Hasta La Gadget!

This week we’ve had the pleasure of working with the brand new LG Optimus G Pro, taking photos as we covered the technology conference known as Mobile World Congress – of the 2013 variety. This device is one that we’ve now got in our possession still, and we’ll be bringing you a review in full in just a few days time. But meanwhile we’ve taken what LG has been very clear is a proud point for them in this device and put it to the test, right in the thick of thousands and thousands of ravenous mobile lovers in Barcelona, Spain – enjoy.

Before we go any further, you should know that this is just the second in what we’re expecting will be an extended series of Photo Tour posts here on SlashGear. The first was back a few months ago with the HTC Evo 4G LTE, a device whose photo setup was being pushed by its makers at the time. Of important note is the fact that both that device and this one both use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors – from different generations, yes, but both coming with architecture that Qualcomm is proud to speak about as having fabulous photo processing abilities. This time they team with LG, and here we go again on a different corner of the earth – Spain.

The first image you see above was shot with the camera right out of the box, automatic settings from start to finish, the shot taken in the morning of a Barcelona city street. Note that this photo was also the subject of another hands-on post earlier this week, the LG Pocket Photo – a miniature photo printer that requires no ink to use – like magic! Below you’ll see one of our first examples of an HDR photo. The shutter speed on this device, even with HDR, is rather quick – but because of the nature of HDR photos, you’ll still see multiple instances of the same people walking in this MWC 2013 crowd.

Below this you’ll find a gallery of photos taken in the same location as what you see above. With the quick shooting mode on this device, you’re able to collect a massive amount of photos in undeniably quick succession – 20 shots before it has to stop and think about what it’s done. The best way for you to visualize this here in still photos is to click (or tap) one of the photos below and move rapidly through the gallery with your arrow buttons. This will only work on a desktop computer with our gallery system unless you’ve got a wildfire-fast tablet or smartphone – if you do, go for it! The goal here it to see the images as a sort of stop-motion animation. When you do, you’ll see that this beast is a snappy shooter.

Another example of an HDR photo can be seen next – the big LG logo. Here you’ll get an idea of how this device shoots something lit up in a rather mixed-lighting environment. Again you’ll notice the multiple instances of the same faces because of the multi-exposure that happens when you shoot an HDR shot.

A macro photo can be seen next, even though the LG Optimus G Pro isn’t promoted for its macro abilities, you’ll find that this photo does the trick. The subject matter is the G Pro Quick Cover – an official LG-made cover for this device you can read all about over on Android Community. Up close and personal without a special setting looks rather nice and clear with the 13 megapixel camera we’re right here and now using with the LG Optimus G Pro.

Another HDR photo is next, in this case showing an especially dark locale. You’ll find that in this Beer shop in the midst of this week’s convention venue, the blacks have become in many cases a lighter shade of gray. With this you’ll see that there’s not much that you cannot see – that can be especially valuable if you’re doing photography for documentation rather than for the sake of high art. If you want 100% true-to-life colors, you wont want to use HDR with the Optimus G Pro.

Then there’s a two-up photo set here, the first of a Coke can taken without HDR, the next being that same Coke can, this time with HDR switched to “on”. You’ll be able to tell one from the other only with extremely sharp eyes – and by noticing that I’ve accidentally placed my finger into the edge of the HDR photo. The HDR photo looks almost identical to the non-HDR photo (besides the finger and the television picture behind the can, for obvious reasons). The HDR version is ever-so-slightly more intense, especially in the darks across the range – the red in the can, for example, is a bit more deep.

The gallery you’re having a peek at below shows two different examples of what the LG Optimus G Pro captures with its own unique version of a Photo Sphere. If you’ll remember back a few weeks when a new version of Android Jelly Bean was introduced, Google revealed Photo Sphere – a built-in camera mode that creates a panorama photo, but capturing a massive photo that covers all directions, something like what you see when you head to Street View in Google Maps. You’ll also remember that while it works great some times, it – at other times – doesn’t work so perfectly. The same is true of LG’s iteration of this feature, even with a slightly different user interface.

