+1. I love to learn how and why things work... That's one of the reasons I jailbroke my iPhone: To spice things up, make things a bit more complex
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Apple Working on Standalone Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera?
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+1. I love to learn how and why things work... That's one of the reasons I jailbroke my iPhone: To spice things up, make things a bit more complex
Even if it fails spectacularly, it won't be.
But I don't really believe in this rumor, with the camera strides they're making with iPhones lately. If there's any truth to this, I think it would be by making the iPod Touch better at photography.
Hey but was it not what Steve was striving for?
I agree with on today's camera got quite good. A point and shoot can produce pleasing images, sometimes better looking than one form DSLR!
However that's what Jobs was going at it, I think, like a Mac or SW. Making it easier for masses and enjoy the final outcome withour worry about learning the complex machines and programs. In that light, it is a good thing that anyone can shoot a great photograph as long as one doesn't claim he or she is an artist! ;-) btw, i think taking picture is like a fishing, you are trying to fish the good shots out of a moment with help of good gear and some luck. So anyone can catch a big fish once in a while~~
I agree with on today's camera got quite good. A point and shoot can produce pleasing images, sometimes better looking than one form DSLR!
However that's what Jobs was going at it, I think, like a Mac or SW. Making it easier for masses and enjoy the final outcome withour worry about learning the complex machines and programs. In that light, it is a good thing that anyone can shoot a great photograph as long as one doesn't claim he or she is an artist! ;-) btw, i think taking picture is like a fishing, you are trying to fish the good shots out of a moment with help of good gear and some luck. So anyone can catch a big fish once in a while~~
So if there is any truth to this, we should be seeing an iPhoto for Windows. If that happens then I'll believe this rumour, until then it's just fantasy
Modern dslrs are just too complex for most people. The manual page count is enought to make users to switch to "auto" straight out of the box. Leica m and fuji have hidden the electronics behind old conventional manual settings. Leica did it for the legacy of the m series, fuji is a retro product, but i think people need at least a basic manual interaction with a device, where aperture, shutter, sensitivity settings are a good and simple way to get customers "involved". Perhaps apple should have acquired Leica some time ago for matching elegance of form, but perhaps not, as it would ruin the Leica brand with a mass product, if even possible due to the cost of glass. Sony purchased Minolta with mixed results, Fuji took over Hasselblad, Zeiss has prostituted itself away and somewhat lost its magic...so it would be difficult to imagine something "cool" enough in this segment from apple with a parallel wide market appeal where branding in photography is of great importance.
Big seller, was it? Maybe that's why people forget that Apple were among the first companies to stick their logo onto hardware built by established camera manufacturers.
Sorry but Point and Shoots aren't complicated. That's why they are called Point and Shoots. You turn it on and take a picture. DSLRs are the complicated ones...
This "rumour" is crap.
This "rumour" is crap.
I think this could work. But think of this less as a standard point-and-shoot, like every other company is making, and more like an action cam, like a GoPro.
If the 'iSight' was rugged, waterproof, compact and durable, with a really long battery life and lots of memory (I'd like to say card slot, but this is Apple...) - the iSight could go where the iPhone can't, it'd be worthy accessory. Throw in AirPlay to stream the videos right to the
TV, and iCloud to automatically sync the photos. Add a couple of flashy bonus features (Lytro-style capture, inductive charging, maybe) ...
I'd buy it.
If the 'iSight' was rugged, waterproof, compact and durable, with a really long battery life and lots of memory (I'd like to say card slot, but this is Apple...) - the iSight could go where the iPhone can't, it'd be worthy accessory. Throw in AirPlay to stream the videos right to the
TV, and iCloud to automatically sync the photos. Add a couple of flashy bonus features (Lytro-style capture, inductive charging, maybe) ...I'd buy it.
Apple don't need to market a new camera. If they can use Lytro's technologies in their phones then that would be something else...
http://www.lytro.com/
http://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/111771
http://www.lytro.com/
http://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/111771
Not gonna happen
There is no way. Apple has a camera that does 1000 other things.. it's called iPhone and iPod touch. They'll keep working on bringing down the cost and incorporating the best optics they can into their devices, but they will not build a standalone camera. They have no pedigree here are there's also no money they've eaten the bottom and middle out of these markets with devices that do much more and are at the "good enough" stage already for posting pictures. The top end of this market is relatively small and Apple has no pedigree here. At the DSLR and micro four thirds level, pros want Nikon, Canon, Sony, and the very expensive brands we never hear about (Hasselblad for instance). Apple is now a mass market company and if the Mac Pro is too niche for them to update frequently then the DSLR market has no chance.
Apple short term: iPod Nano becomes more watch friendly (always on, slightly smaller, talking to your other devices, etc.). iPod Touch continues being an iPhone without the contract. iPhone continues to improve along with the iPad. Apple introduces a television.. it's much more than a television (interactive gameshows, live voting on American Idol style shows, built in app store replacing most gaming consoles, bringing more clout to user generated content Podcast style.. up front, etc.).
