cameras

Larry wants to use his camera with Be My Eyes on his iPhone, an app for the vision impaired. Leo says the first thing he'll need is a camera that can connect over Wi-Fi. Then he would need an app to allow him to remotely control it from the iPhone. Leo says that iOS sandboxes each app for security purposes, so one app can't compromise others, so he likely won't be able to use a separate camera with that particular app.

Mark is excited about the new Nikon full frame mirrorless camera. Leo says that Canon is likely going to announce one too, and it could be that the DSLR is on its way out. Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter. But it comes at a cost, as it will lose the optical viewfinder in favor of an electronic viewfinder. The sensor is also close to the lens and that means simpler optics. Photokina is coming September 26th, and we'll likely see both the Nikon and Canon full frame mirrorless cameras.

(Pictured above: Nikon D7200 24.2 MP DX-format Digital SLR Camera).

Pat recently bought a fifth wheel trailer and wants to have a rear mounted camera that he can see from the cabin. He'd like to spend around $150. Leo says that cameras are cheap. The money is in how it's installed and connected. Many cameras use Wi-Fi, though, and that could cost him some extra money as well.

Ed bought a Wyze Cam, but he doesn't have a smartphone to control it. Leo says that he would need to get a cell phone or at least a tablet for it to work. eBay is a good place to get one for cheap. Can he run it from a computer using BSD? Leo says probably not. BSD is a good OS, but it's not used by very many people. Also, Wyze hasn't created a desktop app yet.

He could use an Android emulator like Bluestacks, but he may need Windows or Linux to run it.

John wants to know how he can add a polarizing filter to his point and shoot camera. Leo says some of the point and shoots have screws on the front that would allow him to add a filter, which is the easiest way to do it. There's a variety of polarizing filter he could get, and generally, he'd want a circular one. If he doesn't have threads on the point and shoot, he'll need some way to mount it on there. John also looked at a magnetic filter, but his camera doesn't have that either.

Leo isn't sure why more manufacturers don't have this, but his Sony A9 does have that. He can hold up the camera above his head and still see what he's shooting, or hold it down by his waist. It's great to be able to get different perspectives like that. Ironically both Canon and Nikon offer movable screens on their low-end cameras, but Mark wants one on a full-format prosumer model. Leo saw a report from Canon Rumors that Canon has patented a very large swivel display for a 1DX style mirrored camera. They don't offer it yet, but they have the patent.

Bruce's daughter plays D&D and her group would like to stream their games online. They need a mic for the group. Leo says that the best option for them is Mevo. It has a wide-angle array mic and it has a camera built in that can be controlled via an iPad. It's 4K that streams over 1080p. It can even follow subjects around, and because it's 4K, Bruce's daughter could use the resolution to create a second camera up close. It's a great option. It's $400. There's also a $100 Black Friday deal going on right now.