Welcome to Phontography Week here at Symbian-Guru. If you’ve purchased one of the latest S60 3rd Edition smartphones, such as the N95, N82, or even the N73, there’s no doubt that you’re at least interested in snapping photos with your phone, and likely have been for quite a while. The cameras on our phones are increasing in quality with each new model, and there are alot of people, like myself, who either don’t even own a stand-alone camera, or who only use it in rare occasions.
So, you’re using your phone as a camera – great. But are you really using it to its full potential? Of course you are, but we’d like to help those who aren’t quite yet. This week we’ll be checking out various tools that we use to get the most out of the cameras on our phones. The first tool that any photographer needs is a good tripod. While this is really helpful for timed shots, it’s also a must-have if you’re planning to experiment with stop-motion, and can help you get a more crisp photo, since it holds your phone steady.
Since none of our phones have the standard tripod screw-port on them, though, we need something designed specifically for phones to attach to a tripod. Enter the Nokia DT-22. I’ve written about it before, but this is one indispensable little tripod. It’s not super tall, but the real handy part of it is the clamp that screws into the top, anyways.
As you can see above, the clamp on the Nokia DT-22 features 2 thickly padded arms that you can tighten around your phone to hold it steady. On the bottom of this clamp is the standard screw-port, allowing you to use it in conjunction with the bundled tripod, or any other camera tripod. Unfortunately, the DT-22 is incredibly difficult to find, and there are even reports that it’s been discontinued.
No worries, as there is already a cheaper alternative on the market – the Sunpak Versipod. Available on Amazon for as little as $15, this tripod works just like the Nokia DT-22. Matthew Bennett from Nokia Daily News (great video podcast, btw, and one that’s listed on the Symbian-Guru OPML file) owns this particular replacement.
My Nokia DT-22 is standard equipment in my gadget bag, and should be the same for anyone planning to do some serious photography with their S60-powered smartphone. It’s small enough to fit in a gadget bag without taking up too much room, and you can use the clamp from the tripod on any professional camera mounts, as it uses the same standard screw-port. Brilliant.
Do you use a tripod when you take photos with your phone? Did you find one that works even better? If so, let us know and we’ll be sure to check it out! Stay tuned the rest of this week for more phontography coverage here at Symbian-Guru.com!
