I have covered a lot of accessories here for the iPhone to enhance it’s camera using experiences. There is no doubting that having cell phones in our pockets with better quality camera and photo editing software always available… people are taking a lot more pictures.
There isn’t the overhead of buying film and the waiting to see if the one chance at a sunset was missed… weeks later when the film is developed. We love instant gratification and we are getting it. If the image isn’t just perfect, we now carry a darkroom in our pockets to tune up those images too.
Things have gotten so good that there are many apps and social networks for photo sharing around the area of making your photos look like they were taken with a low quality or at least a camera from yesteryear.
I had mentioned previously the many folks making cases for the iPhone to make the phone look like a camera. This week I happened upon a new project that tries to split the fine line between phone and camera.
Called ‘Red Pop’, it’s a device you snap onto your iPhone connector to give you a camera like grip. The Aluminum body (wrapped in anti-slip plastic) is complete with a big Red Button on the top to push like you would a regular camera. The connector for the iPhone is hidden inside of the handle when not in use, then a twist of the Red Pop exposes it to snap onto the iPhone. Photos snapped using the Red Pop button are saved to the iPhone’s Photo Library like normal. www.red-pop.com
The question is, outside of the fun/coolness of it, would you carry and use the Red Pop?
For me, I love the concept and would enjoy using it… during a time when all I’m doing is snapping pictures. For day to day use, the strength of having a camera on my iPhone is that I con’t have to carry another device around. If I have to carry two devices, I would carry my 14 Megapixel camera to compliment my iPhone when ‘high resolution’ is really needed.
The final straw for me to be leaning towards passing is Steve mentioning last week that in iOS5, the volume buttons will now be allowed to be used to snap images. Now, a Red Pop in my life would be more of a conversation piece and something cool to have on my office shelf. Actually use it? Would like to but wouldn’t just from the stand point of having to carry one more larger around device in my pocket. Just my two cents of course…