Hipstamatic is, by far, one of the best photography apps out there for the iPhone. It pays homage to the 1982 analog camera that allowed the user to change lenses and utilize different film formats. Just like the original, you can change the lens and film to apply different effects to your photos. The results are some of the most unique photographs you’ll ever create on your iPhone.
The first thing to note before purchasing this application is that you are confined to look through a very small viewfinder when taking a picture. The app is trying to replicate the original Hipstamatic camera, with its plastic material and analog viewfinder. So, don’t expect to get a full screen preview of your image before you take the shot. I was a little skeptical of this at first, but as I began to use the app more often, I became much more comfortable with it.
You can set up your shot in one of two ways. You can manually select your lens, flash and film to create your own unique style. Or, you can shake your iPhone and the app will randomly select an equipment combination for you. Either way, you’ll end up with a really nice photo in a unique style. The app will automatically focus your image before you snap the picture. After you take the shot, it will take some time for the camera to apply the filters and save it to your photo library. You can choose low or high quality images. Obviously, high quality images will take a bit longer to save, especially on an iPhone 3G instead of a 3GS. This app is certainly not meant to be a quick shot camera.
After your image is processed, it is automatically saved to your photo library and you have the option to share it via email, Facebook or Flickr. Also, you can quickly set your camera to the same settings that the selected photo was taken with.
After you’ve played around with the different filters and settings, you will undoubtedly be yearning for more options. Enter, the in-app purchase scheme. There are several additional lenses, flashes and film effects available for purchase right from inside the app. Some of this premium content really looks great and will surely grab your attention. You could spend up to four extra dollars to have a fully stocked Hipstamatic. This is on the pricier side when it comes to camera apps, so you may just want to stick with the standard equipment.
There is really only one major problem with Hipstamatic. You can’t import photos you’ve already taken and apply effects to them from the app. Your effects are only applied to the picture you are currently taking. The ability to import images is something many other photography apps include. I think this is what really keeps Hipstamatic from gaining even more ground in the app store. The more features an app has, the better. However, this application is absolutely one of the must-own apps for anyone interested in photography on their iPhone. It has officially earned a permanent spot on my device.
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