lens

Sometimes, the simplest gadgets turn out to be the most useful, and such is the case with the Macro Cell Lens Band.

What you see here is pretty much what you get: a rubber band with an embedded macro lens that you can wrap around any smartphone to take close-up photos. When not in use, you can simply wear it on your wrist or store it in your wallet on a credit card. … Read more

The original Holga toy cameras were all about reveling in low fidelity. Just because you have fancy modern camera technology in your iPhone doesn't mean you have to forgo all the fun.

The Holga iPhone Lens Filter Kit will whisk your iPhone back to an '80s level of cheap camera design with a rotating kaleidoscope of plastic filters.

The filter kit fits on like a case and sports nine different color and special effect filters. These range from the tame to the wacky.… Read more

There are tons of photo-editing apps in the iTunes App Store, but a recent update to an old favorite might be one of the best yet. It's called Photogene 2 and it offers so many tools that it's almost like it does the job of multiple apps.

Photogene 2 (99 cents until November 17) is the successor of a favorite photo-editing app of ours on iOS, and this completely rebuilt version is definitely worth checking out. To start off, a redesigned interface offers intuitive controls for exploring Photogene2's many editing options.… Read more

While Holga might not be a household name, the lo-fi photo effects inspired by its famed toy film cameras are familiar to anyone with a smartphone. If you've ever tweaked your shots by adding heavy vignetting, dreamy softness, and light leaks, you're in Holga territory.

The film cameras have been around since the early '80s and continue to be prized as much for their simplicity as for their imperfections. However, if you're not up for the expense or hassle of shooting film and using software and apps seems too much like cheating, there is a way to return some unpredictability to your digital photography--and if you win this week's giveaway, you'll be able to do it for free. … Read more

Now that people have had some time with their iPhone 4S, I'm sure many have had plenty of time to take pictures using the upgraded 8-megapixel camera. On it's own, the iPhone 4S takes great shots, but what if you want something more?

This week's iOS app collection is all about adding effects to your images. The first lets you flip through numerous effects and stack them for amazing results. The second offers tons of premade effects, but also gives you the option to adjust everything to your liking. The third app lets you play with the focused area of your image to produce visually unique images.… Read more

Japanese business publication Nikkei has reported that Nikon will launch its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) later this year. It will go for between $900 and $1,300, a typical price range for this class of product.

Currently, strong players in this category include Panasonic and Olympus with their Micro Four Thirds system and Sony with its NEX range.

We've heard rumors of Nikon entering this market, with even a picture of a concept product emerging last year. Given how well Panasonic and Olympus are doing, observers have been expecting the two dSLR market leaders to join in, too. It looks like the big N may have beaten its keen rival Canon to the punch. We'll bring you more information as details emerge.

(Source: Crave Asia via Reuters)… Read more

Professional photographers use shift lenses (expensive) or special large-format cameras to avoid the undesirable visual effects caused by converging lines in images, especially in architectural and landscape photos. Marcus Hebel's ShiftN is freeware that does much the same thing, analyzing images for parallel lines and correcting the perspective.

ShiftN's simple, efficient interface is divided between two panels, an image pane and an EXIF data view that also serves as a preview pane for image processing. Aside from a file menu bar, this program has five buttons: Open, Automatic Correction, Re-Optimize, Adjust Correction, and Save and Exit. We clicked … Read more

If you are or someone you know is upgrading from a point-and-shoot to a digital SLR or an interchangeable lens compact camera, you might want to look at or share this video series from Vimeo. The series, called "Behind the Glass," is an introduction to lenses and terminology.

Though they're geared for beginners, the videos are entertaining enough that even people who understand how and when to use a particular lens might want to check them out. The videos are targeted at those shooting movies with their cameras, Vimeo being a video-sharing site after all, but much of what's said applies to still photos, too.

You can check out the other two videos in the series over at the Vimeo Video School site.… Read more

Lately I've noticed that the photos I've snapped with my iPhone 4 have looked less than sharp. Fuzzy, even. I tried a couple different photo apps, as well as some video recording; same result.

I checked the lens to make sure it didn't have any dust or other flotsam on it, and it seemed fine. But on closer inspection, with the light hitting it at just the right angle, I discovered the problem: a fingerprint.

Somewhere along the way (probably while pulling the phone out of my pocket), I'd managed to muck up the lens with … Read more