Replacement face plate for camera phone.
Rotary selector moves chosen lens over existing lens.
Telephoto, wide angle, close up, special effects, whatever's possible.
No permanent modification or affixments to phone.
-- half, Oct 08 2005

Camera/Phone Lens Adapter Kit http://www.udiggit....Product/2_MjQ0Ng==/
I have no confidence that this kit will perform as advertised or as envisoned by [half]. [jurist, Oct 08 2005]

A selection of lenses http://cgi.ebay.co....Z3312QQcmdZViewItem
Still no faceplate with rotary selector [half, Oct 10 2005]

A turret lens TV camera http://news.bbc.co....ty_2004/4006645.stm
Hmmm, a solid silver mobile phone, disguised as a sports trophy [AbsintheWithoutLeave, Oct 10 2005]

Holga iPhone 4S / 4 Camera Lens & Filter Turret http://touchreviews...lter-turret-review/
Really only one lens included that I'd use, nevertheless... [half, Jun 12 2012]

This is such a terrific idea one has to wonder why these sorts of lens adapter kits are not being more readily marketed. Are there too many types of camera/phones? Too few commonalities between lens systems for manufacturing economies? Too small a user-market for the devices when camera/phones have such limited pixilization? Too much trouble to store and/or swap gear for the few times when additional lens effects are desirable? Too much physical bulk added to a device that is aiming to be as miniature and perfectly portable as technologically possible? I'm sure I don't know the answer.

The [link] below purports to be a camera/phone lens adapter kit, but I have my doubts about its effectiveness. This sounds like another [half]-good idea to me.
-- jurist, Oct 08 2005


Yeah, I have my suspicions about the effectiveness of adding lenses upon lenses. I don't have a good gut level feel for optics. I have seen such lenses (somewhere I saw that they are technically called "filters") for my Kodak digital camera.

I'm expecting that someone intelligent will come along any minute and educate me.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on where you sit), in the end, all that seems to matter about such after-market items is whether or not people buy them.
-- half, Oct 08 2005


Is this a bit like the lens turrets that used to be seen on TV cameras, before zoom lenses became common?
-- coprocephalous, Oct 10 2005


I've wondered about this idea for a while. With 5 megapixel cameras in development and rumours that professional camera companies could be out of business in as short a time as 2 years (I doubt it could really be this soon), I think it is very likely that there may soon be phones which specialise their cameras over other features.
Perhaps a special connection which, when a different lens is connected to the phone - slides the standard lens out of the way would be feasible.
-- fridge duck, Oct 10 2005


Now that you mention it, [cop], yes. I'm a bit embarrassed not to have thought of that analog(ue). I couldn't even think of the word "turret". I blame it on 40.

(Title changed)
-- half, Oct 10 2005


I voted plus [+] to begin with and would gladly add another for the introduction of the word "turret".
-- wagster, Oct 10 2005


// rumours that professional camera companies could be out of business // [fridge_duck] I wouldn't bother selling your Canon or Nikon stock just yet - camera phones will suffer from the size of their optical sensors for a long time to come - they simply can't trap enough photons. I'll be carrying my trusty DSLR for some time to come.
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Oct 10 2005


[IT] Nice shot, nice bright day - but try taking the same shot...about now (21:26 BST).
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Oct 10 2005



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