Apple longer term: An SDK for 3rd parties like the Nest thermostat so they benefit from every niche player's innovations. You control and monitor all these things from your Apple devices. Very long term I do see a car in Apple's future, though it may be 10+ years away... it's just too mass market of an electronic device and Apple has too much to bring to the table for them to ignore it.
And that's as far as my crystal ball goes.
There is no way. Apple has a camera that does 1000 other things.. it's called iPhone and iPod touch. They'll keep working on bringing down the cost and incorporating the best optics they can into their devices, but they will not build a standalone camera. They have no pedigree here are there's also no money they've eaten the bottom and middle out of these markets with devices that do much more and are at the "good enough" stage already for posting pictures. The top end of this market is relatively small and Apple has no pedigree here. At the DSLR and micro four thirds level, pros want Nikon, Canon, Sony, and the very expensive brands we never hear about (Hasselblad for instance). Apple is now a mass market company and if the Mac Pro is too niche for them to update frequently then the DSLR market has no chance.
Apple short term: iPod Nano becomes more watch friendly (always on, slightly smaller, talking to your other devices, etc.). iPod Touch continues being an iPhone without the contract. iPhone continues to improve along with the iPad. Apple introduces a television.. it's much more than a television (interactive gameshows, live voting on American Idol style shows, built in app store replacing most gaming consoles, bringing more clout to user generated content Podcast style.. up front, etc.).
Apple longer term: An SDK for 3rd parties like the Nest thermostat so they benefit from every niche player's innovations. You control and monitor all these things from your Apple devices. Very long term I do see a car in Apple's future, though it may be 10+ years away... it's just too mass market of an electronic device and Apple has too much to bring to the table for them to ignore it.
And that's as far as my crystal ball goes.
Whatever it is, the easiest interface is a shutter wheel, diaphragm ring, ASA knob and manual focusing and two LEDs to match for correct exposure.
My GOPRO is more complicated than the above with the two push buttons and a menu screen.
My GOPRO is more complicated than the above with the two push buttons and a menu screen.
Agreed. I feel the force is very weak with this rumor....
As many have pointed out, Apple already have devices with integrated cameras. Unless they would bring some revolutionary (or MAGICAL, as they love to say) function, I don't see this happening. The beauty of iPhones is that you can edit the photo right on the device... so it would probably be a step backwards to release a dedicated device.
well canon make camera not cannon.
well there you go, you learn something new everyday don't you
No, you are functionally *gaining* apature. 2.0/f is much better than 4.0/f. Full frames are a lot better.
Of course, 4/3rds and APS-C lenses can be pretty fast. You can get a 0.95/f 4/3 25mm (roughly equivalent to a 1.8/f 50mm full frame). You can get good cheap APS-C only lenses.
Smaller sensors have a quirk (either a pro or con) - they have more distortion due to much wider lenses. For portraits, it's a disadvantage (people get big noses). For artistic effects (ultrawide photography), it can be an advantage.
Another quirk is that a full frame lens on an APS-C camera is effectively longer (which I assume you already know). So a 300mm lens behaves like an unbelievably expensive 600mm. You probably won't have the same speed (since your 1/f value has been effectively increased), but top end APS-C or APS-H cameras can be pretty damn good (good ISO with low noise - everything you expect in a full frame).
The big advantage of a larger sensor is that in poor conditions (low light, or fast moving subjects) you can get better pictures. For many things, a 4/3 or APS-C is still pretty awesome, though. And since virtually every photo taken these days will be viewed at a about 1 mega-pixel (thanks Facebook) a really sharp image isn't *that* important for most people.
Why not?
I really am surprised by negative comments here. First, it makes perfect economic sense for Apple to grab a share of the huge market. Second, what's wrong in developing a better camera for the masses? I think there's a big room for improvement in the that segment, especially in the area of photo management (think easier uploading, cloud storage, social sharing) and even in hardware, where all these buttons and controls could be streamlined and made more intuitive, not to mention advancements in photography as technology (light field, 3D, holography and so on). Who said cameras need to be like they look/work today?
I really am surprised by negative comments here. First, it makes perfect economic sense for Apple to grab a share of the huge market. Second, what's wrong in developing a better camera for the masses? I think there's a big room for improvement in the that segment, especially in the area of photo management (think easier uploading, cloud storage, social sharing) and even in hardware, where all these buttons and controls could be streamlined and made more intuitive, not to mention advancements in photography as technology (light field, 3D, holography and so on). Who said cameras need to be like they look/work today?
Let's assume Apple does this
Are suggesting Nikon and Canon represent the pinnacle of photography?
Let's assume Apple released a camera... Why would we want to leave it to Canon and Nikon? The software for their products is truly horrendous. Does Canon make anything that is a truly great experience? Scanner? Printer? Camera?
I tend to think that the market for the standalone camera has evaporated, but there is still the possibility to make a disruptive product in this space.
Are suggesting Nikon and Canon represent the pinnacle of photography?
