Two iPhone based concept cameras

Yesterday I received an email from BLACK Design about their new concept Leica i9 iPhone camera case, which has been designed to give your iPhone that touch of class, and fulfill Steve Jobs dream of the iPhone 4 looking "like a beautiful old Leica camera".

The second concept iPhone based camera, is the "Slow Photography Camera" by David McCourt, which has been designed to resemble an old/retro medium format camera, holding the iPhone just behind the lens.

Part of the reason the iPhone has been so successful in the photography market, is that it does not look like a camera, and so is not intrusive, and if you wanted it to look like a camera.....................................................................well, you'd buy a camera!!

Whilst both of these concept iPhone based cameras look like fun, I don't imaging either will see the light of day, but then who knows, madder things have happened.

Comments

[zkwc]

well, it would only appeal to me if there was a plug inside the case that moved your photos to a digi card that could be used to store photos and free up space on your phone. and or the camera on the iPhone was magically connected to a view finder that ran through a leica lens with much larger files than the iPhone produces. thus enabling you to edit and shoot raw files. other than that, why carry around a big clunky thing?

[Khürt Williams]

This looks like. However, I think after using it for a while I would be pining for the real thing.

[Wilma]

I don't want to clutter up my iPhone with such a bulky case, but, if Apple were to come out with a camera with a better, more versatile lens that was capable of running all the cool Apps, and connecting via wifi and/or 3G the way the phone is, I would be very interested! I don't use my phone features nearly as much as my camera features!

[Spike P]

I know it is just a concept but there looks like some design issues. The iPhone 4 lens in the above config is on the lower right and the lens on the front is on the opposite end. So if the lens is just a hood ornament I will stick with a traditional case.

[Khürt Williams]

@Wilma, How would you add a more versatile lens to something with such a small form factor? It's a phone with a camera, not a camera with a phone.

[Heather]

I cannot think of the way how they could synchronize those two lenses so the effect won't be blurry,and I am wondering if they are even thinking about using the outside lens at all. But if they did succeed, I would be the first one in the line for this camera case.

[Wilma]

@Khürt Williams: What I would like Apple to do is come out with a camera; I could probably live without the phone part! And I wouldn't mind if it was a bit bigger, with a better lens! Realistically, what I will probably end up with is a good point-and-shoot, and then use an iPad to make use of all the lovely apps!

However when I looked more closely at the "Leica" camera that was posted here, it looks like their design would come close to what I would like to be able to do. It's going to be awfully pricey, though!

[Avril Ce]

I think they should stay really as concepts. A nice mental excercise without any value whatsoever. Why would you bulk up the phone is beyond my understanding.