Brightpoint BlackBerry® Partner Portal

Taking photos using a BlackBerry® smartphone with v6.0 device software or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet is quick and easy, and allows the user to capture great photos in plenty of different environments. Below is an overview of some of the options available when taking photos so you can customize them as you see fit, as well as take advantage of some options you might not have previously used.

This information relates to BlackBerry® 6 device software, so if you are using an earlier version of BlackBerry device software, check the user guide for more information on available camera options. If you don’t know which version of BlackBerry device software you are currently using, check out our post on How to Identify your BlackBerry Device Software version.

BlackBerry 6

Beyond the viewfinder, the first thing you’ll notice when you launch the camera application are the options along the bottom of the screen, as per the screenshot above. Each of the buttons is numbered in red so you can see what they mean below:

1. Camera Pictures – Selecting this option will allow you to review photos you’ve taken previously. This is a quick way to access photos you just took so you can send your favorite one to a friend.
2. Geotag Options – This setting allows the camera to record geographical information of the location in which you take a photo. Tapping this icon will allow you toggle this feature on and off.
3. Camera Button – This one is pretty obvious, but to snap a photo, just tap on this button when you are ready. You can also press the convenience key on your BlackBerry smartphone to take a picture instead of pressing the camera button.
4. Flash Settings – To change the flash settings, just tap on the flash icon. The options available to you are Flash On, Flash Off, and Automatic Flash, which triggers a flash if required.
5. Camera Scene Mode – You can select from several different scene modes which allow you to optimize the settings for different environments. A complete listing is below for those that are curious:

• Auto – Ideal for capturing a wide range of subjects under most conditions.
• Face Detection – Detects the faces of subjects and puts them in focus in most lighting conditions.
• Portrait – Ideal for capturing people; skin tones are accurately reproduced.
• Sports – Ideal for capturing sports or other quickly moving subjects.
• Landscape – Ideal for capturing bright, outdoor scenes; enhances the detail and sharpness of the scene.
• Party – Ideal for capturing people in dim, indoor environments.
• Close-Up – Ideal for capturing subjects that are close to the camera; enhances the detail and sharpness of close-up subjects
• Snow – Ideal for capturing snow scenes; colors are accurately reproduced in scenes that are primarily white.
• Beach – Ideal for capturing beach scenes; colors are accurately reproduced in the scenes of sea, sand, and sky.
• Night – Ideal for capturing dim, outdoor scenes.
• Text – Ideal for capturing text on white backgrounds; enhances the detail and sharpness of text.

To learn more about taking photos on a BlackBerry 6-enabled BlackBerry smartphone, check out the user guide for your particular BlackBerry smartphone model, which be found at http://docs.blackberry.com. This site also includes other information such as how to change the location of where photos are saved, and how to customise the autofocus and digital zoom settings.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet has a 5MP rear-facing camera that you can use to capture great pictures. The 3MP front-facing camera is perfect for quickly taking a self-portrait or creating a profile picture. With that being said, when you tap the Camera icon on a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, you’ll be presented with the following screen. To help explain the options, they are numbered in red so you can see what they mean below:

1. Current Scene Mode – If you swipe down from the top bezel while using the camera, you’ll be able to set the scene mode to one of the following options: Auto, Sports & Whiteboard (which is great for capturing images text on white backgrounds). In the screenshot, A denotes Auto has been selected.
2. Zoom Slider – Slide this toggle up and down to zoom in and out while you prepare to take a photo.
3. Geotag – This setting allows the camera to record geographical information of the location in which you take a photo. Tapping this icon will allow you toggle this feature on and off.
4. Camera/Video Camera Mode – Tapping this button will allow to switch between the camera and video camera in case you want to shoot a video instead.
5. Camera Button – Tapping this button will snap a photo.
6. Switch Cameras – Since the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet includes two cameras, tapping this button allows you to switch between the front and rear facing camera.

Don’t forget to swipe down from the top bezel while using the Camera application, as you’ll be presented several other options such as the ability to enable Image Stabilization and the ratio of the photos you take. For a video walkthrough, check out the BlackBerry PlayBook How To Demos for Taking Pictures. You can also review the user guide for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by visiting http://docs.blackberry.com.

How do you use the camera on your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? Leave a comment and let us know!