Novel Interfaces for Digital Cameras and Camera Phones

Camera phones are now very common but there are some usability issues that affect their use. These can occur because the users look through the LCD to frame the image and can often miss the icons displayed around the edges that present important information about the status of the camera. This may lead to shots being missed or poorly exposed. Most camera phones do not take full advantage of the features of the underlying phone platform to enhance their interfaces. We created a camera application for the Nokia N95 that featured novel interface elements and made use of the features of the platform to provide a rich variety of information in more usable forms, such as: sonifications of the luminance histogram to ensure better exposure before a picture is taken; phone orientation to give a level indicator to ensure the camera is straight; measuring phone movement to ensure the phone is being held steady; and the detection of image motion to support panning We also present a scenario for how these features could be used in conjunction with each other during the photo taking process