Editor's Pick
Editor's Picks represent the best of the best. Stuff, we really dig. Software that we cannot live without. Apps that are always on our iPhone. In short: We're highly confident that you will enjoy them as well.
Update: ProCamera just released an update, version 2.5, which added some exiting features.
If you have an iPhone 3GS, the most important new features are video recording from within ProCamera as well as a Photo Compass. Two very useful features, indeed.
But to me, it’s sometimes the small things that matter much more. The feature I missed the most was to auto-save pictures – too often, I simply forgot to save my pictures using the background save. While at it, they also added a Grid overlay (Great!), a variable timer (ProCamera is my app-of-choice for taking “iTripod” pictures) and also to get rid of the Zoom buttons, since I never use digital zoom.
Overall, a great program has been made even more powerful — it remains our camera replacement of choice and a solid Editor’s Pick!
Let’s face it – the iPhone camera is not that great. We all hope for something better once iPhone 3.0 comes out.
In the meantime, there is some help. Pro Camera is one application with advanced features compared to the regular camera app and it has become my new default camera application. First of all, it supports a very basic image stabilization (in Canon-speak) or vibration reduction (in Nikon-speak): it utilizes the accelerometer to help you level your shots before you take them and has an user-definable anti-shake delay function so it won’t capture your shot until you hold your iPhone still. The results are noticeably better as you can see from the 100% crop from two images taken in my home office.
ProCamera also includes a timer for delayed shots or self-portraits. In addition, as is also visible in the image above, it applies color temperature correction to your shots, which makes them look a bit cooler. This might not be to everyone’s liking, but can be changed in Photogene (see our review) on the iPhone or your favorite photo editor on your PC or Mac.
One feature that takes getting used to is the background save function. While it’s great to have a buffer, so you can keep snapping pictures and don’t have to wait for every photo to be saved before being able to shoot again, you have to wait until the last photo has been saved before you can quit the app. Quit the application too early and you lose all the photos that have not been saved yet. I wish there was a warning when you try to quit before all pictures are saved. Fortunately, there’s a setting to turn this off, if you do not like photo buffering.
Price: $2.99 from iTunes.
If you are serious about photography and the business of photography, this one is a must on your bookshelf!
Both Joe and I own copies of the first edition of John Harrington’s Best Business Practices for Photographers
. Just to avoid misunderstandings, this book is not focusing on how to get started as a professional photographer. Instead, it is a hard-hitting guide to all aspects of working as a professional photographer, from Marketing to negotiating deals, stock photography to assignments, budgeting to amortizing your gear and working with assistants to legal matters.
I learned a lot by just reading the 352 pages of the first version and there’s more to learn in the updated version, whose page count swelled to over 500. New areas and updates focus on:
- Transitioning from staff photographer to freelancer
- Working with others now covers reps and talent in addition to assistants and contractors
- Pricing your work was expanded to include setting your fees
- Insurance does not only cover health, life, disability, and business insurance, but also errors & omission and umbrella insurance
- How to deal with IRS audits (yes, that happens to photographers, too)
- The realities of Copyright infringement and how to send DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) Takedown notices
- Model and other releases
- Tools and software to make licensing your work easier, faster and more concise
- Stock photography without the big agencies
While my copy of the second editiopn is on order and I have not had a chance to read it, we really liked the first edition. If you do not want to spend the money on a new copy of the book, try at least to get a used copy of the first edition. You will not regret it.
Verdict: Highly recommended and certainly an Editor’s Pick!
Price: $34.99, Amazon: $23.09
Version 3 of the pCAM Film+Digital Calculator for the iPhone was released last week with updated graphics and a few new features.
When starting up pCAM, the updated graphics will be the first thing you notice. Menus now have icons making navigation easier and all calculators feature a brushed aluminum look, which not only gives the app a more modern look, but also serves as a better guide to what I can input, what can be locked and what will be computed.
All of pCAM's imagery was updated and looks crisper with their brushed aluminum background
But the developer focused on more than just the user interface. Camera support was impressive even before the update and now features 10 more still and 16 more video camera formats. Additional new features include:
- Added Focal Length Match for comparing lenses on different formats.
- Added Mired Shift calculator with suggested gels
for Rosco, Lee, GAM and Formatt.
- Added Conversions calculator for converting Length, Distance,
Kelvin/Mired/Decamired, Footcandles/Lux.
- Fine-tuned fractional f/stop displays in Exposure calculator.
- Added quick buttons to Camera Format picker
for jumping to “Film,” “Video,” “Stills,” or “Custom.”
Please read our original review as to why we gave our Editor’s Pick award to pCAM. Needless to say, but pCAM Version 3 remains our Editor’s Pick for all video and film calculators.
Price: $39.99 from iTunes.
If you have been following our blog for a while, you know we are big fans of the Gorillapod
line of flexible, bendable mini-tripods that can be attached to almost anything. So the news brought smiles to our faces that Joby is now shipping a version of its Gorillamobile for the iPhone.
With four interchangeable quick-release adapters, including the addition of a custom engineered, slim line iPhone case, the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS supports a lot of different mobile devices. The Gorillamobile itself weighs 4.5 ounces, is 8-inches tall and comes with a one year limited warranty. To use it with the iPhone, simply slip your iPhone 3G or 3GS into the iPhone case, mount it to the suction cup on the Gorillamobile and start shooting!
As with all Gorillapod products, its flexible legs enable the user to secure the Gorillamobile to virtually any surface.
Verdict: Highly recommended and an Editor’s Pick!
Price: $39.95 from Joby.
