Android cameras with an iPhone-like interface. The Best Manual Camera Apps for iPhone

For many iPhone owners, the camera capabilities and functions available in the standard photo application are quite enough. For those who need more advanced options and settings, third-party developers have prepared their own applications that help not only take better photos, but also easily process pictures that need adjustments. MacDigger offers 7 of the most convenient mobile applications for working with photos on the iPhone.

Snapseed

The developer of Snapseed, Nik Software, is well known among photographers for its plugins for Adobe Photshop and Lightroom. Therefore, this application is definitely worth your attention.

Snapseed has fairly standard functionality for mobile photo editors. But the controls in the program are much more convenient than those of its competitors (only Photoshop Express can compare). All effects are divided into groups. The user selects a group of effects on the bottom panel, and then easily changes them by moving his finger up and down the screen. To enhance or weaken the effect, you need to swipe your finger left or right. For convenience, the current value of the “strength” of the effect is displayed in the lower window in the middle.

Also in Snapseed, as in Photoshop Express, it is very convenient to crop a photo. The application can be downloaded for free from .

– a great alternative to the standard camera on the iPhone. The application has managed to prove its effectiveness and establish itself as an integral companion of any iPhoneograph, due to the fact that it offers the widest possibilities for working with photos on Apple devices. Once you try taking pictures with Camera+, you'll never want to go back to Apple's software. It's like trading a DSLR for a cheap point-and-shoot camera.

A big advantage of Camera+ is its support for the iCloud cloud service, which allows you to synchronize Lightbox photos between any iDevices. All you have to do is take a photo on your iPhone and it will automatically appear on your iPad, the screen of which allows for more convenient photo processing.

You can download Camera+ in the App Store for .

Slow Shutter Cam

Apple does not allow you to change the shutter speed of the iPhone camera, but a specialized application from the App Store allows you to get a similar effect. With Slow Shutter Cam you can convey movement in your photos in a very convenient way. Thanks to the long exposure effect, objects in the frame lose sharpness and seem to stretch out in time.

Slow Shutter Cam allows you to shoot moving objects against a static background. By moving the camera, you can achieve the effect of multi-layered space, and by “painting with light” you can create real pictures.

You can download Slow Shutter Cam from the App Store for .

Pro HDR

Pro HDR Camera is a very interesting application that provides the ability to create high-quality HDR photographs. HDR adds new dimensions to ordinary digital photographs: colors become brighter, more contrasty, and the photograph literally begins to breathe life. The iPhone's built-in camera supports HDR mode, but it only works in automatic mode. Pro HDR has two shooting methods: automatic and manual. In the first, the program itself determines the light and dark areas, and in the second, you can independently indicate first the light and then the dark area of the future photo.

Photos taken using Pro HDR are much better than images from the system Camera application. This effect looks best when photographing nature and landscapes.

The application can be downloaded from the App Store for .

Surely, many of you, standing somewhere on the top of a mountain and looking into the distance with bated breath, involuntarily thought about how great it would be to capture this beauty forever, in order to always be able to enjoy it to the fullest. Unfortunately, by default, the iPhone's functionality is limited when it comes to creating panoramas. The AutoStitch app comes to the rescue.

AutoStitch makes it easy to combine a large number of photos into one large panoramic photo, completely automatically. The utility allows you to upload more than 20 photos - the pictures will be automatically combined and superimposed on each other.

AutoStitch is considered one of the premier photo apps for creating panoramas on the iPhone. The cost of the program in the App Store is .

VSCO Cam

VSCO Cam can get the most out of your photos. If you want your photos to look as flawless as the new iOS 7, VSCO Cam is the way to go. A rich selection of filters along with customizable editing tools will turn your amateur photos into almost professional works. The filters themselves are barely noticeable in the final frames. Pleasure .

Filterstorm

This application does everything a picky photographer needs - that's why it's not cheap. In addition to the brightness, contrast, and color settings that are quite typical for mobile photo editors, the program allows you to work with layers - just like in “desktop” Photoshop. In addition, Filterstorm has the ability to add watermarks to photos. We even know a colleague who processes photos from various press conferences on the way to the office in Filterstorm - and all just because of the support for “watermarks”.

In general, there are probably no fewer different settings in Filterstorm than in a regular “desktop” graphics editor (there is even a noise reduction). But you have to pay for this with a rather overloaded interface, which may be too complex for a beginner.

Filterstorm is the most expensive application in our selection, but its price includes all possible add-ons. The program is in the App Store at a price of 129 rubles.

