Additional flash for smartphone. iblazr external LED flash for smartphones gets a start in life
As you know, the phone's flash can be used as a flashlight. But with prolonged use, it may burn out and fail, and it also wastes a large number of electrical power, causing the phone's battery to drain quickly.
Advantages of my flashlight option:
- Compact size.
- Bright light (slightly inferior to phone flash).
- Low power consumption.
- Ease of manufacture.
1. LED (diameter 5 mm, voltage 3 volts, color white).
2. Resistor 100.Ohm.
3. Micro USB plug with housing.
From tools: soldering iron and wire cutters.
Manufacturing process:
1. Approximately determine the length of the legs of the resistor and LED.2.Ludim all contacts.
3. We need to close pins 1 and 2 of the Micro USB with a jumper (as shown in the picture).
4. Solder the LED to the resistor (in this case, it does not matter to which pin, without observing the polarity).
5. Pin 3 is (+) and pin 1 (-) (as shown in the picture), solder the plus of the LED to the plus of the plug and the minus to the minus.
6. It remains to install the micro USB into the case and close it.
Thank you for your attention!
Price: $2.17
Hello friends! It so happened historically that I can’t always take a picture with a camera during daylight hours. Sometimes you have to take pictures in the dark, moreover, on a smartphone. In my case it is Nokia Lumia 520. For those who are not in the know - it is equipped with a 5MP camera without flash. And sometimes it’s necessary to “take on a pencil” the daily routine of a particular institution. In the dark, it is far from always possible to photograph the mode of operation of a particular institution normally - there is not enough lighting and, as a result, the camera cannot focus normally. But I solved the problem with such an external flash.
This kit includes, in fact, the device itself and a USB cable for charging. Yes, I did not seal - for charging.
Firstly, this is not a flash, but a backlight - it will be more correct, since it is turned on manually.
The question is quite logical - why then a 3.5mm jack on it? Very simple - it is through it that the flash is attached to the smartphone. But at the same time, there is no electrical connection between the smartphone and the flash. That is, turn on the backlight, take a picture (or video), and turn it off. And that's all.
Of the interesting, we can also highlight the fact that the device has 3 backlight modes.
L is an abbreviation for Low, that is, this is the minimum mode. In this mode, the backlight will not shine very brightly, but for a long time.
M is an abbreviation for Medium, that is, medium and medium.
H is short for High. This is the brightest and most gluttonous backlight mode.
By LEDs. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but LEDs of both cold and warm glow are used here.
The dumbest question I've ever been asked about this flash is "if you don't plug it in anywhere, will it work?". With a charged battery, it will.
Now let's move on to testing.
I think it would be logical to show it in action first, but since I was brought up on the principle of "listen to what they say and do the opposite" (like most), I decided to start by testing the battery capacity.
What do we need for the test?
1) the flash itself with the battery already discharged to zero.
2) USB Charger. It works for me from an outlet.
Any power bank, computer or laptop can be used as such a charger.
3) USB tester. In my case it is .
In short - this USB tester combines a charging stopwatch, a voltmeter, an ammeter, and a capacitance meter.
4) USB cable male - microUSB "mother. That is, the one that comes with the kit.
From all this goodness, we will collect such a scheme.
Then we plug the charger into the socket and at the end of the charge we calculate the capacity of the built-in battery.
Before conducting the test, it is better to either rewrite the initial indicators of the tester somewhere or reset them to zero. I canceled.
Now we connect the charger to the socket. With the help of a USB tester, you can also observe exactly what current is charging. In our case, these are “symbolic” 70mA.
Please note that the red light on the flash is lit.
This indicates that charging has not yet been completed. As soon as it goes out, charging will be considered complete.
After 35 minutes, the tester shows that the current has dropped from 70 to 20 mA, which means that charging is nearing its end. At the same time, 35 mAh “appeared” on the counter.
Interestingly, after a minute the stopwatch was stopped, and the current dropped to zero. Final readings - 36 mAh.
I agree, this is not much, but I think it will be enough to highlight the photographing area.
This test does not say that the flash meets (or does not meet) the declared characteristics, since they are not indicated anywhere at all. That is, this is just an informative test - so that they know.
