By Andrew Liszewski

It’s probably not a concept that Nikon or Canon are going to embrace any time soon, but if you don’t have much confidence in your photography skills, Sascha Pohflepp’s blind ‘Buttons’ camera will certainly appeal to you. It’s actually part of their ‘Blinks and Buttons’ art exhibit, and as you can see in the photos, the camera has no lens, no sensor and no optics whatsoever. Just a faux shutter button that triggers a cellphone hidden inside to retrieve and display a photo from Flickr that was taken at the exact same moment. So in a manner of speaking, the Buttons camera actually takes other people’s photos.

And since the camera was created as part of an art piece, I feel obligated to share the artist’s ‘motivations’ and ‘inspirations’ behind it:

Taking a photo means making a memory. Choosing a moment in time and framing a situation. Archiving it or making it public. Either way, we create a visual item that we have an emotional attachment to through our memory. Photos help us to remember moments in our past. Often they even become a memory in their own right. For many, making their moments public through services like Flickr is already part the process of photography itself, creating archives which contain a vast collection of visual fragments of individual lives.

[ Buttons - A Blind Camera ] VIA [ @ronbrinkmann ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Popular Photography has a brief, but interesting, interview with someone at NASA regarding how a DSLR needs to be specially prepped before it can be blasted into orbit and used on a spacewalk. Most noticeable in the photo above, featuring a camera used for astronaut training, is a white shroud surrounding the flash. It turns out that’s apparently pretty important since the flash won’t fire in the vacuum of space if left completely exposed:

The equipment under the thermal blanket is a Nikon SB-800 flash in a custom housing that is used during a spacewalk (EVA). The flash needed a special housing because it will not work properly in the vacuum of space. The housing holds air pressure so that the flash will function properly. There is also a bracket on the bottom (covered with a white thermal blanket) that the camera and flash mount to.

And, while the cameras do return to Earth after a space flight (instead of simply being jettisoned to lighten the Shuttle’s (RIP) load) they don’t always return to active duty after inspections. Apparently the unshielded radiation of space does quite a number on their sensors.

[ Popular Photography - How Does NASA Get a Nikon D2Xs DSLR Ready to Go to Space? ] VIA [ Popular Science ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re not thrilled with the idea of being burdened with a camera bag while out shooting, Leica’s lens holder lets you attach a second lens to the underside of either your Leica MP or M7 film cameras using the tripod mount. It will of course add a bit of extra weight to the whole package depending on what lens you’ve got hanging down there, but sometimes a heavy camera’s not a bad thing when you need to keep it steady during a longer shutter. In fact, Leica even positions the accessory as a way to add a stabilizing handle to your camera, and as a miniature tripod. (Just make sure you’ve got a lens cover on!) As for pricing, since it’s an official Leica accessory they seem to range from ~$180 to $200+ online.

[ Leica Lens Holder M For MP & M7 ] VIA [ Fancy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

With the recent final launch of the Space Shuttle program, the world’s attention has once again turned to the stars. And if you find yourself fascinated with gazing at the heavens, and also happen to be obsessed with iPhone 4 photography, here’s a Kickstarter project that could use your support. The AstroClip is yet another camera enhancement add-on for your iPhone, but this time it allows you to focus the lens on any telescope with a 1.25-inch eyepiece. A set of 3 adjustable screws ensures there’s always a tight fit, and depending on the size and caliber of your telescope, with minimal setup and adjustment you’ll be posting some NASA-quality images to your Instagram account, instead of just your cat playing with yarn.

The project has set a goal of $15,000 so that the AstroClip can be made in the United States, and with a donation of just $25 you can guarantee yourself one, if and when they go into production.

[ Kickstarter - AstroClip ] VIA [ Fancy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The obvious advantage to carrying a P&S digital camera is that they’re small and compact. But in order to keep it safe, you probably want a case for it. And if you happen to use it for a lot of group shots including yourself, a tripod or mount becomes a handy thing to bring along. And then suddenly your compact digital camera isn’t quite so compact with a bag full of accessories tagging along. So the Pose from Quirky manages to merge a few of those items together, helping to keep your P&S camera easy to carry.

