Your smartphone may shoot great photos and videos, but it's still much more awkward to use than an actual camera. The Snappy is one of the latest gadgets to address that problem, as it brings camera-like functionality (including a shot-stabilizing gimbal) to your phone.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Snappy is made by Hong Kong photographic equipment manufacturer Buddiesman.
The motorized device features a spring-loaded rubberized clamp mechanism that securely grasps the user's smartphone by the sides. That clamp opens fairly wide, allowing it to receive phones of various widths without having to remove their cases.
The user holds the Snappy by a rubberized ergonomic grip, which is connected to the clamp by an articulated arm.
By pressing a thumbwheel on the back of that grip, the user can rotate the clamp/phone between landscape and portrait orientations. A wheel on the front of the grip is used to switch the phone's camera between photo and video modes, and to smoothly operate its digital zoom.
The user presses a DSLR-style shutter button on top of the grip to take photos, and to start/stop recording videos. They can even detach the grip from the rest of the Snappy, then use it to remotely control the camera via Bluetooth (up to a distance of 10 m/33 ft).
The same brushless motor that swivels the phone between horizontal and vertical shooting modes also serves as a gyroscopically controlled single-axis gimbal. That gimbal automatically maintains the phone's horizontal axis while shooting handheld video, helping to smooth out the footage.
On the forward-facing side of the Snappy's clamp is an LED ring light. Simply by touching that light, the user can switch between cool and warm color temperatures, and adjust its intensity.
Some of the Snappy's other features include a quarter-inch threaded tripod hole on the bottom of the grip; the ability to use the device's battery to power the phone; a cold shoe receptacle for mounting peripherals such as microphones or additional lights; and the ability to use the device as an adjustable-angle phone stand.
Assuming the Snappy reaches production, a pledge of US$89 will get you one. The planned retail price is $149. Its features are demonstrated in the following video.
Source: Kickstarter