Snapseed

The developer of Snapseed, Nik Software, is well known among photographers for its plugins for Adobe Photshop and Lightroom. Therefore, this application is definitely worth your attention.

Also in Snapseed, as in Photoshop Express, it is very convenient to crop a photo. The application can be downloaded for free from .

You can download Camera+ in the App Store for .

Slow Shutter Cam

You can download Slow Shutter Cam from the App Store for .

Pro HDR

Photos taken using Pro HDR are much better than images from the system Camera application. This effect looks best when photographing nature and landscapes.

The application can be downloaded from the App Store for .

AutoStitch is considered one of the premier photo apps for creating panoramas on the iPhone. The cost of the program in the App Store is .

VSCO Cam

Filterstorm

Filterstorm is the most expensive application in our selection, but its price includes all possible add-ons. The program is in the App Store at a price of 129 rubles.

Recently, applications for instantly replacing faces in photos and videos have been gaining popularity. In the App Store, this type of software is represented by numerous solutions from various developers, and in order to at least somehow navigate all this diversity, let’s look at the most striking examples of such programs for the iPhone and iPad.

Masks in the Instagram app

You can apply a mask to a portrait during shooting using standard Instagram application tools. After switching to camera mode, click the button with a smiley face in the lower right corner, which will open the effects panel. Having chosen the mask you like, you can take a photo and save it to your Story, and then, if you wish, add it to your Instagram feed as a regular photo.

The algorithm for applying effects works in a similar way in the mobile client of the Russian social network Vkontakte. Go to the News section, launch the camera by clicking the corresponding button in the upper left corner and then open the mask menu using the button with a smiley face. The filters here are conveniently divided into categories and are correctly applied when shooting both photos and videos.

MSQRD (Masquerade)

A rapidly gaining popularity application from Belarusian developers. Equipped with a unique facial recognition system and a large selection of animal and famous person masks. All available masks automatically adapt to the contours of the face and change size depending on the distance between the user and the camera.

The program allows you to apply effects in real time. With all its capabilities, the utility is available for download for free.

The most popular application that allows you to add various masks, effects, stickers and text to photos. Using Snapchat, a user can take photos, shoot videos, add text and designs, and send them to a manageable list of recipients.

ModiFace (cosmetics, lip botox, hairstyles) in real time

The ModiFace program for iPhone allows you to “try on” different types of makeup, changing the shape of your lips (Botox), hairstyles, etc. The system recognizes the user's face and virtually applies virtual elements to it.

FaceApp

This application will make even the most stern and serious person smile. Also in the program you can age or rejuvenate the object of change and even change its gender. FaceApp uses the now popular neural networks to edit photos.

Kirakira+

The program automatically adds sparkling animation to various objects in the frame when shooting video (it also works with photos, but the effect is less realistic). The application independently identifies and “highlights” the necessary elements - jewelry, fragments of makeup, shiny things and accessories.

SUPERMOJI

The functionality of the application is borrowed from Apple developers and is an analogue of the exclusive Animoji function for the iPhone X. The program can be installed on any iDevice with iOS 11 on board, and then turn one of the six available emoticons into animation using the device’s camera and your own face. You can choose from a cat, a panda, a rooster, a dog, an alien and, of course, a piece of shit. In addition, you can customize the background and apply additional effects.

As the name suggests, the app positions itself as a virtual makeup artist and allows you to apply professional-grade makeup to portrait photos. With the help of YouCam Makeup, it will not be difficult to straighten a broken nose, whiten smoky teeth, remove skin blemishes, correct pallor or redness of the face, and add shine to a doomed look.

Meitu

Meitu can turn you or your friends into real anime heroes and fairy-tale characters in one click. It is worth saying that the quality of work is simply excellent, each photo turns out to be unique in its own way. The application to all this is also a full-fledged photo editor, where you can change photos, add filters, scale, and also create collages.

This application can take pictures, leaving only selected elements of the composition in color - eyes, lips, fragments of clothing. With the right level of imagination and originality, the result is impressive.

The main function of the application is face correction in real time (before taking a photo or while shooting a video). The developers offer more than 1,500 different “stickers” that you can try on your face, thereby adding emotional coloring to the portrait. In addition, B612 does an excellent job of automatically improving the user's physiognomy, getting rid of skin defects, folds, wrinkles, etc.

The impressive functionality of the application will be quite difficult for a novice user to master, but the result will be photo editing at a level close to a professional one. It will be possible to take selfies at 8 am on Monday and turn them into pictures worthy of an avatar - the program will cleanse and tighten the skin of the face, remove blemishes and redness of the eyes, and relieve two-day fumes. Many filters and effects are applied in real time, there are entire packages (free!) of ready-made presets for selfies, group shots, etc.

