For a long time, shooting pictures did not involve any triggers, but only shutter release buttons. Luckily, the Grip & Shoot iPhone accessory resembles a pistol grip so much, it will make people feel they are in the Wild Wild West.
Smartphones may not be able to replace DSLR cameras just yet, but the quality of the images they produce is still pretty magnificent. The pixel count, expressed in megapixels, has been for a long time one of the main criteria of setting digital cameras apart, but in the end, the myth was busted and people realized it’s not the number of megapixels that matters the most. If that would be the case, everybody would go head first and buy a Nokia 808 PureView (yes, the one with the 41 MP camera) or even the upcoming Nokia EOS. When the HTC One was launched, the Taiwanese manufacturer made people realize that the pixel count is irrelevant. Back to the matter at hand, one would say it’s not the camera you use that influences the quality of the picture, but also the way you shoot. Holding a grip and shooting photos and videos is not only more comfortable, but also more precise, as it allows people to frame their subjects more accurately.
The Grip & Shoot system is exhibited at CE Week in New York at the moment, but the developers promise that the product will be mass marketed really soon. Basically, the system includes a case for the iPhone 4S/5 and a grip that connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth. Using the touchscreen as a shutter release button has never been very convenient, not to mention that holding the iPhone sideways is sometimes not very comfortable.
The grip includes three buttons: a trigger and two for zooming in and out. A dedicated app will be required for using the Grip & Shoot system, but since that will be offered for free, there shouldn’t be any problems. The developers claim that there might be other applications for their device, besides photography. Augmented reality games that would employ this grip and the smartphones accelerometer would be absolutely fantastic!
As seen in the following image, the Grip & Shoot iPhone accessory is supposed to be sold as a bundle that contains a case for the iPhone 4S/5, the grip itself and a carrying pouch. All this will cost $99.95, and the bundle is supposed to hit the shelves in two weeks from now.
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