Thanks to everyone for their feedback although most comments were more critical than encouraging. It’s been a bit overwhelming to see how much attention my little project has gotten over night.
Like I’ve said before by no mean consider myself a professional photographer. Heck, by no means do I consider myself an amateur photographer. Before embarking on this project I knew little more about DSLRs than when you push the button it snaps a the photo. I started this project for fun and to learn a little bit in the process. I realize there really is no practical application for this, but practicality was never my primary objective. Having said that, thanks again for everyone’s insight. Here’s what I learned:
Nomenclature
It seems my post entitled “iPhone DSLR Prototype 1.0″ really infuriated DSLR enthusiasts. It appears my nomenclature was inaccurate as the camera capturing the image is and never will be a “DSLR”. It has no internal mirror system to control light hitting the iPhone’s camera. Additionally, the images is still going through the iPhone’s mediocre lens, not directly to the sensor. So a more accurate title for this project would have been “iPhone DSLR Lens Mount Prototype” or “iPhone Canon EF Lens Mount”. So to all those camera snobs I’ve enraged… I’m sorry. And to everyone else… thanks for not getting so mad. I’m just hoping that this “Apple fanboy” doesn’t get in any trouble for tarnishing the iPhone’s good nam…… Hello? Hello? Oh sorry I was holding my phone wrong and I lost reception.
Performance
This set up has enabled the iPhone camera to have optical zoom. But overall the results of the configuration are completely useless. There are two major problems here:
1) The iPhone camera is unable to focus on the image projected by the Canon lens.
2) The image projected from the lens is not large enough to take up the whole angle of view.
Fundamentally this design is not going to work as is. I’m going to have to figure out a configuration of intermediate optics. Perhaps a combination of a reflecting screen and a macro lens. So if anyone has any suggestions, any feedback is much appreciated. Ultimately, I’m still hopeful that I’ll be able to fully utilize the 5MP iPhone sensor for everything it’s worth with some premium glass.
[UPDATED]
Macro filter and DOF adapter solved imaging problems – Working iPhone DSLR Video
[My apologies for posting this twice - I've submitted the text below as a comment on one of your other posts]
Hi Jeremy,
I think the approach you are taking is down the right track, but in it’s current form it fundamentally won’t work. Figuring out the minimum focus distance for the iPhone won’t help much either. Most SLR lenses are designed to form an image a certain distance behind the back of the lens – this is often known as the flange focal distance. In a situation with no intermediate lens (e.g. an SLR), if the distance between the sensor and the lens back isn’t more-or-less exactly the flange focal distance, you won’t be able to create a focused image.
When you have an intermediate lens (such as on an iPhone), this may affect the flange focal distance a little (as determined by experments that I have tried) but basically you need the lens back a fixed distance from the sensor. I’m pretty sure that the tube you have is too long (at least 55mm? http://iphonedslr.com/blog/archives/14fb) – the flange focal distance for canon lenses is 44mm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_mount
Having the right flange focal distance won’t fix problems with vignetting, though. My suggestion is to use a small intermediate magnifying lens to narrow down the field of view to the aperture at the back of the lens. I tried this with a CD player lens, with mixed results:
http://cow.mooh.org/2009/12/phone-o-scope-attaching-slr-lenses-to.html
A good quality small lens (preferably an acrhomat) should give you reasonable results. Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions.
Good luck!
cheers,
Bhautik
Keep up the work. I think you maybe on to something here if you work on it. I am sure a lot of great inventors were called a lot worse names in the past.
Thanks Gigantor. I’m sure most of the people doing all the name calling are just frustrated that I labeled it an “iPhone DSLR” I guess I should have called it an “iPhone DSLR lens mount”
Wow thanks Bhautik! You did some amazing work yourself! I should have done more research and contacted you before I started this whole project. I’m going to take your advice about the intermediate magnifying lens and see what happens. Do you know where I could get a good quality small achromat lens? What magnification would you suggest I look into?