The program turns the user's selfie into a funny caricature; to do this, it is enough to correct the auto-recognition of eyes and lips. Then you can choose any body you like for your character (Superman, biker, clown, sorceress, etc.) or, for example, make a GIF animation from the resulting drawing.

Visage Lab face retouching photoshop

Another virtual makeup artist who can work alone. That is, the application performs the initial optimization of the portrait (removing skin defects, oily shine, flash glare, red eyes) automatically without user intervention. If the result is still not good enough, you can play with the effects and their manual settings.

A popular photo editor whose developers have successfully combined fairly broad functionality with ease of use. However, the main feature of Retica is interaction with other users. By subscribing to interesting people, you can get ideas from them for editing your photos and videos, and also get feedback on your own creativity.

An easy-to-use editor that doesn't require any getting used to. 170+ filters and effects are divided into categories; just select the one you like and adjust the intensity using the usual sliders. We add frames, stickers, text to taste and immediately share the result on social networks. The application has a widget in the iOS Notification Center and an extension for iMessage.

A simple application that adds functionality as needed (you can add additional packages with filters divided into categories). Bestie allows you to turn off the camera sound and improve the quality when taking selfies in low light conditions, as well as immediately mirror the resulting image. Applying effects here is quite simple; there are very few settings and options.

Nowadays, you can’t fool anyone with a retouched photo in a profile on a dating site, but with the help of Candy Camera you can move to the next level - the program allows you to apply effects during video calls. True, the interlocutor will also have to use a “candy camera,” which somewhat unmasks the user.

As the name suggests, Zombify turns users into zombies. The application contains many different effects, including animation.

Face Swap Live

The main feature of the application is the ability to exchange faces with another user caught in the camera lens. In addition, you can apply effects and masks available in the database to pictures and videos.

Photo jokes, effects and emoticons

The application allows you to get an animated cartoon caricature from your photo or a photo of a friend. More than ten fantasy effects, including parody and emotion effects (surprise, flirting, smiling, etc.).

Face replacement

Thanks to this solution, users will be able to create an unexpected image for themselves in one click - a knight, a gangster, a nun, a clown, etc.

The program automatically matches faces from photographs to ready-made templates, after which it itself corrects the image so that the output is the most realistic photo montage.

OldBooth

One of the oldest face changing apps in the App Store. OldBooth allows you to turn user photos into original retro characters. Using in-app purchases, you can purchase additional collections of effects corresponding to various periods of the last century.

Funny and Humorous Cameras

Another application for combining images, which, unlike the previous one, combines the user’s photo only with pictures from the built-in database. You can change your appearance not only with people, but also with animals. The developers promise a fun processing result. The utility can be downloaded for free.

LOL photo

A program with fun filters and effects. The free version has limited functionality, so to use all the features of the application you will have to make additional purchases.

Face Replace! Pro

A program with the ability to combine faces with other images. You can either apply effects from those available in the application to photos, or combine any pictures from your own archives.

There is technology for automatic face recognition, color correction, replacing objects by simple dragging and the option of publishing finished photos on social networks.

Change Face HD

In this app, the templates are divided into five categories. In order to apply fun effects to a photo, you need to create a photo or select a ready-made one, select the required category and adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation.

Photo jokes INTHELENS

Download Photo fun INTHELENS Free for iPhone and iPod Touch (App Store)
Download INTHELENS Photo Jokes for iPhone and iPod Touch (App Store)

LOL Movie

Video processing utility. There are 17 filters, 11 effects and 4 voice changing templates. Also in the program you can add music to videos and share finished videos with friends on social networks. The free version has limited functionality.

If you want to take photos for social networks, the iPhone's built-in camera is enough. Smartphone cameras are getting better with each new model, but a large lens cannot fit in a compact body. For those who want better quality than even the best Apple smartphones can provide, there's DxO One.

Is it worth spending $500 (30,000 rubles) on an external camera for iPhone? Let's find out.

DxO is known for its photo utilities and testing smartphone cameras - by the way, the new iPhone 8 received their highest rating. DxO One is the first device released by the company.

DxO One for iPhone is different from other add-on lenses that offer nothing but a different field of view - this gadget has its own lens and even a touch display. iPhone is used for control, framing and sharing only. Photos can be saved to your phone and to the MicroSD card installed in the DxO One.

Although the DxO camera plugs directly into the Lightning port on an iPhone or iPad, it has its own built-in battery. The DxO One gadget does not work with Android devices, although in addition to Apple's proprietary Lightning connector, it supports connection via Wi-Fi.

