Moment Case- World's Best iPhone Case for Mobile Photography
A case for mobile photographers that turns your iPhone 6 into an even better camera with a shutter button, lens, and camera strap.
About this project
Hi Kickstarter,
We’re back.
A year ago we asked for your help. We wanted to create the best lenses in the world for mobile photographers. Thanks to your support, we did it! Moment lenses are now being used by thousands of customers around the world, capturing some of the most epic adventures imaginable.
Now we want to take the next step with you in making it even easier to take better pictures with your phone.
Even with these amazing Moment Lenses we are still missing important shots with our phones. By the time we reach into our pocket, access our phone, unlock it, adjust the scene, and take a picture, we’ve lost valuable time. Especially with a moving subject, by the time you tap the screen you missed the shot.
So we decided to solve this problem by making the first iPhone 6 case that truly brings the best features of a traditional camera back to your phone.
Introducing the Moment Case; the fastest way to take better pictures with your phone.
We've spent the last five months working on this product and we think you're going to love it.
We've been blown away by all the positive response to the Moment Case so far. Big thanks to The Verge, Wired, Engadget, Cool Hunting, Geekwire, Uncrate, FStoppers, and TechCrunch for featuring us!
We have already put three working prototypes in the hands of some amazing photographers, and what they are able to capture blows our minds.
The Moment Case is the first iPhone 6 case that was truly created for mobile photographers. Designed from the ground up, we wanted a case that delivered four things that we have been missing in mobile photography.
1. Take Better Pictures Faster
Touching the screen takes too long, especially with a moving subject.
Located on top of the case, the Moment Shutter Button is a multi-state button that enables half press and full press features, just like a DSLR camera. You can half-press it to lock focus and exposure onto a subject like never before. Or hold it down to unlock burst mode.
What makes our approach unique is this is an electronic button, not a mechanical gimmick. Powered by a coin cell battery and connected to the phone via low energy bluetooth, we have spent a lot of time making sure the button is incredibly responsive. Just like you would expect with a high end camera.
2. Enable More Control
We wanted more fine tune controls over the details we captured.
By combining the press functionality of the shutter button with on-screen touch features, we can unlock advanced controls that were previously unattainable in mobile photography. No longer do you have to rely on a series of boxes to focus and meter your shot. You can use the shutter button to focus, and your fingers (touch and slide) to fine tune the lighting. This leads to cleaner photos that require less editing.
Taking it one step further, we made these controls in the Moment App customizable so you can set your personal configuration just like your favorite video game controller.
3. Support The Best Glass
Included in the Moment Case is our proprietary lens interface. It makes your phone lens-ready while providing industrial strength so you can leave your lens mounted in between shots. It means you no longer need a metal plate on your phone to enjoy Moment lenses.
Best of all, the case knows when you attach a lens. It enables the Moment App to display certain features for each lens so you can capture even cleaner pictures.
4. Live Outside The Pocket
With traditional cameras, the strap is both functional and fashionable. Except in mobile photography it's completely missing, forcing us to dig into a pocket every time we want to take a picture.
By making it easy to attach a traditional camera strap to the Moment case your phone is instantly more accessible. Wearable on your wrist or around your neck, you can take more pictures of the important moments around you.
Our first case is only for the iPhone 6, but if this project is successful we want to work on the iPhone 6+ next, followed by additional devices.
To help us decide what to work on next we would love to know what type of device you have. If you are not on an iPhone 6 or 6+, please help us with this quick survey. Your vote will definitely guide us.
Inspired by our favorite classic cameras, we wanted to combine the craftsmanship and simplicity of the past with the modern convenience of mobile photography.
Early on we thought this would be easy to accomplish, but over the last five months we learned how hard it is to deliver a case that is thin, functional, and incredibly fast. As avid mobile photographers, we only wanted to bring this case to market if we could create something that we loved.
We still have lots of work to do in manufacturing this case, but we couldn't be more happy with how our prototypes have turned out.
Minimal + Functional Design
Following the same process we used in creating the Moment Lenses, we started with people. We studied how they took pictures, the tools they used, and the places they traveled.
It lead us to realizing that the Moment Case had to be thin enough for everyday use while being durable enough to handle our favorite adventures.
It had to be functional to use inside/outside, hold with one/two hands, shoot horizontal/vertical, and work with/without gloves.
And the case had to be wearable just like a traditional camera. Constantly digging into your pocket ruins the experience in getting lost behind your camera.
This made the problem significantly harder to solve.
Starting with sculpted wood and 3D printed parts, we iterated through about 20 different concepts over the last five months, each time shrinking the size and refining the functions. We also tried a wide variety of materials, shapes, and forms to see which combinations best delivered on the promise.
We're proud to say that the Moment Case is very low profile, weighs only 46 grams, and is perfect for everyday use. The body has a slight ergonomic grip on the back that makes holding your phone easier both in horizontal and vertical shooting modes. The location, size, and response of the shutter button works with or without gloves on. The materials selected feel good in your pocket and in your hand. The strap attachment on the bottom of the case disappears when you don't want to use it.
Re-imagining The Shutter Button
The evolution of photography from SLR to DSLR to Mobile has been fascinating to experience. With each new wave, the camera has gotten better, faster, and easier to use. But what made us most excited about the potential of mobile photography was the beautiful, responsive display on the iPhone.