Another gallery rests below, this time showing a set of examples of a regular old panorama. This standard panorama mode has produced marginally better results for us thus far than the sphere-like mode above. It is important here – as it always is with panorama shooting at this time in history – to drag the camera across your scene at an even rate – and not too slow, not too fast either. One of the photos was taken at the Google Head Space party during MWC – as you can see, this club area was rather dark, and didn’t work too well with the panorama mode in the end. The others were taken on a bridge inside the main MWC 2013 event, lighting being a bit more generous.

Next you’ll see another example of a photo taken indoors of a rather large, open area at Mobile World Congress. The first shot was taken without HDR, the second was taken in HDR mode. This example set shows just a bit more clear the difference between the two – generally this is the case when you’ve got the possibility of a much more large range of colors and levels of light and dark.

The nighttime photo you see below is taken from across the street from the Mobile World Congress 2012 venue. This is a place where many MWC-goers stop on the train to transfer trains as it’s a large hub from one place to another – notably the new venue, mind you. The important point here is the levels of light in the darkness – and the idea that this photo was captured by hand. Normally a photo captured here at this time by hand – with most smartphone cameras, that is – would have lots of light streaks due to the shutter being open for enough time to capture the correct amount of light. In this case, LG’s setup allows you to do this much quicker – and the result is obvious.

Finally you’ll find a lovely gallery full of photos taken at one of the more challenging locations a person can take a photo at with results that look more than terrible. It is – once again – the Mobile World Congress 2013 Google party: Google Head Space. There are two rooms here, the first a smaller one made for chilling out and having a drink amongst a DJ mixing tunes under a massive Google Play Music set of orange headphones. The second is a massive room with a stage that held both Tinie Tempah and Florence and the Machine.

Enjoy this if you would, and have a peek at the rest of our Mobile World Congress 2013 content in our lovely MWC 2013 tag portal. You can also have a peek at our LG tag portal for more awesome Optimus action, there finding the review of the LG Optimus G Pro soon, and very soon.

LG Optimus G Pro Photo Tour: Barcelona, MWC 2013 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The HTC One is not available for the general public just yet, however that has not stopped some Zoe collages from appearing on the Zoe Share website. There doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming amount of the videos available at the moment, however there are enough so you can begin to get a good look at exactly what these will be. After all, sometimes things just make a bit more sense when you can see them as opposed to read about them.

That being said, lets first briefly explain the Zoe. These are essentially a mix of video and still images. You can create a Zoe (using an HTC One) by hitting the icon for the Zoe Mode. Once here you tap the on-screen button and the phone sets about capturing some HD video and still frame images and then packages it all together in a Zoe, which is 30-seconds in length. Below is a video from the HTC One launch event that goes a bit further into detail on the Zoe.

The big thing we have heard since is that this all sounds a bit gimmicky. Well, to that we say plenty of things can have that appearance in the beginning. The one thing that may keep the Zoe clips from being super popular is the fact that they can only be created but those with an HTC One. That bit alone may keep these in the gimmick category but as always, we will have to see how this plays out once the handset is readily available.

Anyway, back to the Zoe clips that are beginning to surface. So far there have been a handful discovered by way of some social media searches. You can check them out by surfing to the following three links; Zoe (1), Zoe (2) and Zoe (3). So how about it, any thoughts on the Zoe? Do you think these will be the next big thing, or the next big flop?

[via Android and Me]

HTC’s Zoe Share site comes to life is written by Robert Nelson & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re an avid photographer or videographer using anything from a traditional camcorder to a sports camera such as a GoPro, SteadyWheel is something that might interest you. This large circular device appears to be approximately the size of a small steering wheel. The device is made from ABS plastic with small weights embedded around the rim.

The device is designed to be a portable camera stabilizer meant to reduce shaking and improve stability when recording. The device is designed to work with smartphones, point-and-shoot cameras, still cameras, and just about anything else. Any camera that uses a standard 1/4-20 tripod mount can be secured inside of the wheel.

