A simple tidbit can help you take steadier photos on your iPhone and avoid common camera shake problems. In addition, there is a way to email full resolution copies of your photos instead of scaled down versions.
The iPhone is probably the most used camera phone in the world. While it may not be perfect, it’s certainly among the best out there. Don’t be fooled by the megapixel hype – an image is only as good as its lens and digital processor. A 5 megapixel camera with crappy optics will look far worse than a 3.2 megapixel camera with advanced optics. And when you also consider the auto-focus and tap-to-focus features in the iPhone 3GS, Apple’s offerings are just plain awesome. Of course, iPhone owners will want to take full advantage of these capabilities. Continue reading for two great tips!
Taking sharper, crisper photos
Have you ever framed a perfect shot on your iPhone only to have it ruined when you tap the shutter button? That slight impact is enough to shake the camera into blurriness, and it’s maddening. Some folks have downloaded applications from the App Store to help avoid camera shake and achieve sharper results. That’s one approach, but there is another that doesn’t involve third-party software.
Did you know the iPhone doesn’t take a photo when you press the shutter button? That’s right, nothing happens until you actually release it. As you’re setting up your picture in Apple’s Camera app, press and hold the shutter button down. Keep your finger held down until you get your shot just right. To take the photo, gently lift your finger off the iPhone’s screen and it will be added to your Camera Roll. Releasing is a lot less of a jolt compared to tapping the screen.
Emailing full resolution photos (and videos)
You’ve most likely noticed that the iPhone automatically resizes & compresses both photos and videos when you use the Share function to email them. Apple does this to keep file sizes small, but it’s annoying to people like me who don’t want to sacrifice quality. Luckily, there is a workaround.
Instead of “sharing” photos & videos via email, the trick is to copy them. You can do this by going to the Photos application and pressing the button in the lower-left corner. Select the photo(s)/video(s) you want to send by tapping on them and then choosing the Copy option on the bottom of the screen. Next, go into the Mail application and paste the content you copied into a new message. When all is said and done, my iPhone 3GS can send full size media to anyone via email. Photos send at 2048×1536 instead of 800×600 and videos send at 640×480 instead of 480×360. Much, much better.
November 22nd, 2009, 4:10 AM
How can I get the date AND time
(Mon.November 24 1:09 AM)
to show in the menubar? Mac/Life had a tip, but I can’t find it on their site, nor Apples.