First and foremost it’s a zip-up case that’s easy on the eyes with its rubber web-like design on the outside, which also happens to make it weather resistant. But when fully unzipped the Pose serves as a pretty functional and flexible tripod/camera mount. Literally. From the looks of it, hidden away inside the case is a series of bendable metal wires that allow it to be shaped into a stand, or wrapped around a pole. Allowing for hands-free and stable photography. That fancy rubber outer finish also provides an extra bit of grip when the case is used as a stand, and on the inside you’ll find a quick-release tripod mount making it easy to attach or remove your camera.

It’s $23.99 when purchased from Quirky as a presale item. But if and when they sell the 1,000 needed for it to go into production, the price goes up to $29.99.

[ Quirky - Pose ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I wholeheartedly endorse the iPhone 4 as a lightweight, always-on-hand P&S digital camera alternative. But this might be taking things a bit too far. For a mere $190 from Photojojo you can get this iPhone 4 case featuring an adapter allowing you to use either Nikon or Canon lenses with your smartphone. On one hand you no longer have to rely on an app to fake a shallow DOF in your photos, but on the other, look at what you’ve done to your sleek, svelte phone!

I’m desperately looking for any sign that this is a leftover April Fool’s Day prank, but from what I can tell, it’s 100% real. And, 100% ridiculous. The removable aluminum case even includes a loophole on either end allowing you to attach a camera strap and hang this Frankenstein of photography around your neck like an actual DSLR. Just remember that autofocus is out of the question, and the tiny sensor on the iPhone 4 is not going to perform anywhere near as well as the one in even the lowest-end DSLR.

*Update: Photojojo has updated the product page with new pricing info. The iPhone 4 version of the SLR Lens Mount is actually $249, while the iPhone 3 version is $149. And we’re not sure why there’s such a huge price discrepancy.

[ iPhone SLR Lens Mount ] VIA [ Coudal Partners ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Proving that there’s still a lot of fun to be had with film and in-camera effects, Holga’s TIM or ‘Twin Image Maker’ camera lets you create half-frame exposures, color effects through flash filters, multi-exposure shots and yes, even 3D images, if you must. The camera’s smiling face includes its dual lenses for eyes, a grinning mouth for controlling the aperture and eyebrows which allow you to individually open and close each lens. Allowing you to create a different exposure on either side of the photo using its multiple exposure button.

TIM also comes with an optional flash with a set of permanently mounted color filters that can be rotated in place as needed. All-in-all you should have over 50 different “shooting experiments” and effects combinations using all of camera’s functionality, and yes, if you leave both of the lenses open while taking a photo they’re far enough apart to create a convincing 3D effect. But thankfully that’s not all this camera’s about. Available from Photojojo for $50 on its own, or $60 if you want the flash as well.

[ Holga TIM ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

And continuing with today’s trend of adorable photography accessories we bring you these handmade pillows designed to look like Nikon and Canon lenses. They’re made with fleece, felt and approximately 3 stops worth of love, and are currently available in a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 design for $35 each. And while the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L design (pictured above) is still in production, it can be pre-ordered now for $65. Until July 12th that is when the price jumps to $80. No word on when they’ll produce a Sigma line, but I’m going to assume they’ll be a lot cheaper.

[ Plushtography Camera Lens Pillows ] VIA [ Freshome ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t think the fact that these miniature, keychain-sized Lomography cameras don’t actually work will stop hipsters from quickly snatching up the entire collection. Made from ABS plastic these tiny cameras are about 20% the size of the full scale versions they represent, and the collection includes some of the more popular Lomos like the Lubitel+, the Diana F+, the Fisheye 2 and the LOMO LC-A+. They can be hung from your cellphone, worn as jewelry or even strapped to the real Lomo you carry around all day. (How meta!) And to further sweeten the deal each miniature Lomo comes in a small metal tin that’s roughly the same size as a film canister. Available from Dream In Plastic for just $7 each.

[ Keychain Lomography Cameras ] VIA [ Matomeno ]