Camera+ 2
Take your iPhonography to the next level. $4.49 | CAMERA.PLUS
After eight years and 14 million downloads, Camera+ has been given an overhaul. While Camera+ 2 holds on to the basic character of its predecessor, there’s a marked difference in speed and functionality.
Firstly, Camera+ 2 is now universal. There used to be a different version of Camera+ for the iPhone and the iPad, but now it’s the one app that works in identical manner across both devices. Secondly, the new version comes with a lot more manual controls which appear when you bring up the focus and exposure points. You can even enable them permanently in ‘Settings > Advanced Controls > Always Show’. With manual controls quite literally at your fingertips, the serious photographer will be glad to know there’s RAW support available on Camera+ 2. The output is the best quality image possible, with plenty of information stored so that editing is a lot more precise.
Portrait mode on Camera+ 2 comes with Depth Editing functionality, which saves the depth map with the image, so you can edit either just the foreground or the background. However, we found Portrait Mode on Camera+ 2 to be shaky and produced inconsistent results. Editing images taken using the portrait mode on the iPhone’s native camera app is the better option.
Camera+2 goes beyond Macro and Portraits modes, though. There’s a slow shutter mode for those who like taking long exposures of up to 30 seconds, with the app automatically adjusting sensitivity to compensate. There’s also a smile mode which does well to pick up a cheeky grin, even on the front-facing camera. The best part for us, however, is the Stabilizer mode, which removes blur if you have shaky hands. The original Camera+ was tedious to use as an editor because you needed to manually import images from your Photo Library. Now, though, you can switch between the Lightbox and your Photo Library with just a few taps.
While some may argue that ‘overhaul’ might not be the right word for an app that pretty much looks the same as its predecessor, we think the Camera+ 2’s speed and increased functionality makes it well worth the money, given it’s been future-proofed for newer versions of iOS and iPhones. Plus all the editing tools, including filters, are now available up front, with no more in-app purchases hidden away.