The device has no moving parts and is resistant to salt water making it usable for water sports. The SteadyWheel weighs 1.6 pounds and is 11 1/2 inches in diameter. Looking at the device, the diameter of the wheel makes it seem as though it would be very difficult to use in some settings. I can’t see the device being usable by a person who’s actually riding a motorcycle or driving a car for instance.

A pledge of $50 or more will get you one of the SteadyWheels during the early bird special. So far, the project has 200 backers and has raised $10,532 at the time of writing with 17 days to go. The project is seeking $27,000.

[via Kickstarter]

SteadyWheel hits Kickstarter and works with just about any camera is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We know when it comes to photographers and videographers, getting the perfect angle at the perfect time is what drives them when they’re trying to capture their subject. But if someone wanted to capture video from something throwable, let’s say a football, the only way that may work is if you strap a camera to the football. Now, you could just buy the BallCam.

BallCam is exactly what it sounds like as it’s a football that’s been equipped with a camera inside of it, which means you’ll always get that spinning shot of being thrown from one person to another that you’ve always been looking for. But researchers have made it possible for the footage to be not as nauseating as you think it would be. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Time Warner, Apple In Negotiations To Add HBO Go To Apple TV This Year, President Obama Signs Bill Allowing Netflix Users To Share Videos Through Facebook,

This week the Nikon D7100 APS-C camera has been revealed with a fabulous new 24.1-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor as well as a beastly EXPEED 3 image processing engine. But it may be the WR-1 Transceiver that gains our attention the most here in the current season – this little monster gives your camera some rather excellent wireless control – and range therein. And they’re not going to break the bank doing so!

Before we get to the details in the WR-1 Transceiver though, we’ve got to once again take you on a trip to D7100 town. This fabulous new unit is bringing on a collection of upgrades over the D7000 it replaces, including a new “I” button that’ll bring up a set of on-screen controls that changes depending on which you use most frequently. You’ve also got a beast of a set of internals including a 51-point AF system as well as Nikon’s own 3D Color Matrix Metering II 2016 pixel RGB sensor – and Scene Recognition System.

With this camera’s optical viewfinder you’ve got guaranteed 100% frame coverage – and you’ll be working with a brand new OLED display as well. With the Nikon D7100 you’ve got the ability to record video at 1080/30p or 60i/50i – the latter working at 1.3x Crop Mode. You can also shoot photos at up to 7 frames per second in that same 1.3 Crop Mode or 6fps at full resolution.

You can also shoot in 1.3 DX crop mode with this camera for both still photos and video, this allowing that 7fps mentioned with enhanced AF system frame coverage. You’ll be working with an ISO range of 100-6400 (with expandability up to Hi-2 of 25,600) for all the low-light shooting you can handle. While you’re in live view you’ve also got a new Spot White Balance feature that’ll whip you up some instant (and precise) white balance adjustments on the spot.

The Nikon D7100 works with an Enhanced Interface on its 3.2-inch High Resolution 1229k dot LCD, bright and powerful for your everyday previews. If on the other hand you’re the wireless type, this system is compatible with the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter for connectivity with your smartphone or tablet – control from afar!

Then there’s the wireless dongle you’re just going to go nuts over. This is the new WR-1 Transceiver – announced this week with compatibility with the most recent range of Nikon D-SLR cameras. This beast will bring you 2.4GHz radio frequency for range up to 394 feet with 15 channels onboard.

The WR-1 can be used as a transmitter or a receiver – grab a couple and you can control your camera from a stone’s throw away like a pro! You can also control a set of cameras at once with this device (just so long as there’s one plugged in to each of them) for simultaneous or synchronized shutter releases – that’s a snap party if we’ve ever heard of one! The WR-1 Transceiver will run you $59.95 SRP and is available right this minute.

The Nikon D7100 system will be available starting in March of 2013 at a camera retailer near you. You’ll be seeing the D7100 for $1199.95 SRP for the body only configuration while a package that includes the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens will run you $1599.95 SRP. Stack your cash and get ready for it!

Nikon D7100 overshadowed by tiny wireless WR-1 Transceiver is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.