[Macworld]

Post your comments for 7 Surprising uses for the iPhone?s camera here

[wstaddon]

A handy use for me is taking pictures of home repair issues to show the staff at the hardware store.

[leicaman]

I shoot recipes on TV as they scroll by to remember later.

[Motivated]

Had a good wine at a restaurant, but can't remember the label when in the store? iphone photo.

[thej]

Rather than writing notes from the board in a university lecture, I just take a picture.
Sit close to the front and the pictures are crystal clear.

[Bizzkit]

Another great App that uses the camera is SnapTell. Take a shot of a book, DVD, or CD cover and it will look it up and give you prices on Amazon and other sites plus local prices.
I was looking at a copy of The Matrix Trilogy BluRay at our local BestBuy that was priced at $99.99. Snapped a picture of the cover and it showed it was available locally at WalMart for $74.86. BestBuy did a price match based on the image on my iPhone.

[phdtop]

The last Suggestion -- use the iPhone to take photos of merchandise in stores so you can remember details like patterns, prices, etc. -- can get you into trouble. I was minding my own business in the Flooring department of a major home improvement chain (NOT one whose first name is "Home") and the saleslady suddenly went over to a couple who was about to take a photo of a carpet pattern on display. She told them there was a store policy against taking photos of merchandise and price tags. The couple was upset and the manager was called in. He said that the saleslady was correct, and he added, with some vehemence, that "NO store will let you take pictures like that". The couple left the store quite unhappy.
I have never heard of such a store policy, but then again I have never seen someone snapping photos inside a store before. (Weird, come to think of it.) I would imagine that the store's policy is designed to frustrate comparison shoppers from other stores -- stores that want accurate data about their competitors' prices and merchandise selections. Stores don't like comparison shoppers! (Except the ones they hire to go to other stores, grin.) My Mom used to be a comparison shopper long ago, and she told me how she avoided getting thrown out of the stores she was shopping in. Today's comparison shoppers have to rely on their memories and any surreptitious notes they can write down (or maybe now they have very well-concealed cameras).
So I'm not sure how successful this suggested use might be. If you use it, just be aware that you might be challenged. You're not going to get into trouble, but you might not be able to do what you want to do.

[macFanDave]

There's a free app that does what Night Camera does, Darkroom. To get the steady shot, you lose control of when the shutter actually snaps.

To get it to shoot more predictably, drink less coffee! ;)

[DVA_Airwolf]

I've truly tried to find a real-word use for the camera on the 3G but I honestly can't. NightCam's okay but it doesn't really make up for the inadequacies that a 2Mp camera really is.
Roll on the 5Mp true video camera on the iPhone 3 (and hopefully the video capabilities on the current 3G whenever OS 3.0 comes out).

[DVA_Airwolf]

Fingers crossed for my tri-heavy wish-list (or should that be wishful thinking) above.

[loup407]

This is so obvious probably everyone takes it for granted, (and it took me a few months to think of it - duh!) when I go to the airport, I'll snap a pic of the parking locator sign in the lot. When I get back to DIA I can find my car (yes, I know there is an app for this, but this seems simpler)
I also use the iPhone cam and Evernote for reminders, etc.

[dcpics]

phdtop said:

The last Suggestion -- use the iPhone to take photos of merchandise in stores so you can remember details like patterns, prices, etc. -- can get you into trouble. I was minding my own business in the Flooring department of a major home improvement chain (NOT one whose first name is "Home") and the saleslady suddenly went over to a couple who was about to take a photo of a carpet pattern on display. She told them there was a store policy against taking photos of merchandise and price tags. The couple was upset and the manager was called in. He said that the saleslady was correct, and he added, with some vehemence, that "NO store will let you take pictures like that". The couple left the store quite unhappy.

>

I've done that a lot with products -- to get the looong product number so I can do online research to figure out if that is the TV or whatever I want, or to go to another store and compare prices.

And the simple response to the store manager's argument is this: "Well, I was going to spend a few hundred dollars at your store, but I guess someone else will get your business. In this economy I'm sure your bosses don't mind you running away customers."

I actually used that recently when a company failed to send me new credit cards when my old account number was jeopardized. I simply said, truthfully, that I was leaving on vacation in a couple days and I guess that xxx (another credit card I have) would be getting all my business. Next thing I know new cards show up on a Saturday delivery.

[derekc]

The iPhone also makes a reasonable VIDEO CAMERA!
Except Apple won't approve any applications that allow video!
So you have to JAIL BREAK your iPhone to run a video capture application! Does that make sense? NOT!
I've seen the video results: Perfectly fine for cell phone. Some of the results have been posted to YouTube.

[wg45678]

For those that complain about the iPhone resolution, remember the talent is in the photographer and not the camera. Ansel Adams could have made better pictures with a 'Brownie' than most people can with their $5k digital cameras.
Personally I've used CameraBag,Darkroom Pro,and Photogene in combination with the iPhone camera to produce some of the best and most interesting photos I've taken -- some of them simply because of the opportunity of having a camera handy.