Filed under: Cool tools, Hacks, Mods, iPhone
iPhone Hacks: refocusing your camera
Like most phone cameras, the iPhone's lens is focused for the most general possible use, i.e. nearly at infinity. TUAW reader Daniel Forsythe modded his iPhone to focus a bit closer up so he could use it to read bar codes that he shoots from magazines and equipment labels.
The mod involves breaking the glue that holds in the camera module and rotating the lens to bring the focus closer to the camera. With this hack, he can snap photos of close-in subjects. Check out his Flickr photo set for samples and discussion.
He writes that he plans to make a full mod guide should readers express interest in it. The photo seen here is focused to 0.25".
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Roberto said 12:43PM on 8-27-2008
Perhaps the next round of Mac spy shots could benefit from this hack. No more blurry macro pictures please!
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itchytooth said 12:46PM on 8-27-2008
This is insanely awesome!
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JRob said 12:49PM on 8-27-2008
I'm quite interested -- but a little leery of cracking open the case. Is this somehow possible without actually removing the back? I guess I'd like to know how he did it, so I can decide whether I want to take the risk.
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Ryan Trevisol said 1:01PM on 8-27-2008
This would make me use my iphone camera about a 1000 times more than I do now, but I won't break my iphone for this.
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three60guy said 1:06PM on 8-27-2008
I can do the same thing merely by using a magnifying glass. No mods required. Just two hands.
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(01) said 1:23PM on 8-27-2008
you may want to mention that this will almost assuredly void your warranty, but beyond that, good luck to anyone who tries it out!
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Mark 2000 said 1:40PM on 8-27-2008
I don't know about everyone else, but my iPhone is not focused at infinity. It seems like its only good for a foot away to 20 feet way. Long shots are totally blurry. Basically its good for portraits and that's it.
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kc! said 2:43PM on 8-27-2008
Get a $9 Radioshack magnifier and hold it flush to the iPhone to get that same close-up mod without all the fuss. Check the following Wired Wiki for all the details (all the photos shown were ones I took).
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Take_Detailed_Close-up_Photos_With_Your_iPhone
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defor said 2:45PM on 8-27-2008
Thanks for the comments everyone-
Jrob:
I'll be posting a link to the guide on the flickr set page either tonight or tomorrow once it's done... I didn't bring the second phone with me today.
three60guy:
I totally agree with your comment- I just happen to NEVER use the camera for distance shots, and it'd just be more junk for me to carry around, regardless of size, as well as- at least for me- having a constant focus depth is great.
Mark2000:
Interesting that you mention that- My first iPhone was actually misfocused from the factory at around 5 ft. It's been long since sold. The second iPhone (what some of these shots were taken with) was focused at near infinity- toog great distance shots of outdoors, but even people were a tad blurry. The 3G seems to have had the 20ft. focusing you speak of.
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Aaron Besson said 3:58PM on 8-27-2008
awesome, awesome, i was able to adjust the camera using a spare component i have in my "iphone graveyard" drawer. I'll be putting this into a phone that I have to open to fix for someone. I want to test video (with Cycorder and Video Recorder) and of course photos. I would like to see if a mid point would be the best of both worlds..
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Kurt Tappe said 4:04PM on 8-27-2008
I apologize for going off-topic, but I have an odd problem with my iPhone 3G's camera lens: My iPhone camera is not square. In order for pix I take with the phone to be level, I must hold the phone about 1 degree clockwise from level as I tap the shutter. Anyone else? I've Googled and found absolutely nothing.
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Juliano said 4:46PM on 8-27-2008
Hi!
Sorry.. but I got more interested on your modded Summerboard... :P
Where did you get that? What's its name?
Thanks!
Cheers
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Avaviel said 6:04PM on 8-27-2008
That is a Winter board theme called "Illuminated.' I have it myself, it even changes over time!
http://www.appleiphoneschool.com/2008/08/16/illuminated-winterboard-theme/
defor said 6:57PM on 8-27-2008
Just finished putting instructions up at: http://www.eastrain.com/?p=73
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alansky said 8:50PM on 8-27-2008
Can someone please explain to me why anyone would choose Flickr as their photo-sharing site? Flickr's photo presentation is so bad that it's laughable. Yet they are extremely popular. I just don't get it!
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