While breaking down the functions of the iPhone and a DSLR camera we realized there was an opportunity to combine the power of both platforms into a single, easy to use case. But in order to do this we had to bring hardware and software engineering together to deliver a fantastic experience.
Starting with the shutter button, we spent months iterating on the mechanics of the button, the sensitivity of the electronic switch under the button, and the responsiveness of the software to recognize its movements.
The hardest part was creating half-press, full-press and half-press with touch features. Laying out our own hardware, writing customer firmware, and building an app that took full advantage of the iOS SDK, we were able to create a user experience that has never before been realized in the short history of mobile photography.
By enabling you to half-press the shutter button AND still touch the screen, we are fundamentally changing mobile photography. This enables you to enjoy the speed of a button with the fine tune controls of a retina display.
Making The Glass Smart
Next we focused on the Moment glass. We wanted a way to attach our lenses to the case while creating a way for the Moment App to enhance the image captured. This objective was our most significant engineering challenge.
First, the the mechanical challenge was in accommodating the precise bayonet interface with the space constraints around the iPhone camera. Iterating through different materials and potential production processes we have found a way to bond the metal of the mount interface with the plastics of the case. The result is an interface that is easier to use and significantly stronger than an attachment plate.
Second, we spent months pivoting through different ways to recognize a Moment lens was attached to the case. Out of everything we tried, we landed on a simple sensor and algorithm solution that enables us to know when you attach a Moment Lens. We're currently working to fine tune this technology, but ultimately we want to not only recognize you attached a lens, but to know which lens you attached.
Third, we designed a toolbar into the Moment App that changes depending on the lens you attach. We are still working on the details of the final app, but it will enable us to surface custom features for each lens.
This effort enables the Moment Case to have the best and smartest glass in the world.
Designing A Lens Cap You Won't Lose
A lens cap has been the most requested features since we were last on Kickstarter. Except we didn't want to make some ordinary cap. Instead we spent about two months exploring how to protect your lens in between shots and prevent you from losing the cap while shooting.
The result is a rubber lens cap that press fits over any of our lenses. The inside is lined with microfiber to keep the glass protected.
But the biggest breakthrough was including a small magnet inside the cap so it can stick to the back of your case or any metal surface when you're shooting. It means no ugly leash required and no need to pinch your fingers to take the cap on or off.
Creating A Single System
From the beginning we thought about this product as a single system; Case, Lens, and App. Individually we wanted each product to be great. But when put together, they are even more powerful than on their own.
In order to deliver on this vision, we built everything in house; industrial design, software design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and firmware/software engineering. Our small product team of five have spent the past 5 months working on the Moment Case and we can't wait to see the magic you can capture with it.
Tech Specs
We started Moment because we believe the future of photography is in our pockets.
We love taking pictures, and over the years we have found that the camera we rely on the most is our phones. What we love about our phone is that they are available, connected, and accessible. But despite their convenience we miss the creativity of what traditional cameras can provide.
So we set out on a mission to make the camera in our pockets, the best that it can be. By empowering mobile picture takers with better lenses, an app, and a case we believe that together we can continue to make the world a happier place, one picture at a time.
This is the small team that works hard everyday turning our dream into a reality.
- Marc Barros - Entrepreneur, picture taker, and happy new dad.
- Erik Hedberg - All things design. Snow surfing enthusiast.
- Amanda Kirk - Lover of music, photography, and adventure.
- Wes Wirth - PNW man with a passion for hardware.
- RJ Lincoln - Gearhead, maker, and Seattle sports junkie.
- Josh Baxley - Avid climber and software engineering ninja.
- Bradley Castaneda - One part designer. One part photographer. Two parts explorer.
- Zach Reed - Community builder by trade, photographer by passion.
- Michael Thomas - Lens geek, dad, and vintage guitar junkie
We have three working case prototypes, which we continue to test internally. These prototypes have been made with the manufacturing process in mind so we are confident we can turn them into amazing, final products. To be made in China, we expect to bring you a beautiful final product that captures amazing pictures, is reliable, and convenient to use.
We also worked with Dragon Innovation to validate that our product is manufacturable within the timeline we are presenting. They specialize in manufacturing hardware products and went through our engineering documents, BOM, and production plan in detail.
As a team, we have built a lot of hardware before, but still take our manufacturing plan very seriously. Having built waterproof action cameras and cinematic lenses in the past, we feel confident that the prototypes developed to this point are manufacturable at the quality we expect within the timeline below.
Our target ship date is end of June, 2015.
Manufacturing a new product is the riskiest and most expensive phase of the journey, so the money we are raising goes directly towards covering our tooling and upfront manufacturing costs.
With your support we can take the next step together in making it even easier to take better pictures with our phones.
Join Us.
We would love to thank our family, friends, and everyone who has helped along the journey. Their feedback, support, and positive encouragement has been incredibly inspiring.
Steve McCallion, Richard Tait, Lauren Cascio, Kari Davidson, Tracy Nystrom, Yuriy Manchik, Julia Manchik, Sam Elkins, Chad Copeland, Brittany Wright, Product Creation Studio, Kakao Coffee and Chocolate, El Camion, Model Solutions, Fathom Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Sheet Metal, Keter Fabrication
Video
Cameras: Tracy Nystrom, Zach Reed
Editing: Erik Hedberg
Music: World of Beauty by Ryan Taubert
Product and lifestyle shots
Zach Reed, Bradley Castaneda
Disclaimer
iPhone, Apple, and Apple logo are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
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