Filed under: iPhone, App Store, App Review
First Look: Snapture comes to the App Store
If you were one of the brave few to begin jailbreaking your iPhones back in early 2008, you probably came across what I considered the best app available at that point: Snapture. I always wanted to get more out of my iPhone camera and this jailbreak app helped me accomplish that.Fast forward a year and a half and you'll finally find Snapture [iTunes Link] in Apple's App Store. This is primarily due to the fact that Apple has opened up more and more of the iPhone OS with each new release of the SDK. Is it perfect? No, but with the given access to the Camera APIs, applications like Snapture and Best Camera can finally exist in a world of harmony with the big wigs at Apple.
In regards to functionality, I've always been a huge fan of Snapture. It's simple, but it works. I don't have to touch a button on the screen to take a picture, I can tap the screen anywhere I'd like and it will work just fine. My biggest pet peeve about the built-in camera app is that I have to press a tiny button in order to take a picture. That's not very conducive for self portraits or any other situation where you're not looking right at the device.
The typical reverse pinch to zoom works here as well, giving you up to 5x digital zoom. There's also a stack of thumbnails at the bottom right of the application that shows you the last four images you've taken. You can review, delete or even email them with just a swipe of the finger. If you're like me and end up skewing a picture by tapping the screen, you can set up Snapzones to allow the removal of your finger to trigger the camera. Last but not least, Snapture comes with a virtual level that will help you keep your iPhone straight for the most crucial of pictures.
In my opinion, this app is what makes the iPhone into a great point-and-shoot camera. Other apps just help improve the cell phone camera experience, but this make it as easy as pulling out my Canon and tapping the button -- all from my phone. It's in the App Store right now for $1.99 but will go up to $7.99 after the introductory period is over. So go save some dough and take a picture of the money you have left.
Psssst...there's more coming soon. I don't have specific details, but I've been told by the development team that they're going to "revolutionize how people take pictures with the iPhone camera in future releases." You may remember that SnaptureLabs was responsible for the first flash attachment on the iPhone -- could it have something to do with that? Now that Apple allows hardware accessories, I could see that as a viable add-on. Only time will tell.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mark said 6:12PM on 9-23-2009
How in the heck does Snapture not duplicate functionality that is at the core of the iPhone? Apple your consistency of approving and rejecting applications is a joke.
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Dawitz said 6:15PM on 9-23-2009
GOT IT YESTERDAY! I have already replaced my default camera with Snapture...
Awesomeness. Pure awesomeness. Dear Steve Jobs. Please hire these Snapture developers.
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DJ said 6:19PM on 9-23-2009
Snapture is an awesome app. I'm really glad these guys are making it all the way up to the appStore. It's already at #9.
About time somebody comes up with something worth paying for on AppStore.
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steelersfan234 said 6:34PM on 9-23-2009
I heard that with the Occipital partnership, Snapture is going to get better over time. Happy to see that some new life got injected to this old JB friend.
I dunno what's up with the buzz around the Best Camera app. I for one do not want to be Chase Jarvis' cheap prostitute. I'm just waiting for his automated photo wall to turn into porn. It's inevitable...
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Apollyon said 6:41PM on 9-23-2009
Requires 3.1 to even buy the app - this app was great in the early jailbreak days, but until a JB comes out for 3GS 3.1 a lot of people are out of luck...
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Mystic said 6:43PM on 9-23-2009
Does this have a WB setting in it? I really wish one of these programs would put a WB option somewhere. Tired of blue pics.
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scottjf8 said 6:49PM on 9-23-2009
Requires 3.1. That sucks
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blu said 8:14PM on 9-23-2009
doesn't appear to have focus features of the 3GS phone app.
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Kem said 7:04PM on 9-23-2009
Sadly no support for "tap-to-focus" autofocus and you can't switch to video recording, so you still need the default iphone camera app.
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Erick Pillay said 7:26PM on 9-23-2009
The iPhone takes the picture when you RELEASE the shutter button, not when you tap it, so that you can position your finger over the button setup your shot, and all you have to do is release the button to take it.
Yes, its kind of annoying, but at least they don't actually expect you to find the little button when you're holding the phone up in the air.
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devyn said 8:05PM on 9-23-2009
Holy sh*t! How did I not realize this??
One of my biggest issues with the camera has been that *pressing* the shutter button on the screen tends to shake the camera (which is already an unsteady camera besides) so that I get a blurry / uncomposed / etc photo. Happened to me today, in fact.
But with the "hold and release" it solves that issue (which is probably old news to everyone else).
**slaps forehead**
Eddie said 4:35PM on 9-30-2009
Well slap my forehead too! I never noticed this.....
Dawitz said 7:26PM on 9-23-2009
Kem have you tried it? Or you just guessing that from the description?
Autofocus works pretty well with Snapture, especially on the ridiculously big 5x zoom. It's pretty slick from my perspective because I hated that box anyway...
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JD said 9:18PM on 9-23-2009
It doesn't have accelerometer-based stabilization, does it? I can't bear to go back to an unstabilized camera, they really do produce (on average) much blurrier photos when you look carefully, no matter how steadily you hold it.
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Spanishcop said 5:21PM on 9-24-2009
Reference your comment for flash attachement, I think it would be more on the lines of an additional camera attachment facing the user of the phone. That way you could send photos of yourself without having to guess if your in the frame or not. It will be very interesting to see. I'm also curious if someone will make video attachment for 3G models and older phones. The other interesting thought would be a bluetooth camera with flash battery operated this way freeing up your base connector for charging your phone or something else.
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turim said 3:16AM on 9-24-2009
Bought it, but haven´t tried it (no 3.1 yet;).
As a JB-app, you could use the volumebutton to snap a shot. Is this a deal here as well? The app called "Camera Zoom 2" has this feature already.
Also, we really need Snapture to take care of filming as well.
When I saw that iPod Nano had these really cool movieeffects, the first thing I thought was that iPhone should get it next, as an app!
Get busy; I think only Apple is the one that sets the limits...
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iGlad said 9:35AM on 9-24-2009
snapture and photogene are the apps that I had been waiting for snapture does everthing I wanted my camera app to do but didn't and the price well it's was just so cheap. Great app which I use with photogene thats all I need on my iPhone for photographs now.
The zoom is amazing and is it me or are the pics taken with snapture sharper?
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Trek Lurker said 7:43PM on 9-24-2009
Just now attempted to locate this app - it seems the link is dead, and a search at the App Store reveals no match. It appears the App Store Striker does it again!
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Dawitz said 9:35PM on 9-24-2009
oh noooooo... Snapture you can't leave us!!!
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phatkrome said 9:15AM on 9-25-2009
Just downloaded from the app store. If it was gone, it's back now.
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