BigShot digicam takes pictures, educates

Leonard Goh | Nov 12, 2009

(Credit: BigShot.org)

Although compact digital cameras these days are getting more affordable, they are still out of reach to many people, especially those in Third World countries. Shree Nayar at the Computer Vision Laboratory at Columbia University understood this, which is why he gathered a group of students to conceive the BigShot digital camera.

Now, what's unique about this shooter is that it will come unassembled, and users will have to put it together. But looking at the parts provided, it doesn't seem all that difficult. After all, it is targeted at students.

According to Nayar, the BigShot has three primary objectives: Learning by building, teaching underprivileged kids the basics of photography and expressing by sharing.

On the front of the camera is a lens wheel which houses three different optics. Check out the video at the bottom to see how it works.

The snapper is environmentally friendly, too. It has a crank on the right side for juicing up the dynamo. According to Nayar, four turns of the crank will allow users to take one picture. If you want to use the LED flash, you'll need to use an AA-sized battery.

However, the BigShot is not for sale yet as Nayer's group is still testing it. Check out the official Web site for more information.