Serious camera mod - is it possible?

[lurky]

HI,

I have an idea for an iphone mod and if it's possible, someone who can pull it off.


I’d like to hook up an external camera to my iphone 4 for live video streaming or live snapshots streaming, but as far as I know neither the iphone nor any other smart phone accepts an external video connection. So I’d like to expose the iphones existing video connection by removing the video camera. Ideally we would add a connector of some sort and the camera could be popped back into place, if it bulged a bit that would be fine. Then the camera lens could be disconnected and the external camera connected when needed.

Thanks!

[Effenpig!]

Can't you already stream video over wifi?

[wannabprogramma]

i think it would be easier to get one of those adapter used to plug cameras into the ipad and then to just find someone willing to take the time to make a software mod (cydia app) that would allow it to work on the iphone and to show live vid

[lurky]

That would be a great solution but I've read that those ipod camera/usb adapters don't work on iphones?
Isn't that true?
Are there any gurus on this board that could do the mod I describe?
Thanks

[wannabprogramma]

i dont know if you've ever taken apart an iphone, but the connection where the camera connects to the iphone isn't universal. apple barely ever puts universal connections on the outside of their products, much less the insides, so to make the connection you describe, you would have to hardware mod one using the connection taken off an old camera from an iphone, also it would be impossible to be able to "pop" the original camera back into place because of the fit, and because of the way the iphone is designed, it wouldnt be okay if it "bulged" a little because the phone wouldn't close, so the only way what your saying would work is if you did it while your phone was taken apart, and then you'd still have to find someone to make an app that would interpret the video that the video camera would send the phone because it would be near impossible to find a camera that records in the same dimensions, aspect ratio, and compress and codes the exact same way as the iphone camera does. If you couldnt write the app for the phone you would have to find a way to make the camera encode and everything the same way the phone does, thus having to write another program.
So, the only way you could do what you are saying is with a hardware mod, a software mod, and having your phone open, and extreme amounts of luck.
The best other solution would be as effinpig said to just stream the video from your camera to the phone (if your camera was one of those cool ones that connects to wifi)
or what i said.... which would involve only writing the program (skips the part about having your phone taken apart while using it and the hardware mod)
and yes those adapters dont work on iphones, but not because they can't (they use the same 30 pin connector) but because we dont have the program to make them work correctly on the iphone

hope that helps

[lurky]

Thanks wannab, and no I have never opened up an iphone before, but I did assume that I would need to hire bother a programmer to write an app and someone with the hardware skills to get the phone apart. And I didn't think there would be a nice universal connector for the camera, but hopefully the hardware guru could add one, then the the iphone cam could sit outside case, (maybe I could find a plastic bubble for it) and it could be removed when I need to hook up the external camera.
I realize it is an ambitious project, but if its even possible I need to pursue it further. If you know of anyone on this board or elsewhere that could pull it off please let me know. Thanks