Jim Carlson dot Net

In my post Cell Phone Photo Processing, I demonstrated how I used a micro SD card [with an SD converter] in my Canon SD1000 camera, took high quality images and processed them by placing the same micro SD card [with a mini converter] in my Moto Q. I was able to rotate, color correct and crop the images and e-mail them to any source (friends, blogs, photo processing centers….) from my phone.

Today, Wired online reviewed the Polaroid PoGo Printer, which allows photo printing via Bluetooth or USB connections from camera phones and cameras with Pict-Bridge technology (a great deal of cameras, including my SD1000 have this technology).

Although the printer is far from perfect, this technology is not only fun, but another indicator of the future of mobile photo processing and photo sharing.

With few exceptions, cell phone cameras produce relatively poor images. As I was preparing for my mobile blog experiment, it hit me: My Moto Q should be able to read images taken with my Canon SD1000.

The solution was starkly simple. The Moto uses a mini SD card, the Canon uses an SD card. By using the adapter that came with my micro SD card, I could use the same memory card in both my Q and my Canon.

What You Need

1. A cellphone with internet/e-mail access that can read a mini, micro or full sized SD card.
2. A camera that uses a mini, micro or full sized SD card.
3. Adaptable media. I used a micro SD card with both mini and full size adapters.

Taking Pictures

By using the micro SD card in the SD adapter, I simply placed the card in my camera. Since I would be editing and sending the images from my phone, I set the camera to the 1.9 mega pixel mode [1600 x 1200] rather than 7.1 mega pixel mode [3072 x 2304].

I did test editing and sending 7.1 mega pixel images on my Moto, however, the processing and upload times are considerably longer than the lower resolution images.

Editing / Sending Images

Once I shot the images on my Canon, I simply took the micro SD card out of the full size adapter, placed it in the mini adapter and put it in my Moto.

The Moto is a Windows Media 6 based phone which has basic photo editing tools that allow you to rotate, crop and auto correct images. Once the images are corrected, you can choose to save over the original or ‘save as’ to preserve the original.

To send the images, compose an e-mail, attach the image(s) and hit send.

Conclusion

For bloggers and photographers who want to edit and send high quality images from their phone, adaptable media makes the process incredibly easy. Beyond blogging, sending images via e-mail allows for instant sharing (with friends/family/colleagues), seamless uploads to Flickr and delivery to photo printing services (to get prints in about an hour).

In a very short amount of time we have gone from waiting for film to develop, to downloading images from our digital cameras to our computers. We’ve tolerated sharing grainy, poor quality cell phone images. Now with mobile technology, high quality images can be taken with a digital camera and processed and shared using a cell phone.