Smartphone News

We’ve seen a multitude of new smartphone accessories lately, but the 3D­‑printed DotLens is definitely one of the more zany. This self-adhering “conversion” lens comes in three strengths: 15X, 30X and 60X—the later of which enables you to view objects as small as 1/10 the width of a human hair.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is what you might call a “multi-personality” device. Phone, camera, Browser, game device, gateway to all the Android apps, GPS, mapper, email connector--it’s all of that and more.
I say “multiple” because while the initial face of the unit looks like half point and shoot camera/half phone, one pasted atop the other, there is a lot more going on under the hood. That includes all the current connections one could imagine and access to the entire Android set of apps,from camera functions to finding where you can get a decent latte in any city or state or country you might find yourself. One can listen to music; watchvideos; browse the Internet, get email, tap compatible phones (literally) to share content; and send and receive via any social media you could imagine.

Wireless camera remotes are fairly common these days but most offer only limited control over your DSLR or mirorrless camera. That changes with the new and sophisticated Pulse remote camera trigger from Alpine Labs, which combines pro features with an easy-to-use interface and a surprisingly low introductory price of $89.

Tony Sweet says that smartphone photography “isn’t officially part of the show” at his photography workshops, but the subject does come up with increasing frequency. “They’ll do their big camera work first,” Sweet says of the students, “then they’ll pull out the phones and shoot a few things, discuss among themselves, and ask me some questions.”

The new Night Sight mode for the Google Pixel 3 smartphone’s camera has been getting a lot of good press lately so photographer Pierre T. Lambert thought he would put it to the ultimate challenge. Instead of comparing it against other smartphone cameras, he pitted the Pixel 3’s Night Sight mode against the low light shooting skills of his Sony A7R III mirrorless camera.

Photographers share millions of their images every day on social media. There are so many photos floating around on Instagram, Facebook and other sites, it may seem impossible to get your photos to stand out, so they get the "likes" they deserve.