Smartphone News

Olympus just announced that it is bringing its compact and wireless Olympus Air A01 camera device to the U.S. in July and Canada in August. The Olympus Air A01, which was introduced in Japan earlier this year, is a small, cylindrical gadget with a 16-megapixel Live MOS image sensor that can wirelessly connect Micro Four Thirds lenses with mobile devices such as smartphones.

It was the talk of the photokina show last year but it wasn’t available in the United States…until now. Panasonic has just announced that the Lumix DMC-CM1 smartphone with its photography-friendly, 20-megapixel, 1-inch image sensor and 4K video capabilities is coming to the U.S.

Mobile is an adjective often used to describe photography made with smartphones but I can put a tiny Panasonic Lumix GM1 in my pocket and take a walk—mobilize, if you will—as easily as my iPhone and shoot some nice photos. Instead, let’s call it what it really is: Smartphone Photography.

Photokina 2014 in Germany has been covered widely on the Internet already—including our own extensive reporting on the show on Shutterbug.com—so there’s no need for me to rehash the major announcements from the event, such as the latest full-frame cameras from Canon and Nikon and the like. My photo report here is aimed at sharing some wider ranging thoughts and perspectives on this important biennial show and what it told us about photography today and where it might be heading tomorrow.

In 2013, Sony introduced two extraordinary cameras – the QX10 and the QX100. Both were based on compact cameras (WX100 and RX100 II), but didn't have “camera bodies” and LCD screens. Instead, they consisted of a lens, image sensor, image processor and a storage media system and both needed either a smartphone or tablet computer to serve as the “external camera.” The newest in the QX line is the QX1. The main camera concept is similar to the 2013 models, but the QX1 offers a large APS-C sensor with 20MP resolution and an E mount for interchangeable lenses.

The new Flic app from Lifehack Labs gives you a quick and easy way to get rid of unwanted iPhone photos with just a swipe of your finger. Swipe to the left and an image is deleted. Swipe to the right and it's saved to your phone's camera roll.

Along with the much buzzed about new digital Watch, Apple unveiled two new iPhone models with ramped up photo features including Phase Detection autofocus and optical image stabilization.