New Appreciation for the Smartphone.

[Jim Comeaux]

I have probably reinvented something, but I was so happy with my results that I just HAD to brag, err.. I mean share what I found. My 75 year old eyes just aren’ made for reading tiny numbers on partially obscured measuring devices from difficult angles. I refer to measuring the action height at the 12th fret with one of those multi-use cards with every scale known to Luthiers on it. So what is my miraculous solution? I took a picture of it. Using my smartphone, I got up really close and took a photo. I could then zoom in on those tiny numbers using the controls on the phone and make them readable. (Bass E string is @ 2.7 mm perfect!)

[jricc]

Quick Jim, develop an app for it
All kidding aside, great idea!

[Methos1979]

Depending on your brand of smartphone (and most of them have it anyway) there's a built-in app in them that is a little magnifying glass that when you tap it, it displays whatever you point the phone at magnified in realtime. It's like an electronic magnifying glass. You can even make it work with a light (built-in flash) and even take a photo on the fly with it. Works slick. No need to take the photo with the camera and go back to see it blown up. I put the magnifier widget right on my phone's home screen for quick and easy use for these aging eyes!!

[Tycobb73]

Yep, need to know the model and serial numbers on appliances? Take a picture. Want to see the serial number on your Martin? Take a picture. I'm sur there are more I've used my camera for.

[Aspiring]

Yup and add a smartwatch to it and you can do remote pictures placing the camera in places you can't get your head in to see like the inside of a guitar.

[gmel555]

<<DUPLICATE>>

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Tycobb73

Yep, need to know the model and serial numbers on appliances? Take a picture. Want to see the serial number on your Martin? Take a picture. I'm sur there are more I've used my camera for.

Yep, I do the same, great for small #'s too hard to see or even when they're just in a place the phone can get to but not your eyes.

Originally Posted by jricc

Quick Jim, develop an app for it
All kidding aside, great idea!

I think we're too late! Actually I'd be pretty sure this App isn't precise enough for luthier work.

[Mr. Jelly]

I have started taking pictures of allot of things lately. When I was going to the store to get matching door handles for around the house, I took pictures to refer to at the store. Same thing with the kitchen faucet. Upper and from the bottom. Which was an easy way to look up under the sink besides physically doing it. On vacation I took a picture of my license plate to refer to when checking into hotels.

[jjbigfly]

I find the smart phone to be required when shopping for guitars. Local shops tend to keep nice ones out of arms reach where I cannot read the model and printed tags. I zoom in, take a pic, then zoom in on the picture….I CAN read!

[TBman]

My phone has doubled as a magnifier for quite a while. Necessity is the mother of invention.

[rstaight]

Yep, they are great for looking into hard to reach places.

You can get cheesy apps to play guitar on your phone. You can down load tuning apps, which I use. Now all we need is a capo app.