Use mac as shutter release for iPhone camera?

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Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to use my MacBook as a remote shutter release to capture images from my iPhone 4?

I need to use the native camera app, so unfortunately the AppStore solutions such as Camera+ will not help me. I will have the iPhone mounted to a tripod but need to make sure that the camera doesn't move between taking shots.

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 

RavingMac

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Is there any particular reason you have to take the pictures with an iPhone? Both Nikon and Canon DSLRs can be remotely controlled and actuated by your Mac. And the APP DSLR Remote Pro allows you to use your iPhone as a Smart Remote.
 
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Is there any particular reason you have to take the pictures with an iPhone? Both Nikon and Canon DSLRs can be remotely controlled and actuated by your Mac. And the APP DSLR Remote Pro allows you to use your iPhone as a Smart Remote.

Yes, I want to carry out a scientific study to test the performance of the iPhone camera against changing environmental conditions. I've seen plenty of solutions that allow the iPhone to be used as a remote, but nothing to be used as a remote for the iPhone...

However, saying that I have *just* stumbled across an App called 'Remotomatic Camera' for iPhone iOS4 which does what I want it to do:
(Remotomatic Camera for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store)

However, I do not have the luxury of owning two iOS devices (I only have one iPhone 4) :p
 

RavingMac

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Yes, I want to carry out a scientific study to test the performance of the iPhone camera against changing environmental conditions. I've seen plenty of solutions that allow the iPhone to be used as a remote, but nothing to be used as a remote for the iPhone...

However, saying that I have *just* stumbled across an App called 'Remotomatic Camera' for iPhone iOS4 which does what I want it to do:
(Remotomatic Camera for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store)

However, I do not have the luxury of owning two iOS devices (I only have one iPhone 4) :p

I hope your experiment goes well. Perhaps you can borrow an iPod Touch.
 
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I hope your experiment goes well. Perhaps you can borrow an iPod Touch.

Thanks!

I think I spoke too soon about 'Remotomatic Camera'... It seems the native app cannot be used to take the images. Instead, it requires the use of Remotomatic Camera on both devices, and the pictures are taken through this third-part app :(

So back to square one...
 
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Many apps will just use the standard camera api. Maybe contact some camera app developers to find out. That way your results will be the same as using the built-in app.

Alternatively if you know someone who's able to write iOS apps you could get a simple app built to trigger the built in app is via the API.

Another idea would be to mount the phone in a tripod mountable case and then to weight the tripod to such a degree that a light tap to activate the shutter wouldn't move the phone
 

RavingMac

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Many apps will just use the standard camera api. Maybe contact some camera app developers to find out. That way your results will be the same as using the built-in app.

Alternatively if you know someone who's able to write iOS apps you could get a simple app built to trigger the built in app is via the API.

Another idea would be to mount the phone in a tripod mountable case and then to weight the tripod to such a degree that a light tap to activate the shutter wouldn't move the phone

Good idea on the tripod mount. And, since it is a capacitive screen, you don't actually have to tap it. With practice (possibly good to use a stylus) you may be able to get it to work by closely hovering over the shutter release button.
 
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Many apps will just use the standard camera api. Maybe contact some camera app developers to find out. That way your results will be the same as using the built-in app.

Alternatively if you know someone who's able to write iOS apps you could get a simple app built to trigger the built in app is via the API.

Another idea would be to mount the phone in a tripod mountable case and then to weight the tripod to such a degree that a light tap to activate the shutter wouldn't move the phone

Thanks for your great suggestions! I'm not convinced enough that the third-party apps are using the same API that the native app uses, and I cannot afford for there to be any discrepancies. In addition, I need to test the native HDR Photography feature within the native app, which hinders any possible workaround using the third-party apps.

Your suggestion to program a bespoke application to trigger the shutter is a good one. I have a computer science background, so should be able to put something together for this.

The easiest solution seems to be your third suggestion: stabilising the tripod as much as possible, and minimising the force applied to the screen-based shutter release. It would have just been nice to completely remove the possibility of camera movement by way of some remote shutter.

I can see why the AppStore cannot provide a solution to this, since these developed apps can only control their own functionality and cannot modify Apple's Apps or functionality. I can therefore only hope that Apple release support for this in future software updates, perhaps allowing a setting change to use the headphone play/pause button to act as a shutter release. There is indeed an app for Jailbroken iPhones called 'CameraButtons' that allows the assignment of the shutter release to the volume up/down buttons on the handset. If only Apple would release a software equivalent...
 

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