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Manual Camera App?

adamvk

adamvk

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 29, 2008
1,308
0
Phoenix, AZ
Hey, all, I am wondering if there any any manual camera apps on the Apple Store in which I could change aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc. App Store would be preferred, but if there is one in Cydia I'd be willing to jailbreak my iPhone just for this functionality. Thanks!
 
I'm lookin for this too. Why isn't this more popular?

I want manual control! If I want 20 seconds of shutter open and F stop of 20, it should be doable!
 
No, there was any application available on App store or Cydia to change shutter timing or customize Camera application.
 
No, there was any application available on App store or Cydia to change shutter timing or customize Camera application.
 
The closest thing to manual control of the iPhone camera available is the NightCap app. It allows up to 1 second shutter time.

Unfortunately Apple is excessively restrictive about what they allow apps to do with the camera, so complete manual control is not possible until Apple provides comprehensive APIs for it.

Nonetheless, NightCap is far better than oher camera apps, in that it is the only one to give direct control over shutter speed. For example, I have used it to take pictures of the stars in the sky. Other apps just show pure black, but NightCap picks up the constellations.
 
The aperture can't be changed. The lens doesn't have aperture blades like dslr lenses have. It's a fixed aperture lens: f/2.4 on the 4s.

Go shoot a photo on dark: you'll get something like f/2.4, iso 800, 1/15s.
Go shoot a photo of the sun: you'll get something like f/2.4, iso 64, 1/10000s.


That beeing said, i would like an app that would allow me manual controls over the shutter and iso. The automatic modes that Apple have are pretty stupid: i always get 1/15s at ISO 64 and the image is blurry. I would like to manually bump my ISO at 200 to get a decent shutter speed. :(


That's why the iPhone can't replace a small point and shoot for me. That's why i carry a Canon S95 when i don't have my dslr with me. I need manual controls, i need exposure compensation. You can't get a good sunset pic with some nice silhouettes or contre jours or high key portraits...

3945332_a5296c92e5.jpg


cj.jpg

But who cares, you don't need manual controls for taking pictures of your meal to post on instagram.:eek:
 
Last edited:
Pompiliu said:
But who cares, you don't need manual controls for taking pictures of your meal to post on instagram.:eek:
Click to expand...

:D

I wonder what the anthropologists 500 years from now are going to think of us.

Regards,
Tom
...that is, if there IS a 500 years from now.
 
Pompiliu said:
That beeing said, i would like an app that would allow me manual controls over the shutter and iso. The automatic modes that Apple have are pretty stupid: i always get 1/15s at ISO 64 and the image is blurry. I would like to manually bump my ISO at 200 to get a decent shutter speed. :(
Click to expand...
As I said, try NightCap. It allows the shutter to go all the way to 1/1s, with the same ISO range from 64 to 800. Moreover, when you set the exposure manually, then show it just enough light for the auto ISO control to get where you want, then lock the exposure, you’ll have fixed shutter speed and ISO for as many picture as you want to take.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a heck of a lot better than any other iPhone camera app, as all the rest are stuck with a cap of 1/15s. I don’t know how the author of NightCap managed to coax 1/1s out of the iPhone, but it definitely works, at least on my 4S.
 
Also Try 645 PRO. Although like other posters have mentioned, the aperture on an iPhone is fixed, 645 PRO gives you some control over shutter speed and ISO (the sensitivity of the camera sensor), including longer exposures than most other camera apps, including the standard iPhone Camera app.
 
Thanks for the suggestions and contributions everyone and also for the knowledge, Pompiliu. I should have known/realized the aperture is fixed on that little bitty thing but silly me hadn't thought it through that far.
 
Pompiliu said:
The aperture can't be changed. The lens doesn't have aperture blades like dslr lenses have. It's a fixed aperture lens: f/2.4 on the 4s.

Go shoot a photo on dark: you'll get something like f/2.4, iso 800, 1/15s.
Go shoot a photo of the sun: you'll get something like f/2.4, iso 64, 1/10000s.


That beeing said, i would like an app that would allow me manual controls over the shutter and iso. The automatic modes that Apple have are pretty stupid: i always get 1/15s at ISO 64 and the image is blurry. I would like to manually bump my ISO at 200 to get a decent shutter speed. :(


That's why the iPhone can't replace a small point and shoot for me. That's why i carry a Canon S95 when i don't have my dslr with me. I need manual controls, i need exposure compensation. You can't get a good sunset pic with some nice silhouettes or contre jours or high key portraits...


But who cares, you don't need manual controls for taking pictures of your meal to post on instagram.:eek:
Click to expand...


Photos looks good Iphone camera :D
 
tryiian said:
I'm lookin for this too. Why isn't this more popular?

I want manual control! If I want 20 seconds of shutter open and F stop of 20, it should be doable!
Click to expand...

With the magical invisible aperture blades?

Manual control isn't truly possible, as has been said. AE comp is and should be offered though...
 
Please forgive my foolishness and genuine lack of understanding. The aperture is fixed on a smartphone camera's lens. Regarding the things that are adjustable of focus, shutter speed, iso... I would like to be able to set the values for these manually. It would let me get certain shots that might otherwise be impossible using the simplified tap to focus approach.

I hope there is someday an app for that.
 
tryiian said:
Please forgive my foolishness and genuine lack of understanding. The aperture is fixed on a smartphone camera's lens. Regarding the things that are adjustable of focus, shutter speed, iso... I would like to be able to set the values for these manually. It would let me get certain shots that might otherwise be impossible using the simplified tap to focus approach.

I hope there is someday an app for that.
Click to expand...

There's absolutely no way of providing

- truly manual focus (I'm not talking about the existing tap-to-focus, which is half-automatic)
- true exposure bracketing
- explicitly setting the shutter time and letting the iPhone calculate the (increased) ISO (now, it'll always try to use as long shutter as possible to keep ISO at minimum)

It won't happen in iOS 7 either. Actually, the only somewhat-manual mode it will have is making a distinction between "near" and "far" areas. No direct distance setting, however.

Today, all you can do are as follows:
- tap to set exposure and focus separately (in most third-party apps and CameraTweak)
- extend the shutter time up to 1s (NightCap, 645, Night Modes etc.)
- allow / disallow ISO 800...3200 on the iPhone 5

There are no other stuff you can do - no dialed-in exposure bracketing values, for example.

I'll publish a HUUUGE article series on all this in the near future - keep an eye on my articles here in the MR forums. My first one will be a complete roundup and proper(!) evaluation of all panorama apps.

----------
crackbookpro said:
Always dreamed of this app... let me know when you/you's find it. :cool:
Click to expand...

You can't and won't. Apple won't offer manual control in iOS7 either, not even via API calls (that is, not in the stock, pretty much barebones Camera app). Also see my post above.
 
I appreciate your input, Menneisyys2. I look forward to seeing your work.

I still don't understand though... In programs like nightcap, you can choose settings like shutter exposure time, so why could there not be a slider you could put in an app to adjust focus manually instead of requiring that you tap and let the camera software decide what focal length to set? Same for exposure. and have manual selection of iso speed. What's the limitation there?

This might push me to learn to write iOS applications. Even though it seems like this one is going to belong in Cydia and not "the" App Store.
 
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