The second test is exactly the same flash demonstration in action. Photos will be taken on Nokia smartphone Lumia 520 in three versions of the flash, as well as without it. The smartphone will be mounted on a tripod, and the photos will be taken with the main room turned off. And since the room is a basement with three small windows (and those are half blocked), everything will be very bad with the initial lighting.
I will be photographing this wonderful power bank from Duracell PPS2. To make the difference more visible, I set ISO = 100, fortunately, the camera settings on the Lumia 520 allow this to be done.
So, let's look.
The difference is more than obvious. Of course, with such lighting it is much more reasonable to use the minimum mode - it is enough to properly illuminate what is needed. And in brighter natural light, it is more efficient to use brighter modes.
The only negative that I found with this flash is glass. LEDs are quite strong hit in the eyes, literally cut. Therefore, it would be better to make the glass matte. That is why this flash, I'm afraid, is not suitable for selfies, shooting animals, people, and so on. But it is suitable for those who constantly shoot video reviews on a smartphone. This is especially true for those who actively buy something on Aliexpress, BangGood, eBay, and other garbage dumps.
On occasion, I bought such a device. Of course, there are flaws in it, but certain benefits can be achieved.
Under<сut>-ohm disassembly, detailed illustration of the possibilities and video version of the review. Ask!
I traditionally do not cover the issues of ordering and delivery. First of all, because they are purely individual and, depending on the localization of the buyer, the terms may differ significantly. Yes, and shaking packaging candy wrappers for everyone to see, in my opinion, is somehow pointless. It will be more important to indicate that the package was moving with an international track, and the packaging was sufficient to keep the contents. 
So, the flash comes in a factory cardboard box (6x10x1.5 cm). The front of which is occupied by the image of the product in all possible colors of the case and is full of pictograms illustrating consumer properties. 
From the back, we already see some kind of clarification on this matter, but I hereby warn you to look at the photo and try to read something on it. First of all, because all the characteristics are described in detail on. And secondly, because the ability of this device is in fact one: shine, consuming the charge of the built-in battery. He copes with it; the rest is details. 
The kit comes with only a standard micro-USB cable, which is not surprising, given the dimensions of the box. 
It is simple and short (about 22 cm) and for some reason white, despite the fact that I bought a flash in a black case. 
The flash itself is also quite compact. And it is a flattened parallelepiped with a square base, the corners and edges of which are smoothly rounded. And the front side is almost completely occupied by a panel of LEDs arranged in a 4x4 matrix. 
On the bottom edge are located (from left to right) a micro-USB connector for recharging the built-in battery, a hole for attaching a cord or lanyard (not included) and a mini-jack plug for switching and attaching to a smartphone. 
And the right and left faces carry a switch and a three-position switch for the intensity of the glow, respectively.
For those who are interested in looking at printed circuit board and electronic components - photo under the spoiler.
Disassembly
The case on plastic dowels can be pry off from the side of any of the switches even with a fingernail. Parts of the body are easily dispersed, there is not even glue. Regarding the installation of radio elements, negligence immediately catches your eye: the edge of the board with notches and no flux is not washed off in the area of \u200b\u200bthe contact pads of the plug. 
Behind this mess we see lithium battery with a charge controller, toggle switches and a few more smd elements. 
Now about the case, the use of this flash is supposed to be used in conjunction with the iBlazr application, which you can download to your mobile device by scanning the QR code from the package (here is the link encrypted in the code -). It is supposed to support the most popular operating systems: Android, IOS7 and Windowsphone, in fact, I never got comfortable running this application.
However, the presence of mechanical controls allows you to use the flash in manual mode. That's what we'll do.
Here it is the retribution of St. Petersburg for the white nights - pitch darkness already at half past seven in the evening. Let's take this photo as a reference. For the starting point.
I took a photo session of the window from a distance of 2 meters. And already at the minimum brightness, you can see the outlines of objects.
Medium brightness allows you to see the contours and shades.
And the maximum - clear forms and even colors.
Therefore, I think it would be appropriate to voice an intermediate conclusion: despite the incorrect operation of the software (in particular, the android application), the flash is efficient, and even useful with a certain skill.
But let's not forget that its direct purpose is a selfie, and then I will be the main person involved in the photo shoot.
