camera

Modern luxury vehicles are available with a wide range of driver assistance technology and use a variety of sensors to power that tech. Lane departure warning systems use front-facing cameras to watch the lines painted on the road. Blind-spot monitoring uses sonar arrays to check the area around the vehicle for obstructions. Rear proximity detection also uses sonar arrays to detect objects behind a reversing vehicle. The 2013 Nissan Altima will be able handle all three of these functions with only one rear-facing camera.

Nissan's system uses a rear-facing camera that constantly watches the area behind and to the … Read more

Some people will go to great lengths to foil red light cameras. They may use darkened license plate covers, questionable spray-on photo blockers, or strategically placed layers of mud. All those methods are low tech, but there's a higher-tech option on the way.

The noPhoto is a microprocessor-controlled smart license plate. A sensor detects the flash from a red light camera or a consumer camera. It triggers a pair of flashes on the sides of the plate. Those flashes make the plate too bright for the camera to capture.

Besides combating red light cameras, the noPhoto may also find a niche in Hollywood by protecting the license plate numbers of celebrities with paparazzi on their tails. It would also save people who post pictures of their rides online from endless sessions of Photoshop license plate scrubbing.… Read more

From the time Lytro launched its first consumer Light Field Camera in March, the company has been clear that the Lytro you buy today will be able to do much more in the future.

For example, as of today, current Lytro owners can get a firmware update via the desktop software (available for Mac and Windows) to add some more control over the camera, including shutter speed and ISO.

Without control over shutter speed or ISO, most low-light shots I've taken end up looking like the above -- grainy with poor color. That's because the camera ramps up … Read more

The iPhone 5 is among the best smartphones on the market, at least in the eyes of Consumer Reports.

Putting the new phone through the paces, CR was impressed with the larger 4-inch display, the thinner and lighter body, 4G LTE access, and "a host of innovative features." Those factors all pushed the iPhone 5 high in the ratings, beating the iPhone 4S as well as a host of Android phones.

Consumer Reports found improvements in Siri, as well as the camera. With the exception of the 41-megapixel camera on the Nokia 808, the iPhone 5's camera … Read more

After privately telling an iPhone 5 user that the purple halo sometimes produced by the device's camera is due to how users are framing photos, Apple has gone public with suggestions for preventing the flare on images.

Soon after the device went on sale last month, owners began complaining of a purple color showing up on the edges of photos, an issue that typically occurs when a light source is immediately nearby, though it can occur even when the light is off frame. It can also affect both photos and videos.

Earlier this month, an AppleCare support representative responding … Read more

For many people, buying a camera isn't an easy thing to do. It's not really a one-model-fits-all kind of product, so there's not just a single camera you can point to and say, "Buy this!"

In fact, it's the opposite; with such a range of types, sizes, features, and prices, unless you know your exact needs, you could very well end up disappointed with your purchase. And that's what this guide is all about: Helping you make the best camera purchase for your needs and budget.

For people who just want some good … Read more

Shutterbugs who've used lens hoods -- an invaluable accessory for reducing stray light to improve image contrast -- know how frustrating it is to try to cap one's lens with the hood in the way. To prevent photographers from misplacing their lens caps or damaging their lenses, Taiwanese accessory makers have created a nifty accessory that combines both accessories into one.

The Hoocap features a simple design. It's a hood with two retractable doors; when not in use, the doors flip down to form a shield.

Judging by pictures of this contraption, it does seem to add … Read more

Apple has filed a handful of patent applications that suggest future iterations of the iPhone and iPad will have dramatically improved camera features.

The seven patent filings -- filed on Thursday and first discovered by Patently Apple -- describe gesture techniques and technology for preventing red eye in images.

The abstract for patent application No. 20120242852 outlines mapping user interactions to input the parameters for various image filters, as well as applying "location-based distortions" to image processing. … Read more

Popular camera accessory maker Joby -- known for its unique Gorillapod tripod -- recently launched its new 3-Way Camera Strap during Photokina 2012. Compared with typical neck straps, this camera strap can be configured into a wrist, neck, and shoulder strap by simply toggling a switch.

The strap, which retails for $39.99, comes in the form of a base plate, which has a universal thumbscrew that can be attached to the tripod mount of most cameras. The 3-Way Camera Strap features a Dyneema Cord -- a very strong material rated to hold more than 100 pounds that can be … Read more