoot and share like never before.”

Shutterbug, a member of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), once again joined forces with 30 other member magazines from around the world to choose the winners of the annual TIPA Awards for the best photo/imaging products in 40 different categories. The award process began in early 2017 with an initial selection of a wide range of products conducted by TIPA’s Technical Committee, on which Shutterbug’s Editor-at-Large George Schaub serves. 

Photographer Olivia Muus has juxtaposed a iPhone in front of Victorian paintings to create her own whimsical photo series called #museumofselfies.

Even though his first smartphone camera wasn’t very good by his standards—he is a professional photographer, after all—he liked being able to take quick, casual, spur-of-the-moment pictures when his DSLR wasn’t at hand, or when he didn’t feel like hauling it out.

A solid understanding of key camera settings is essential if you're serious about shooting impressive photographs instead of mere snapshots, and one of the most important considerations is whether to use the Raw file format or shoot Jpegs. As you'll see in the video below, the decision you make depends up a variety of factors—including the specific way you intend to use the images you make.