DOF calculator for Cingular 2125 (and other WM5 SmartPhones)

[JeffKohn]

When it was time to upgrade to a new phone, I decided to go with one of the new Windows Mobile SmartPhones, because I knew there were DOF/Hyperfocal calculators for the PocketPC available for download and I thought it would be cool to have one of these on my phone (yes I am a geek).

Alas, none of the calculators I could find for download would actually run on my phone, they all seemed to be written for older versions of Windows CE and were platform-specific binaries. So, I decided to write one myself.

This first prototype is pretty basic in functionality, but if you can live with its current limitations it is functional so I thought others might be interested in giving it a try. The main screen allows you to input lens focal length, subject distance, and circle of confusion.

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Once you do that (or accept the defaults) and hit the Calculate button (right soft-button). You get a grid displaying the near/far DOF and hyperfocal distance for various apertures:

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Pretty straight forward I think, but IMHO quite a bit more convenient than printing a bunch of DOF tables on notecards that invariably get lost/bent/soaked or left at home.

I mentioned that there are some limitations in this version:

- Default values are currently hard-coded. Hey I was in a hurry, but once I get some time I'll fix it to remember previously-used settings.

- List of apertures in the results grid is hard-coded. Again, when I have time I'll give you the option of first/last full-fstop as well as whether or not to show half/third fstops.

- Distance units are in feet, sorry no meters at this time but I'll consider adding the option in the future if there's interest.

- Program Icon is really lame. What can I say, I took up photography because I can't draw. :smile:

Other than that it seems to work fine for me, although I've only tested it on one phone model (Cingular 2125). It should run on other Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones, although if you don't have the QVGA screen I'm not sure how well it will display (would appreciate any feedback on this).

Unfortunately MS didn't ship .NET 2.0 on the current smartphone platform, so before you can run this app you're going to have to install the .NET 2.0 Compact Framework on your phone. The installer is downloadable from MS website here. Don't be alarmed at the size, I'm pretty sure they've bundled all of the platform-specific CABs into one MSI. The CAB for my phone was only about 2MB.

After you've installed that, just download the CAB for Hyper-Calc here and install however you normally install. To me the easiest way is copying the CAB to the phone and then running it from there. You'll get a warning about it being signed by an unknown publisher since I don't have a certificate, after that it should run like any other app.

Anyways, if anybody wants to try it, feel free. Please post feedback here if you try it and it works (or doesn't). I probably won't have time to do any more work on it until after I get back from vacation at the end of the month though.

 

[Beezle]

Very cool.

I have to wonder though - why don't they build one of these into the camera? For the current f stop, display a table of DOFs at various distances. For some lenses they could probably even display the current DOF.

Eventually they will get past what was inherited from the film days and think of these things.

Another idea - why not a button that spins the lens to the hyperfocal distance?

 

[JeffKohn]

I agree, if they start thinking of the potential of these digital cameras and the fact that they're essentially small computers with lenses attached, there are a lot of cool, innovative things they can do. I think we'll probably see some of that in the future, though I doubt Nikon will be leading the way given the glacial pace that product development moves in their SLR division.

In fact most of the innovative features will probalby show up in point-n-shoot models first.

 

[Beezle]

What if they gave us an API and some tools to write our own.

I'd be up for that. Unlikely as that is. As I hear it, Nikon Japan are extremely protective of their firmware.

Sad thing is it wouldn't be difficult for them to provide it.

 

[JeffKohn]

What if they gave us an API and some tools to write our own.

I'd be up for that. Unlikely as that is. As I hear it, Nikon Japan are extremely protective of their firmware.

Sad thing is it wouldn't be difficult for them to provide it.

And API that I could use to write software for my camera would be awesome. You're right though, would never happen.

 

[Retief]

And API that I could use to write software for my camera would be awesome. You're right though, would never happen.

I see a number of problems with this, even though it sure is a cool idea.

First you need an API that is really well optimized and "screw-up" proof, neither an easy task. We already have people blaming the manufacturers when they screw up menu settings and get results they don't like, such as "soft images" from the D200 when using all the defaults. Just think where this could go if someone screws up base firmware. Yeah, the manufacture can say "Not My Problem", but the hassle factor still costs them money and time.

Next you need somewhere for the code to go. Add more memory in-camera? You have to deal with physical constraints and space. Has to be separated form the base firmware to prevent a totally non-functional camera.

And most obnoxious is training and documentation. The customer service folks, on the phone as well as Melvill and El Segundo, have to understand how to deal with these issues. And the API has to be well-documented. Not that I have gone through issues of trying to take an internal API and turn it into something "customer usable and friendly". A royal pain that goes far beyond any "protective" issues.

As a former boss of my used to say ....

"Conceptually, it is very easy .... "

Oh, yeah, Jeff. Anyone who goes to the trouble of writing a DOF calculator for their phone is truly a Geek, of the first water. You sure get my vote. I'd just go the lazy route and download one for my PDA :wink:

 

[ddietiker]

When it was time to upgrade to a new phone, I decided to go with one of the new Windows Mobile SmartPhones, because I knew there were DOF/Hyperfocal calculators for the PocketPC available for download and I thought it would be cool to have one of these on my phone (yes I am a geek)..

Wow, nice! Thanks, I will try on my MDA.

 

[Beezle]

I see a number of problems with this, even though it sure is a cool idea.

First you need an API that is really well optimized and "screw-up" proof, neither an easy task. We already have people blaming the manufacturers when they screw up menu settings and get results they don't like, such as "soft images" from the D200 when using all the defaults. Just think where this could go if someone screws up base firmware. Yeah, the manufacture can say "Not My Problem", but the hassle factor still costs them money and time.

