Camera

The new iPad camera: we’ve seen it somewhere before

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Now that the new iPad is finding its way into the hands of lucky buyers across the globe, we are beginning to hear reports of first impressions and as always, teardowns. One such teardown has come courtesy of Chipworks.

As we already knew, the new iPad comes packed to the gills with technology, and that battery is as massive as we expected – you've got to power that 4G somehow! – but Chipworks has also taken a closer look at the two cameras that Apple has used this time around.

Perhaps predictably, it appears that Apple has chosen to re-use parts from its existing product lines for the new iPad, which while not necessarily a bad thing, is certainly worth a mention...

Photos taken with the new iPad surface

Oliver Haslam ∙ March 14, 2012

The iPad 2 was the recipient of much mockery thanks to its decidedly poor camera performance and Apple has obviously set about rectifying that with the new iPad's 5-megapixel shooter. The question we are all asking is an obvious one: just how good is that camera after all?

With iPads not arriving in the hands of the vast majority of buyers for a good few days yet, a Vietnamese site has set about showing off details of the iPad they managed to get their hands on early. We've already seen benchmark figures courtesy of the Vietnamese, and now we have sample photos, too.

The upshot? The third-generation iPad is certainly better at taking photos than its predecessor, but you probably won't wan to use it instead of the camera in your iPhone 4S...

Camera+ updated to version 3

Sébastien Page ∙ March 13, 2012

My go-to camera, Camera+, has been updated to version 3 today. Among the new features that were added, the most notable ones are:

Improved sharing (Twitter, Facebook, etc...) Multiple photo library import Focus & exposure locks Improved Lightbox UI VolumeSnap setting in menu Improved performance

The app is currently on sale for only $0.99, so it might be the right time to buy it. For a full review of version 3, I suggest you read Frederico Viticci's review on MacStories.

And speaking of cameras, we have something really neat coming up on iDB for all the iPhoneography fans out there. That's all I can say for the time being.

‘CamFast’ now available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 13, 2012

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsX5S7HrTO4[/tube]

Yesterday we brought you a sneak preview of CamFast (previously FastCam), and it's a tweak that allows you to invoke the iPhone's camera API using a simple Activator action.

The nice thing about CamFast is that it even works at the Lock screen, and is faster than Apple's 5.1 Lock screen camera improvements.

Be sure to watch our video demonstration above to see how it works in action.

‘FastCam’ lets you quickly access your iPhone’s camera interface

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 12, 2012

And you thought iOS 5.1's new Lock screen camera was fast? FastCam is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that allows you to access your iPhone's camera API using a simple Activator action.

The nice thing about FastCam is that it works anywhere, even at the Lock screen. In fact, it's faster than the Lock screen camera feature found on iOS 5, and still faster after the improvements made with iOS 5.1.

Check out our video preview of FastCam straight ahead...

Apple begins using ‘iSight’ branding for iPhone 4 and 4S rear cameras too

Jake Smith ∙ March 8, 2012

Mac users may remember Apple's iSight branding for its standalone and built-in webcams. However in recent years, Apple hasn't used the appellation, replacing it with the FaceTime branding. But bringing the term back, iSight was reintroduced during yesterday's iPad announcement. Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller showed off the new iPad's camera, which was given the name iSight.

As noted by MacRumors, Apple has also extended the iSight name to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S's rear camera...

Apple forced to stop suing Kodak over patents

Jake Smith ∙ March 8, 2012

In January, 131 year old camera company Kodak filed a lawsuit against Apple for violating four patents. Fast forward a month later, Apple went after the already bankrupt Kodak in court, counter suing the company. Apple claimed that Kodak actually stole the patents in question from Apple.

Today, the WSJ reports a New York judge has ordered Apple to stop filing lawsuits against Kodak. Kodak is failing as a company and is currently bankrupt...

Check out these photos taken with the new iPad

Jake Smith ∙ March 7, 2012

The new iPad features a new camera system from Apple, who detailed the new camera at its media event that took place today. The iPad features a 5-megapixel camera, which includes advanced optics, auto-focus, and white balance. The upgraded iSight camera also features 1080p video recording.

While we're going to have to wait until March 16th to take our own photos with the iPad's camera, Apple has posted sample photos (and video) taken with the new iPad on its website. And of course, the photos look stunning...

Here’s how the iOS 5.1 Lock screen camera works

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 7, 2012

Arguably the biggest change to iOS 5.1 when compared with its predecessors is the Lock screen camera functionality.

Instead of double pressing the Home button to reveal the camera icon on your Lock screen, the camera icon is a permanent fixture.

Revealing the actual camera also works quite differently than in times past. Check out our video walkthrough of the new iOS 5.1 Lock screen camera functions inside...

The new iPad has a 5MP camera capable of taking 1080p videos

Cody Lee ∙ March 7, 2012

Apple has just announced its new iPad and is going down the list of its new features. We're now talking about the tablet's new backside camera and it looks like that, as expected, it's received a major update.

The camera system in Apple's new tablet is very similar to the setup in the iPhone 4S. It has a backside illuminated sensor, 5 element lens, IR filter, and ISP (Image Signal Processing) built into the slate's new A5X processor...

Instaprint will print your Instagram photos right on the spot

Jake Smith ∙ March 5, 2012

By now, you should be familiar with the iPhone-exclusive social network called Instagram. Instagram is used by many and allows you to share photos taken with your iPhone's camera.

We love showing you guys cool projects over at Kickstarter, and today, we have one that's based around Instagram. The crew over at BREAKFAST have created a new device called Instaprint that prints Instagram photos, based on the location of where the photos are taken at...

iPhone meets analog camera with the Photojojo Rangefinder

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 26, 2017

Have you been looking for a quirky photography accessory for your iPhone? Perhaps a case that looks like an old-school analog camera and has interchangeable lenses?

Well if you answered yes to either of the above questions, then you're going to want to check out Photojojo's new Rangefinder. The accessory gives your iPhone the look and feel of a retro-style camera, while utilizing its cutting-edge picture-taking technology...