Engineer looks to create Daylight Viewfinder for iPhone

Tired of squinting at your iPhone screen when you're trying to take a sunlit picture at the beach or at a ski area? That was the problem that plagued Oregon inventor and engineer Paul Anderson. Rather than curse the brightness, Anderson created his own solution to the issue -- the US$30 Daylight Viewfinder for iPhone.

The way the device works is simple. It's an eyepiece that sticks to a specific spot on your iPhone screen, blocking out the light as you look into the eyepiece like an optical camera viewfinder. An accompanying free app takes the camera image and shrinks it down; the Daylight Viewfinder's optics magnify the image for easy viewing of details and controls.

The Daylight Viewfinder isn't a shipping product right now. As with many great (and not-so-great) inventions, this product is seeking funding on Kickstarter. Anderson says that the product will be produced in the good old USA, a definite plus. A $20 pledge gets you an early unit in a carrying pouch. It's an innovative way to make the iPhone a much better camera in full sun, and definitely worth a look. You can check out Anderson's pitch video below:

[via CNET]