The Nexus 7 comes with a forward facing camera, but this isn’t to take photographs, no, this feature is for those all important Skype calls or webcam meetings. So, how do you get to harness the 1.2 megapixel camera for taking photographs on the move? This is what you need to do…
To start with you have to install an app that does the job for you. There are a few apps that are worth looking at here so let’s talk through them one by one. The first is the ever popular Instagram. This app is a forgiving one in that you can take photographs that look grainy and horrible thanks to the low resolution camera and add in special effects to make that grain look funky and exciting.
To add this app to your repertoire just go to Google Play, download it, register using your Facebook account (for easy sharing) and then take the photo. You will find it awkward to take any kind of image with no viewscreen or way of seeing thanks to the camera facing forwards, but I got some great shots. You can then access these shots in Gallery mode and share them via email, Facebook, twitter and more.
I’m not a huge fan of Instagram, I find it clunky and too slow to snap shots that happen on a dime, so I tried out two other apps that are almost identically named – Camera Launcher for Nexus 7 by MoDaCo and Nexus 7 camera Launcher by Gabenative.
Both of these apps work perfectly well within the constraints of the 1.2 megapixel camera and the fact that it is forward facing and you can’t frame the shot properly. Honestly there is nothing different between them other than the icon they leave on your screen and the name of the makers. These don’t have the cool mood enhancing extras of Instagram but you get quick and easy shots in a pinch.
Next up I will show you how to share your Gallery images across all social networks…
Mrs Mario
Mrs.Mario is a freelance journalist who loves to write about anything and everything. She accidentally fell into the cauldron of technology about eight years ago and has been slowly simmering in there ever since. She’s a geek but still has tons to learn about the wonderful world of technology. She also suffers from a rare disease known as “need to game” that demands it’s sufferers play at least one videogame a week. So far, she’s been coping with her ailment admirably.