Obscura 2
SLICK, CUSTOMISABLE CAMERA APP.
$7.99 | obscura.camera
THERE ARE QUITE a few ‘pro’ camera apps that leverage iPhone hardware in ways Apple’s own Camera app doesn’t allow, but not many approach iPhone photography from the same angle as Obscura 2. Specifically, it has been designed to be easy to use while holding the phone in one hand. Obscura 2 presents its controls in a straightforward way. The main screen shows you a semicircle of tools and options which can be scrolled easily with your thumb and is ‘infinite’, so when you get to the end, it just goes around again. In the Settings, you can choose to have each section open automatically when you land on it, and the back arrow is always within easy tapping distance. Manual exposure, focus and shutter buttons are located in the same area.
Obscura 2 can capture images in several formats from JPEG through HEIC, Live Photo, Depth capture and RAW capture. Older phones are excluded from some of these due to hardware limitations, but an iPhone 7 or newer can do almost all, with the Plus and X-series’ dual cameras also allowing depth mode.
The design is slick and straightforward, with even the settings presented using a simple iOS structure. Extensive customisation is possible — everything from showing different controls in the viewfinder, creating screen taps to perform shortcuts, and using the volume keys as exposure, focus or capture controls. It’s easy to set it up as you want it without getting buried in submenus. Grid overlay options are available to help with composition, as is a spirit level that uses the phone’s gyroscope. There’s also flash control and a self-timer, as well as the option to switch between cameras.
With a photo taken you can view extensive metadata in the Library section, copy images and edit them, although editing is limited to applying presets — with Sepia, B&W and Analog packs available as in-app purchases. The option to save copies of original and edited pictures is useful, though, and something that Apple’s own Camera app doesn’t make particularly easy. Images are saved to your Camera Roll, where they can be shared and managed as usual.
This app makes user-controlled shooting very easy. With a greater variety of editing features, it could be great.