New phenomena of tablet computer cameras with LF-like viewing

I use a full-sized iPad often to take pictures and send them off right away by 4G. Comm is everywhere, the camera makes good images, and the display is wonderful. It's all in one package, easy to handle. No complaints at all.
 
Warning, this is going to be a bit cliche emotional. And I have no interest in selling ipads!

My girlfriend's father died last year. Before that he had to stay at home for years. He had severe lung problems and needed to be connected to a machine. He could go outside of the house for a maximum of 2 hours, but even that was a stretch for him. And he lived in the hills around Tokyo, getting anywhere would take at least 1 hour. So sometimes he would just take a walk, my girlfriend would go with in and carry his oxygen tank. Anyway, the last half year of his life, even going outside was a stretch.

When his birthday came, I suggested an ipad, my GF got him one, and we installed it for him. It was a great idea. The man loved flowers, and now he was shooting the flowers in his garden, even the ones on the table. It helped that it wasn't his phone, but a big tablet. It was like a window he could point at something, and capture the view. He used it all the time. He had pictures of my gf's sister's baby (his grandchild). They kept sharing those images, and they would all look at them when the family came together. All of them are pretty much technically illiterate.

I remember taking a picture of some cherry blossoms when it was that season in Japan, and posted it on flicker. When I came over, I was surprised to see it on his tablet. My girlfriend had shared it with him and he downloaded it. My girlfriend would chat with him through it, and send him pictures sometimes. It made me realize the real power of images. Not sharpness, bokeh, or how a lens "draws", but the fact that we can show something that is or was, later to someone else. To view things you saw before. It's taken for granted now, but I really think that is why photography is the most powerful "art". And even then photography is just an assistant for more important things.

When I go there now, the ipad is still there, and we often watch some of the images on it. Perhaps prints are still better, but this is as close at it gets. It is really a nice device to share media, and the photos taken on it were not out of love for photography, it was out of love for, well, life or memories or something, the subject, you know what I mean.
 
"It sure makes an impression, [...] with none of the inconvenience [...]"

Except the inconvenience of people behind whoever is holding up a tablet that also wish to experience the event. I wish it went without saying, but if you wish to use this method, please be aware of your surroundings. Elbows in in the back are a known side-effect of this shooting style. It has been my experience that "tabletographers" take rage-inducement to a new level. It's just another straw that contributes to banned photography in public spaces, and general dislike of photographers.
 
emayoh said:
"It sure makes an impression, [...] with none of the inconvenience [...]"

Except the inconvenience of people behind whoever is holding up a tablet that also wish to experience the event. I wish it went without saying, but if you wish to use this method, please be aware of your surroundings. Elbows in in the back are a known side-effect of this shooting style. It has been my experience that "tabletographers" take rage-inducement to a new level. It's just another straw that contributes to banned photography in public spaces, and general dislike of photographers.
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Annoying, inconsiderate people have been a part of every crowd scene since the days of the Circus Maximus. ;-)

G
 
In it's native environment, iPad camera shots displayed on the iPad screen are remarkably sharp and clear. Color is nice. Takes well out the car window at 80 mph.
 
ottluuk said:
There´s got to be an app that dims the screen, flips the sides of the image and turns it upside down so you can get under a dark cloth and compose like a man 🙂. And you´ll definitely want to clip screen corners to check for vignetting 😀

Seriously, a wireless "tether" from a real camera to a tablet for live view/preview would be great for studio stuff. Probably there´s a camera that can do this already. I´ve tried tethered shooting on a few occasions with the old 40D via USB cord to a laptop but the cord and computer kept getting in the way. With a tablet, you could just clamp it to a tripod leg and not worry about having a table or a laptop tray you could knock over or lengthy cords to get tangled in.

I think there was a high end MF digital back that allowed an iPhone to be used as a control interface.

Edit: j_j´s post above proves my ignorance of the modern things 🙂 so the tech is ready and works
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There was a NatGeo photographer controlling a camera on a balloon via an iPad to get a different perspective on the Easter Island statues. I am sure the link was posted here last year. It was pretty impressive.
 
emayoh said:
"It sure makes an impression, [...] with none of the inconvenience [...]"

Except the inconvenience of people behind whoever is holding up a tablet that also wish to experience the event. I wish it went without saying, but if you wish to use this method, please be aware of your surroundings. Elbows in in the back are a known side-effect of this shooting style. It has been my experience that "tabletographers" take rage-inducement to a new level. It's just another straw that contributes to banned photography in public spaces, and general dislike of photographers.
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I shoot a lot of live music, and I've had to deal with someone wafting an Ipad around in a dark club, and blocking myself and another photographer from getting to anywhere we could see from let alone shoot, later in the evening he was on the opposite side of the stage to me, and a number of people have asked "is he REALLY using an ipad?"

as well as the image quality issues, and the getting in the damn way issues I'd imagine that for the artist someone waving around a 10" light coloured tablet in the semi darkness is more distracting than black cameras on a dark background.

I totally understand the "the best camera is the one you have with you" line, I can't imagine the ergonomics are good though.
I haven't used the camera on my (non apple) tablet at all, and I can't imagine an instance where I would
 
If we think that a full-sized tablet is intrusive, then the iPad Mini is a big improvement.

Technology is often about reliably getting rid of moving parts. On that the tablet is way ahead of everything out there.
 
daveleo said:
EDIT: for daylight viewing, shouldn't they have black cloths over their heads ?
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Wow... I'm sensing a real business opportunity here for someone... make an iPad bracket with a tripod socket; sell it bundled with a HEAVY wooden tripod, a dark cloth with velcro to keep it on the iPad, and then a large wooden footlocker to tote it all around in... sell it as a "post-moderne view camera" for outrageous money. it'll sell better with nice bright brass hardward. they ain't got nuthin' on Barnack.

😀
 
And a tilt and shift app?

Oh, also must invert the image

🙂

hepcat said:
Wow... I'm sensing a real business opportunity here for someone... make an iPad bracket with a tripod socket; sell it bundled with a HEAVY wooden tripod, a dark cloth with velcro to keep it on the iPad, and then a large wooden footlocker to tote it all around in... sell it as a "post-moderne view camera" for outrageous money. it'll sell better with nice bright brass hardward. they ain't got nuthin' on Barnack.

😀
Click to expand...
 
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