Although smartphone cameras are getting better and better, the one place many of them still lack is the flash. Generally, the flash on the iPhone leads to washed-out images with hard shadows. A new product called Nova is designed to fix that. It's a portable flash that wirelessly syncs with an iPhone, and it's small enough to carry in a wallet.
Nova connects to iPhones through Bluetooth, so it has an approximate range of 20 feet (6 meters). This means you can actually take the photo from farther away, while still positioning the flash to light up the subject – just as long as the phone and the flash are within range of one another.
The portable flash features different light settings so it can optimize the shot based on the conditions and the subject. It can do soft (which is the dimmest setting), warm, and brilliant. It also comes with a custom mode that allows users to blend the three base lighting methods for more interesting shots.
There are 40 points of light diffused behind the white panel. This is designed to make looking at the light less blinding, and as such, should help create better photos of people.
The flash is small enough to fit inside a wallet and comes with about the exact dimensions of a standard credit card, only thicker. Between that and the included application, having the flash ready when a photo opportunity happens should not be a problem.
Joe Walnes and Alex Lukashevich are seeking funding for Nova on Kickstarter. The project has already met its US$25,000 goal. Backers interested in purchasing a flash for themselves can do so for a minimum pledge of $54. The funds will go towards brighter LEDs, improved battery life, and other tweaks when the final product ships in February.
The Kickstarter pitch video below briefly introduces Nova.
Sources: Nova, Kickstarter