Next you need somewhere for the code to go. Add more memory in-camera? You have to deal with physical constraints and space. Has to be separated form the base firmware to prevent a totally non-functional camera.

And most obnoxious is training and documentation. The customer service folks, on the phone as well as Melvill and El Segundo, have to understand how to deal with these issues. And the API has to be well-documented. Not that I have gone through issues of trying to take an internal API and turn it into something "customer usable and friendly". A royal pain that goes far beyond any "protective" issues.

As a former boss of my used to say ....

"Conceptually, it is very easy .... "

Oh, yeah, Jeff. Anyone who goes to the trouble of writing a DOF calculator for their phone is truly a Geek, of the first water. You sure get my vote. I'd just go the lazy route and download one for my PDA :wink:

All manageable problems.

Then again I do this for a living.

 

[Retief]

All manageable problems.

Then again I do this for a living.

Absolutely all manageable, and while we are at it, I've been doing this since the 1960's myself, so I do have a bit of a clue.

The point is, these issues are often not nearly as trivial as many try to make them out to be, and which is why this issue is difficult to provide. And I have not gone into the other details, some of which would be legal, when such an API is delivered. Manageable? Sure, and it not now, perhaps when hardware is less expensive. Then again, as it is not a simple matter, there is also the cost associated with such delivery. Too often that is another matter that gets ignored. Again, manageable? Certainly, but nothing is "free".

 

[ddietiker]

Jeff, installed and so far so good. Working as advertised, let us know when you change the default settings, I believe the CoC for my camera is .020

 

[JeffKohn]

Jeff, installed and so far so good. Working as advertised, let us know when you change the default settings, I believe the CoC for my camera is .020

Glad to hear it's working for you. Does everything fit on-screen without any horizontal scrolling?

As for the CoC value, that's really more a matter of personal preference than anything else; there's no single "correct" value for any given camera. Lots of the online calculators use a CoC of .020 for all the DX crop-factor cameras, but Thom Hogan among others recommend using a smaller value because with a CoC of .020 you may find that for prints larger than about 8x12 that items at infinity don't look quite as sharp as you would expect. Thom Hogon specifically mentioned he uses .016, either in one his ebooks, his website, or an online posting (can't remember for sure which).

But like I said, I plan to have the app save your previously used settings; I just need to figure out the quickest/easiest way to do that in .NET CF (part of why I wrote this is to get my feet wet in .NET programming).

 

[JeffKohn]

Oh, yeah, Jeff. Anyone who goes to the trouble of writing a DOF calculator for their phone is truly a Geek, of the first water. You sure get my vote. I'd just go the lazy route and download one for my PDA

Umm, thanks... I think. :smile:

I've never had much use for a standalone PDA and couldn't see buying one just for this, especially since that'd just be one more thing to carry around (or forget/lose). But since I almost always have my phone with me the idea of a combo phone/PDA was attractive. Not as much software out there for the new SmartPhone platform though. Fortunately it wasn't too much trouble to write my own.

 

[Retief]

I think you should be proud, maybe get a button that says "Uber-Geek" :biggrin: :biggrin:

I still have not embraced the notion of a ton of convergence on any single device, such as the new spate of smart-phones, but that is more an issue of me being old-and-moldy than anything else. I do have a stand-alone PDA however, an iPaq, that I bought to use as an in-car nav system that I would also use for "many other things". To date the "many other things" are, well, having a couple of games for my wife to play when we are on a road-trip :wink:

It is going to be interesting to see where all of this goes with the convergence of functionality, but I could sure do without cameras in phones. It is REALLY annoying to be at a concert, looking toward the stage and seeing all of these stupid phones raised in the air while people are talking pictures of dots on the stage. Even worse than lit lighters .... :smile:

Umm, thanks... I think. :smile:

I've never had much use for a standalone PDA and couldn't see buying one just for this, especially since that'd just be one more thing to carry around (or forget/lose). But since I almost always have my phone with me the idea of a combo phone/PDA was attractive. Not as much software out there for the new SmartPhone platform though. Fortunately it wasn't too much trouble to write my own.

 

[ddietiker]

Glad to hear it's working for you. Does everything fit on-screen without any horizontal scrolling?

Fits with room to spare. Portrait as well as landscape.

 

[ddietiker]

I still have not embraced the notion of a ton of convergence on any single device, such as the new spate of smart-phones, but that is more an issue of me being old-and-moldy than anything else.

I have a drawer full, been using a Blackberry four years now. My current device is a WM 5.0 phone Pocket PC OS version, not the Smartphone OS. Very handy for email and keeping track of my calendar, since I am old and forgetful.

Great as a phone too

 

[JeffKohn]

Douglas I uploaded a new version, it will now save the 3 input parameters and remember them next time you run.

 

[ddietiker]

Nice, just put on my MDA.

Sounds like it is good to go for the WM5 Smartphone OS as well as the WM5 PPC OS. I used to carry a graph, this is going to be so much better and easier. Thank you for making this possible.

 

[ddietiker]

Jeff, thank you for doing this. I cant tell you how nice it is to reach for my MDA instead of a bunch of folded pieces of paper.

 

[JeffKohn]

Glad it's working for you Douglas. I think it will come in pretty handy for landscape shooting (which I plan to do lots of over the next week or two). I'd been meaning write something since I got the phone and realized there wasn't anything available for download, and this trip prompted me to finally do something about it.

I've got some additional features in mind but won't get a chance to work on them for a few weeks probably.

Thanks for the feedback,