The 4 iOS camera apps worth paying money for
Too many iOS apps are just rehashes of those same instagram effects, trite and tired, but there are some gems in a crowded landscape
Without any scientific methodology or reasoning and certainly no order, I present: “The 4 iOS camera apps worth paying money for”! Out of the two dozen+ iOS photography related apps I’ve bought, these are the 4 iPhone apps I keep coming back to.
SnappyCam
SnappyCam on an iPhone 5 can capture 20 FPS of 8 mp photos. Seems impossible right? Nope, but it only took a scientific breakthrough. Outside of its annoying sound effects, its a must.
Links:
Kaleidomatic
Kaleidomatic tells all in the name,its a Kaleidoscope app for your iPhone that lets you use your camera to import photos or use your camera Kaleidoscope like effects.
It sports an intuitive interface allow you to twist and drag the effects, and lets you export variants of your creations, including seamless images, perfect for repeating backgrounds.
It works wonders, see my iPhone lock screen, an interpretation of David Thorne’s seven legged spider.
Photo: Seven Legged Spider Lock Screen (Book Cover)
Links:
Camera Noir
An app that only shoots black and white with 3 setting levels shouldn’t be this good… but it is. Its easy to get stunning photos. Don’t take my word for it. Appleinsider, Uncrate, Cultofmac, iDownloadBlog, CanvasApp and DaringFIreball.
Photo: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Links
ProHDR
Yes, your iPhone has built in HDR, so why would you pay for it? ProHDR offers control, allowing you to blend two separate captures and quite simply get better results than your iOS HDR. ProHDR even predates iOS’s HDR and continued to be maintained since, I’ve been using it years.
Quite simply, you can get captures that you cannot get using any other software.
Photo: Spencer’s Butte, Oregon
The app’s auto feature works pretty damn well, it require a steady hand (and not much movement), but it’ll auto detect the lightest area and the darkest area and adjust the shutter accordingly. After two snaps, you’re presented with the ability to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Warmth and Tint. The photo above illustrates how even extreme light differences, the ProHDR app performs admirably.
Links
Honorable Mentions (You should buy these too)
Camera+ - The most capable of the iOS Photo App replacers, includes Touch Exposure & Focus, “Always On” flash, Digital Zoom, iCloud Support and of course, Instagram like effects. There’s 100s of apps competing but Camera+ is probably the best of ‘em.
Mextures - Lets you combine effects in chained layers. If Filters are what you’re after, look no further. Its probably the most flexible filter app on the market. More than worth buying.