Jeremy:
There are many places you can get an intermediate lens, but I’d recommend starting out with the small lens out of a CD player or similar. After that, you can start looking around on edumund scientific and similar sellers for small magnifying lenses. I’m not too sure what magnification you’ll need, as that depends on the in-built iPhone 4 lens and what it is capable of.
Note that every intermediate lens you introduce will alter the optics in different ways, so unless you’ve got a good understanding of the the optics in the phone (I haven’t been able to find any sources online) a good part of this will involve trial and error. I’d highly recommend prototyping with simple connectors (e.g. cardboard tubes) to determine how far apart each element in the system needs to be. In your final build, if you can introduce an element in the mount that allows you to move it back and forth (e.g. a screw mount on the tube), this will allow you to finely focus the lens and will hopefully lead to even better results.
I haven’t had time to read your all about work, but I admire what you’re trying to do and hope you can figure it out. I had a thought that you might be able to make an app that forces the iPhone to focus as close as it possible can, every time it takes a picture (with your app). Then, you would simply have to figure out the minimum focusing distance from the back of the EF lens to the front of the iPhone’s lens. Right? Anyway, good luck!
Ha ha dickhead someone’s already done the whole thing
http://cow.mooh.org/2009/12/phone-o-scope-attaching-slr-lenses-to.html
the focal length of the iPhone 4 is 10cm.
hope it works and you’d keep up the great research.
I saw those “It’s not a SLR” comments in the last post. I thought, “Please bitches.” You are doing something fun and interesting. I hope you get over the difficulties and make something that works, because this is cool.
@Bob Bobson
Clearly Bob, you are the dickhead. As stated, Jeremy is tackling this project with little experience in the field yet he is trying to create a legitimate lens mount for the phone that could potentially allow for swapping of glass and provide a good image. If Jeremy can pull this off it will be far better than the half-assed, taped up, crappy, out-of-focus, vignette producing junk that you are citing. Why would you even come on here and call him a name like that when they guy only trying to create something that everyone can love and use. Offer up a better solution or get a life.
@Jeremy
I think it’s looking good Jeremy and if you can figure out the issues with the optics, you could have a winner here. Keep up the great work man and I hope you solve the puzzle.
@Mike Thanks for the encouragement. We actually got the rig to work using some macro filters and the EnCimena 35mm DOF Adapter
You can see it in action here:
http://iphonedslr.com/blog/?p=109
Keep up the innovation Jeremy!
Any photo lens accessory like this for the iPhone 4 is exciting.
If you can’t get a large zoom lines would you try working on a small high quality macro lens adapter?
Man the concept is lovely i liked it i would try to see a detailed demo , hope i get it very soon , every1 is awaiting ..
iphone developer
I saw the post as Tuaw , thats something awesome for the iPhone4 and the whole iPhone family which is going to come .
@Best Ptc sites
Thanks! Heres demo of the rig with the EnCinema DOF 35mm adapter
http://iphonedslr.com/blog/archives/109fb
@David Sutherland
Thanks for the insights. I’m actually testing with a depth of field adapter. Specifically, the EnCinema 35mm DOF Adaptor.
You can find a working demo here: http://iphonedslr.com/blog/archives/109fb
@Alex
Thanks for the encouragement. The folks at Viv-atlantic.com were able to resolve the major issues. Here’s what the rig looks like with some diopters and the EnCinema 35mm adapter
http://vimeo.com/13402704
@fawsal
Thanks! Do you have any sources? I’d like to take a look at their research and methodology
@Bob
Thanks for the link. It’s insightful
@Craig
Thanks! I found an application called “almostDSLR” and allows you to flip the image (a problem I’m encountering) and lock the focus. Also you can see the rig in action using the EnCinema 35mm adapter:
http://iphonedslr.com/blog/archives/109fb
While the whole project is interesting and a good challenge, I don’t see a practical application. I mean, if I am going to carry around a set of heavy lens why not just carry the camera that goes with those lenses?
I am pleased that I found this site , just the right info that I was searching for! .