The compact body packs impressive hardware - the 1-inch 20.2 MP sensor provides much more detailed footage than the iPhone's built-in camera. The same format sensor is found on cutting-edge compact cameras such as the Sony RX100. However, DxO's One only shoots video at 1080p at 30 frames per second, while Sony's latest RX100 V can handle 4K.

At the front is a 32mm full-frame equivalent sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The sensor and lens combination captures light much better than the standard iPhone camera, which improves quality and is especially useful in low-light conditions.

External camera control

With the DxO One app, you can simply take great photos in automatic mode or manually adjust the exposure for each photo. The camera supports shooting in RAW - there is an Adobe Lightroom Mobile application on the iPhone to save and edit this format.

A USB connector and a memory card slot are located under the cover - they allow you to charge the device and transfer images to a computer.

There are two physical controls on the outermost DxO camera. The shutter button on the top is handy when you need to quickly take a photo - using the iPhone screen only as a viewfinder. To turn on the One and open the Lightning connector, push the lens cap down.

The DxO One's small monochrome LCD display is used to display camera settings or preview images, although the need to connect to a smartphone remains.

The connection is very reliable, the camera can be rotated from side to side and there is no fear of the connection being lost. The connector is designed to withstand high pressure without damaging the connector on the smartphone.

DxO One Kit

In addition to the DxO One external camera, the box includes a USB cable, power adapter, lens cleaning cloth, and illustrated 12-page instructions.

The DxO app is downloaded from the App Store. When purchasing a more expensive version for $600 (RUR 36,000), you will receive proprietary utilities from the manufacturer - DxO Connect, Film Pack and Optics Pro.

Performance and interface

DxO One for iPhone has a great app and interface - better than other external cameras. Exposure is adjusted by simply scrolling on the touch screen. The only iOS device with which it is inconvenient to use this gadget is the iPad Air tablet.

The camera can be easily carried in your pocket and connected to a smartphone only when you need to take a 20.2 MP photo. The application launches very quickly, the preview starts almost instantly - the One is in no way behind the iPhone's built-in camera and its interface.

The maximum electronic shutter speed is 1/20,000, the maximum ISO level is 51,200. These are decent characteristics for an amateur camera, and even more so for a phone accessory of this size.

DxO One is well suited for shooting static scenes such as landscapes and portraits. However, the maximum continuous shooting speed is only 1 fps - this makes it very difficult to capture a moment that lasts a split second.

When using Wi-Fi instead of a wired connection, performance doesn't suffer much, but the device does occasionally lag. Transferring a finished photo from this camera to a smartphone via Wi-Fi takes longer than with compact cameras. But the DxO One wouldn't be the best external camera for iPhone if it weren't connected via the Lightning port.

DxO One Image Quality

The photos are the same quality as on the Sony RX100 or other cameras with a 1-inch sensor. Colors are vibrant, images are detailed, and dynamic range is vastly improved over the iPhone's basic camera—though it's not quite up to par with DSLRs.

At ISO 51,200 (the maximum setting), raw photos look mediocre, but after processing in DxO's software, the quality improves noticeably.

During video recording, only electronic image stabilization is available. There's no dedicated flash on the One, but the f/1.8 lens, combined with the SuperRAW format, allows you to take photos in very low light conditions - if this external camera is mounted on a tripod or other stable surface, of course.

Bottom line

The design, software, usability and performance of DxO One for iPhone are impressive, but it comes at a steep price. It’s also disappointing that only iOS devices are supported.

For the same price, you can get the compact RX100 with a Zeiss lens and plenty of controls, or the Canon PowerShot G9 X with a 1-inch sensor and built-in Wi-Fi.

I recommend DxO's One only to those who are willing to pay a premium for convenience, quality, and the ability to easily transfer photos to their iPhone. Owners of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will appreciate the compactness of this device. New versions of the DxO application are released regularly, thanks to which the gadget released in 2015 remains relevant today - the addition of Wi-Fi was especially surprising. The manufacturer promises to soon also launch the Facebook Live service for online broadcasts.

There have been previous attempts to create the perfect smartphone camera. For example, the Sony QX100 for $500 (RUB 30,000) and the Olympus Air 01 for $400 (RUB 24,000) - both connect only via Wi-Fi, suffer from low performance and lack user-friendly software. Their only advantage is support for Android devices.

