SLR lenses on iPhone
There's little doubt that when it comes to snapping spur-of-the-moment photos, nothing quite matches the always-ready convenience of the smartphone. Apple's iPhone is second only in popularity to Nikon's D90 for overall image uploads to Flickr, and takes the top three spots in the Cameraphone category. There are now a whole host of apps available that can help add numerous clever effects to the photos taken with an iPhone's camera, and a growing number of hardware-based enhancements. If you find yourself yearning for a little more zoom than the Eye Scope offers, or the close-up goodness of the Fisheye and Macro/Wide Angle lensis just too small and fiddly for you, then perhaps what you need is an iPhone SLR Lens Mount.
The iPhone SLR Mount from Photojojo is essentially a phone case that acts as an adapter for either Nikon F-mount or Canon EF-mount lenses (although it's not compatible with Canon EF-S or FD lenses). Placing your Apple smartphone into the tough but lightweight aluminum casing allows you to choose from your collection of telephoto, wide-angle, macro or fish-eye SLR lenses and use it with the iPhone's camera.
It's kind of a first step towards bringing the conceptual WVIL proposal to life. Of course, autofocus is not available, the absence of a mirror means that images will appear upside down, and there's no supersonic dust reduction system so you'll have to keep the focusing screen free of dirt and dust yourself - but if you want professional-looking depth of field effects, or the ability to bring a distant object into close focus or pop on a fish-eye lens for some wide angle fun, this could be your answer.
Naturally, there are a few other limitations to consider - including a possible loss of image brightness (which can be corrected using the aperture ring on older SLR lenses or via editing software if using newer ones) - but the iPhone SLR Mount certainly looks to be a step in the right direction. The solution comes supplied with a UV filter, includes strap loopholes to allow you to hang your iPhone/SLR lens mash-up from your neck, and it features a tripod attachment.
Photojojo says that iPhoneographers can expect the iPhone SLR Mount to be available from the middle of August at a cost of US$249, for either the Canon or the Nikon flavor.
Courtesy of Paul Ridden