Hmm… even at minimum, I am recognizable and distinguishable when photographed at arm's length.
As the brightness increases, the quality of the photo increases proportionally. But the negative factor is equally aggravated - glare in the lenses of glasses, for example.
Although of course it can be avoided by changing the angle of inclination / rotation of the head or even removing them altogether. But this is more of a bespectacled problem than a flash.
Well, at the end of a short video, as promised.
The review turned out to be quite long, so it would not be superfluous to recall the main points of the device considered today.
Does not consume smartphone battery power.
+ Light, small, mobile. Weight-dimensional characteristics and the presence of a standard loop on the case allow you to carry it on a bunch of keys.
± Hence the dubious moment: at full brightness it worked for about 37 minutes, but it also does not charge much longer.
+ Ability to adjust brightness or even complete shutdown
+ Universal charging connector
+ It has a signal LED for charging indication, which goes out when it is finished.
- Crooked software
Now I say goodbye. All the best!
I plan to buy +8 Add to favorites Liked the review +29 +44Hello dear friends!
In Russia, I somehow did not meet them for sale ... only on the Internet. The range of prices for them is hoo. The average price that I came across was about 1000 rubles, but there are more expensive ones. I decided to look for this little thing on Ali and, naturally, I found these rings there at a much more attractive price.
So the deal is done. Package sent. We wait. Needless to say, it didn't take long to wait. Only 13 days. And here is my purchase in my hands.
The packaging is cardboard box with a transparent window on the front. Well let's not get into detailed descriptions- everything is visible in the photo))
Opening the cardboard box, I found inside the actual ring on a transparent molded stand. The size of the ring is 8.5 cm in diameter. It will definitely fit my phone. For reference: I have samsung galaxy J3.
The flash ring is a round clothespin with LEDs on the front and a battery compartment on the back.
To tell the truth, I was already impatient to try this little thing in action. Batteries were inserted into the ring, of which 2 pieces of AAA format (little fingers) were needed, and then a set-up was waiting for me. The battery compartment lid just simply did not close! I don’t even know what is connected with ... There is no marriage! Without batteries, the compartment closes normally, without any difficulties. I tried to insert other little finger batteries - the same story. If you include the theory that all things around are alive ... maybe he is embarrassed to close himself in front of strangers?)) But seriously, maybe the Chinese have little-finger batteries in a volume slimmer than ours? Or how then to explain the current situation? In any case, I can't help but take off one star for this item.
The battery compartment could not be closed, so I sealed it with colored tape and told everyone that it was meant to be.
On the ring, in addition to the battery compartment, there is a button that turns on the light. She is only one. If you press it 1 time, then it will simply turn on, and if you press it 2 times, the light will become brighter. What if 3 times? Right!!! If you press the button 3 times, the brightest mode will turn on. On the fourth press, the ring will turn off.
The ring is very comfortable to use. On the phone is fixed simply and confidently held. Do you know why? Because on the inner surface of the ring, where it touches the phone, there are silicone inserts that not only firmly fix the ring on the device, but also protect its surface from possible scratches (in fact, from itself). This item was appreciated by me. Thanks to
Want to see what effect the ring gives in use? I know, of course you do! I tried to take some photos. I'm posting a collage below. For this photo test, I specifically found the darkest corner in my apartment. Look, the darkest option is without a flash at all. Slightly lighter - the weakest mode of the ring. Even lighter - medium lighting mode. The lightest of this series of photos is the third and brightest lighting mode.
I also did a photo test using a low light source in the frame. Look. The effect is present and it is quite obvious.
After all of the above, I summarize, the flash ring is a fun and efficient little thing. I am sure that it will not gather dust on the shelf and will not get lost. My daughter is already looking at this ring with interest and has already tried it on her phone. Most likely it will be in use for two of us. I am sure that this kind of flash can help manicure masters and various needlewomen in shooting their masterpieces. In addition, it will not leave indifferent selfie lovers and various party-goers who like to shoot in dimly lit places.
And even with selfie frames, small circles are reflected in the eyes)) Funny effect))
My opinion in the flash-ring is quite decent and despite the misunderstanding with the battery compartment, I recommend this product! And for the money this is generally a find.
