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After having the idea many years ago, and seeing nothing on the market, I've been working towards creating a camera that encrypts the photos after taking them. After Samsung released the NX300, and after it had been easily rooted, I bought one. It's a nice well-rounded camera in a reasonable price range. It runs Linux, and is somewhat open-sourced by Samsung. I knew this was my opportunity to implement my idea.

With my tailored firmware, photos are saved using public key / private key encryption after a quick preview. Whoever holds the private key can unlock the photos. This doesn't need to be the photographer. (See the Scenarios section below for possible uses.)

Security Note: Since the proprietary Samsung code saves the original photos to the card, a tech-savvy person could recover them using an "undelete" utility. (My script encrypts them afterwards and deletes the original.) If you want a truly secure camera, please bug the camera manufacturers for this feature.

Coming Soon: The next version will no longer be susceptible to "undelete". It'll have far better security, and a better interface, but with some limitations. Stay tuned!

Update: How much interest is there for this new version? If anyone is waiting, I could finish it up this fall/winter. (But as always, I do have other projects going.)

To understand how it all works, please read the How-To page.

To get started, hit the Install page and Downloads.

Currently, the tailored firmware is only available for the NX300. Other NX cameras have similar firmware, but I don't have a physical camera to test with. If you have a strong interest and are willing to put beta firmware on your camera, let me know. (hickokd@gmail.com)

Scenarios

• Hire a photographer for pictures, but prevent them from keeping a copy. Useful for:
  • Photographing secure or secret corporate/government locations. The government or corporation hold the key and provide the locked camera. Pictures cannot be viewed or decrypted without the key.
  • Instances where the model(s)/subject(s) want the pictures themselves. They obtain the key prior to shooting.
  • Instances where the photographer should not retain rights to the photos. The rights-holder obtains the key prior to shooting.
• Approve or screen photos prior to delivery. Useful for:
  • Places which typically have a "no cameras" policy. A locked camera could be rented, with all photos being approved by management prior to delivering to the photographer. (In this case, it's a good idea to paint or mark the camera to indicate it's a secure one.) Management holds the key, unlocks the photos afterwards, and deletes any they don't approve of.
  • Wives who let husbands take candid photos of them. The wife holds the key.
• Keep dangerous or compromising photos secure. Useful for:
  • Photographers in dangerous locations, where cameras can get stolen and pictures can do damage if publicly released. The photographer would keep the key in a safe place back home.
  • Protecting your privacy. If your camera is stolen, you don't need to worry about what pictures might be on it.