Let's assume Apple released a camera... Why would we want to leave it to Canon and Nikon? The software for their products is truly horrendous. Does Canon make anything that is a truly great experience? Scanner? Printer? Camera?
I tend to think that the market for the standalone camera has evaporated, but there is still the possibility to make a disruptive product in this space.
If this is true...
Dear Apple,
Please stop working on toys and give us the following things instead...
1. Update all the MacBooks with the latest CPUs and bonkers-res displays! (oh and don't kill the battery life)
2. Update the Mac Pro to something I can proudly show to PC-homebrewers to make them cower in shame! (preferably something that can coincidentally by rack-mounted! )
3. Make the iPad more like the Mac, not the other way around
(note to moderators - did I mention "camera" ? no? ah right then, Most people don't want an Apple camera... )
Dear Apple,
Please stop working on toys and give us the following things instead...
1. Update all the MacBooks with the latest CPUs and bonkers-res displays! (oh and don't kill the battery life)
2. Update the Mac Pro to something I can proudly show to PC-homebrewers to make them cower in shame! (preferably something that can coincidentally by rack-mounted! )
3. Make the iPad more like the Mac, not the other way around
(note to moderators - did I mention "camera" ? no? ah right then, Most people don't want an Apple camera... )
This is an utterly brilliant idea. Nothing annoys me more than camera snobs who utterly adore all their techno-waffle. Im a computer scientist by profession and looking for a camera at the minute. Ive pretty much narrowed it down to the Panasonic TZ30 point and shoot. But, the thought of actually using it and having a tonne of buttons I dont care about on the device
itd be nice if someone could just make a decent camera that takes decent pictures in a timely fashion and doesnt look hideous. And, most importantly, deliver a massive slap to self-righteous camera freaks who consider their pictures art. Irritating.
I just wonder why there are still people who practice and play on a piano every day. All these black and white keys... 88 of them! And there are even pedals for your feet!
Its so difficult. So confusing.
But why? Apple has the solution. A piano without those outdated keys. Just press play on your iPod and enjoy music.
Quo vadis...?
Christian
Its so difficult. So confusing.
But why? Apple has the solution. A piano without those outdated keys. Just press play on your iPod and enjoy music.
Quo vadis...?
Christian
this. it will probably be an attachment to the AppleTV box. So rather than buying the full grown Apple Television, you can buy the little black box with the iSight camera and use it on any TV.
heck, it doesn't even need to be an attachment... maybe the camera will be integrated into the next gen AppleTV, and you mount the whole thing on top of your TV.
This is good - it would be really good to see Apple expand into more businesses. HOWEVER, Apple should remember to stick to a small number of products. Don't let it be necessary for a Jobs-like-character to draw another 2x table!
Apple is an hardware oriented company, to that extend PnS is not that "stupid".
cameras are slightly shifting to all electronic/less mechanics and optics type of products ; cf. mirrorless, optical viewfinder less etc So gap is closing and makes it something Apple could achieve imo
Would apple buy adobe and use this PnS to re create this iPod/itunes successful combo, I doubt as it is too software oriented as a move, also pictures are not as easily billable as music and films are...
cameras are slightly shifting to all electronic/less mechanics and optics type of products ; cf. mirrorless, optical viewfinder less etc So gap is closing and makes it something Apple could achieve imo
Would apple buy adobe and use this PnS to re create this iPod/itunes successful combo, I doubt as it is too software oriented as a move, also pictures are not as easily billable as music and films are...
I don't think it's right to say that most people don't understand ISO, aperture, exposure values and so on. By that I mean that they don't even know that there's anything to understand or not, because they use compacts or phones to take pics, almost always on a full auto setting. So how would Apple's solution help them? Pictures, to them, are already a case of point and press the button. I suspect iCloud will come into it somehow....
Even high-end SLRs are starting to include this type of simplification - like Canon, for example, whose creative options use terms like "background blur" in their menus, rather than just saying "increase aperture".
Now the Lytro camera has some other disruptive technology, which makes sense as a game changer.
Well, the great thing about all those buttons is that you can just ignore them if you don't need them.
I use an SLR because it makes better images than would a P&S in the same situation, and because I'm a holdover from the film era who finds it very difficult to compose without a viewfinder. So bear in mind that plenty users aren't freaks or snobs (and I certainly don't consider my pics to be art! )
You might want to look at Fuji or Olympus's offerings, particularly the range of interchangeable-lens cameras below their SLR offerings.
Even high-end SLRs are starting to include this type of simplification - like Canon, for example, whose creative options use terms like "background blur" in their menus, rather than just saying "increase aperture".
Now the Lytro camera has some other disruptive technology, which makes sense as a game changer.
Well, the great thing about all those buttons is that you can just ignore them if you don't need them.
I use an SLR because it makes better images than would a P&S in the same situation, and because I'm a holdover from the film era who finds it very difficult to compose without a viewfinder. So bear in mind that plenty users aren't freaks or snobs (and I certainly don't consider my pics to be art!
)You might want to look at Fuji or Olympus's offerings, particularly the range of interchangeable-lens cameras below their SLR offerings.
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