I wish you good shopping and good mood!
On July 23, a rather curious project of an iblazr external synchronized LED flash for smartphones and tablets was presented on Kickstarter. Fundraising is active, and 250 of the simplest discounted offers are already sold out. It is interesting not only the device itself, but also the fact that it is being created by a team of developers from Ukraine, headed by the head Vlad Tislenko.
“The idea for the outbreak came about a year ago. I am a big photography enthusiast, like most of our team, and over time I began to notice that I was using a SLR camera less and more often with a smartphone. At one point, I realized that a smartphone is enough to create high-quality pictures, because in 99% of cases these pictures are shown on the phone itself or on social networks. In addition, every year cameras in smartphones are improving in terms of quality and characteristics, and in terms of Internet downloads, all leading positions are occupied by smartphones. But there is one significant drawback in all this - all camera phones are useless in the evening and at night. Realizing this problem, and seeing the great potential, I took up the development", - told author of the idea Vladislav Tislenko for readers of 3DNews.
At first, he worked on the flash himself, until the first results and achievements appeared, then the iblazr project began to attract more and more attention. Vlad had to look for some like-minded people and specialists, while others found him themselves. “I can say that the idea itself has little value. But when there is a working prototype and a real vision of how it will develop further, new people and new opportunities begin to appear around the idea. Now a whole team of professionals in their field is really working on the project.”, he explained.
It should be said that this is the world's first portable synchronized flash for smartphones and tablets. As the developers note, the idea itself is not new - others have already tried to implement it, for example, in the iFlash product, but no one has been able to implement synchronization of light with the camera shutter. In other words, earlier it was just about an independent flashlight, not connected to a mobile device. In iblazr, Ukrainian technologists managed to solve this software and hardware problem.
It was not easy to overcome the difficulties in the field software. According to Ivan Chuba, working with Apple devices is much easier due to the standardization of the product line, in contrast to Android solutions presented by models from the most different manufacturers, with various cameras and firmware versions - all this complicates software development.
The team admits that it faced difficult tasks and several times the project was on the verge of stopping, but all stages were successfully completed, and now they have several fully working prototypes in their hands. The last frontier - Kickstarter - was also overcome: on August 2, the goal was achieved - the necessary minimum amount$58 thousand to start serial production and enter the international market.
The developers pay attention to every detail when creating this unique product, designed to fundamentally change the quality of shooting from smartphones and tablets. iblazr solves several basic problems: taking photos and videos in dimly lit places, eliminating “red and white eyes”, adjusting light intensity to avoid over- and underexposure.
The flash connects to a mobile iOS or Android device via a 3.5mm audio jack and is controlled through a special free mobile app, synchronizing with the camera shutter. The device can work as a flash when taking photos or as a constant light for video recording and video communication, the latter is possible due to the support of both rear and front cameras in the application. Among the functions of the program are brightness adjustment, a special filter that improves image quality, automatic modes, support for social networks and other features that continue to expand.
Hardware iblazr is a block with dimensions of 32 x 30.5 x 9.4 mm, on one side of which are placed powerful LEDs American company CREE, emitting light at a wide angle of 60 °. In flash mode, the light level reaches a significant 200 lux, and in constant backlight mode - 160 lux or 180 lux for the version made in aluminum housing.
iblazr won't drain battery mobile device and has its own 200 mAh battery, providing over a thousand flashes. The same feature allows you to use it as a flashlight that can continuously shine for 40 minutes, and in energy-saving mode - up to 3 hours. The kit comes with a flexible leg that has a USB port on one end and a 3.5mm jack on the other. While charging, iblazr can serve as table lamp or keyboard backlight.
The flash will be released in three options: plastic black, white or aluminum cases. The cost of the first two is $39, and the metal version is $59. The start of production is scheduled for November, and in December the device will be sent to customers.
The developers have created an SDK to integrate iblazr support into third party applications and for a fee, they provide it to those who wish even before the launch of the device. Among the programs that will implement support for the Ukrainian flash: iOS - 645PRO Mk II, PureShot, FieldCam, 6x7, 6x6, Vizzywing, Flashlight, Fast Camera; Android - Fast Burst Camera, Ultra Burst Camera.