Benefits of DxO One

1-inch 20 MP sensor
32mm equivalent, f/1.8 lens
Connect via Lightning or Wi-Fi
SuperRAW and RAW format support
Great software

Disadvantages of One by DxO

Overpriced
Working too slow
Does not support Android devices

Portable and compact external camera DxO One for IOS - video review

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Review of mobile clients for iOS

We have already reviewed video surveillance applications for the Android operating system. The time has come for mobile video surveillance applications for iOS - iPad and iPhone devices from Apple.

For the review, we selected widely used and well-known video surveillance systems on the Russian market, which also include popular foreign representatives. All applications are free and you can download them from the AppStore (except for the paid version of IP Cam Viewer).

iPhone video surveillance

In this review we will talk about the applications:

AxxonNext
Milestone Mobile
Line
IP Cam Viewer Basic
Macroscop

What we study

How many video cameras can be viewed simultaneously?
Is it possible to hear sound in live mode and when viewing an archive?
Is it possible to control PTZ cameras and how?
Are taking screenshots and exporting videos supported?
Is it convenient to view the archive?
What additional features and features are there?

So, let's move on directly to the review of the programs themselves.

AxxonNext

When connecting, in addition to the IP, login and password of the server, you must enter the port and prefix; this feature was also noted in the Android version of the application.

Multi-picture viewing is available in the form of a tile in two versions; in this display mode, the maximum possible number of video cameras on the screen will be 8 and in the form of a list. The image is updated at a speed of about 1 frame/s. By clicking, you can expand the video camera to full screen and get real-time video. Controlling the PTZ camera is simple and intuitive, using a joystick and/or zoom in and out buttons.

and iPad

The application allows you to view the archive, there is a scalable timeline, conveniently controlled by intuitive finger movements. The mobile client allows you to view alarm events.

AxxonNext - Video surveillance on iPhone

Among other things, this is the only mobile application in the review in which you can see a map with video cameras and other equipment printed on it. When you select a video camera on the map, a live view window opens.

AxxonNext - Video surveillance on iPhone

It is also possible to make important settings: image resolution, frame rate, rotation speed of the PTZ video camera. All this can make it easier for the client to use on narrow communication channels.

Download the AxxonNext app

You can download the AxxonNext application for free from the AppStore.

App Developer: ITV | AxxonSoft

Milestone Mobile

Connecting a mobile client to the server is simple; you need to enter the server’s IP address, login, password and port (the latter must be known in advance). After connecting the client, you must select the type of video camera display. A maximum of 9 cameras are displayed on the screen. In our case, the frequency of image reproduction from video cameras was about 2-3 frames/s. Of course, this characteristic is affected by the configuration of the server itself and the bandwidth of the Wi-Fi connection. The application does not provide additional settings.

Milestone Mobile: Viewing export materials

To expand the image from the video camera to full screen, you need to click on the camera. In full screen mode, you can switch between cameras with a swipe gesture.
The application has wide functionality, and its most important difference is that it is the only software that allows you to transfer video from a mobile device camera to a server for recording.

The technology, called Milestone Push Video, like all mobile client work, requires installation and configuration of a separate service on the server. In addition, this service transcodes video individually for each user to optimize transmission, for example in 3G networks. The mobile client allows you to export the archive via a tablet or smartphone. Export is done on the video surveillance server in avi format; You can view it on your mobile device and download it later.

Milestone Mobile: Event Export

It is possible to take screenshots both during live display and in archive viewing mode. Another interesting feature is that when accessing the archive, the user will see a small window (picture-in-picture) from the same camera, but transmitting a live image. The live video window can be moved to any area of the screen or disabled altogether. When accessing the archive, you can select the viewing speed, play forward and backward, change the date and time of the episode, but viewing the current interval without the ability to move along the timeline is inconvenient.

Working with PTZ cameras is implemented quite comfortably and intuitively.

Download the Milestone Mobile app

You can download the Milestone Mobile app for free from the AppStore at

Application developer: Milestone Systems

Line

It's easy to start working with a client. Everything is as usual: enter the IP, login and password of the server. It wouldn’t hurt to specify the server port, but if the server installation went as usual, the port will be set to default.

Up to 16 video cameras can be displayed on the screen at the same time - this parameter is set in the client settings menu. In addition, the mobile application provides the ability to connect to several servers simultaneously. Thus, you can view video cameras from different servers on one screen. By expanding the video camera to full screen, you can use digital zoom and take a screenshot.

To control PTZ cameras, both a standard graphics joystick and simple gesture control are supported: moving your fingers in the desired direction will allow you to rotate the camera, and using two fingers will control the zoom. Unfortunately, the mobile client does not yet work with the archive.

Article continues on next page.