This new app looks interesting. Check out the website: http://hipstamaticapp.com/
Looking forward to a review here soon.

Great to see a post on here! I can't wait for the review. I am contemplating on whether or not to buy it. Thank you for posting the website.

I have bought the app and the add-on's and posted a first impression review on iTune. It simulates a toy camera very well IMHO but has its limitations as a photographic app.
It's rather quirky too: shooting while holding the iPhone in 'portrait' position causes the viewfinder to show the lower quadrant of the image being captured.

Thanks a lot for replying. :) Soo should I hold off on buying it then? Because it does suck that you can't use older photos.

I bought the app, all the in-app extras as well. The app in full with all additional purchases is a $4 app (though it is miss leading & makes you think there is an extra 5x $0.99 worth of add-on... Thus a $7 app). But that is not the case & the Developer corrected me on my original tweet (thank you). So for $4 is an excellent looking app, great results from the filters, lenses, gelpacks & etc. Really a great visually made UI kudos on that & the added flash effect generated is well done. Though the 2 things I look for in an app & are my 2 biggest MUST HAVES in any iPhone photography applications are both missing here unfortunately.

- FULL RESOLUTION is missing! Yes given the app takes a square shot your max resolutions are going to be 1536x1536 / 2048x2048 on a 3GS but it is a true disappointment seeing that the High Res this app saves to is 1050x1050. I will state it is acceptable BUT a disappointment that all this hard work went into making this app to short change even themselves with anything less than Full Resolution.

- Photo Library & Camera Roll images are not enabled for use in this app. That as well to me is a huge let down & true disappointment over all. I understand the whole "shoot from the hip" idea but if I really wanted to shoot from the hip I wouldn't have paid for this app at all ... My iPhone comes with a FREE built in camera. So to limit the consumer just seems unfair. Yeah you can say oh well they are bringing back the old instant camera etc & well you couldn't do it then so why now? True enough but then again back then you didn't develop an app on your computer for a state of the art handheld digital device. So sure you are giving the feel & vibe of the retro Hipstamatic but shouldn't limit to a feel or vibe. Let your "paying" customers have the choice with their $500 iPhones to decide if they want to apply these effect to existing photos or to take the original approach & "shoot from the hip".

So that all being said I do highly recommend this app to anyone interested it is a great app with good results. Keep in mind the limitation of it's resolution & lack of use when applying effects to your own photos.

Once those have been addressed & implemented I don't really have any complaints.

* I do hope as well that when updates are available they don't only come in the form of paid in-app purchases & that the developer gives more to the standard users rather than teasing them with additional paid upgrades of add-ons.

Cheers SCW

@SCW, what do you make of the quirkiness of the viewfinder? In landscape position, it kind of shows the middle portion of the image being taken, but hold the iPhone in portrait, you see a lower quadrant. Is that a bug?

This effect this app produces is odd. It blurs/shakes the images and I'm not sure if I'm really into that. I like the tones it produces however. The biggest issue with this app and all apps that take a square picture is that I put thought into composing my photos, so I don't appreciate an app chopping my photo up. With this app, it has a square viewfinder which while small is a great idea. However, it's useless because the photo you end up with is not the same as what was in the viewfinder. Horrible. Someone fix that, immediately.

@psikat - Thanks for pointing that out.... Yes I get that too & it is now an annoying bug. I also agree with @PhotoBoy that what you see in the viewfinder is NOT what you get as a result.

a MUST fix

Hi, I'm about to double-post the comment I left on the main blog about this app, but I also want to add my voice to the complaints about the viewfinder being 'off'. At the very least, I'd like to hear from the developers if this was an intentional fault, perhaps added to recreate a flaw in the physical Hipstamatic 100 cameras that they claim this is a simulation of. If so, then it's more forgivable, and we can learn to work around it anyway. If not, then I hope a fix is forthcoming in the next update.

---

I wrote a review of this app (because I really liked it) which addresses some of the features people seem to dislike. Eg. not being able to load your own photos. It's really about the spirit of the Film Camera App as a camera in its own right. No more than you'd expect stripping exposed 35mm film out of a camera and loading it into another for double exposure to be easy, these apps don't allow you to "do what you want with the device you paid for" because restrictions sometimes add a little thrill and force to work harder.

It's the reason why I liked ShakeItPhoto more before it allowed you to simultaneously save photos both in processed and original form. Given that option, there's no way I could force myself to uncheck the box and get only processed photos without a backup, but damned if I didn't love using the app more more when I knew that all I would have at the end of a lot of shaking was my one shot at capturing a moment, under or overexposed as it may be.

Anyway, here's the URL:
http://blog.sangsara.net/2009/12/hipstamatic-new-iphone-toycamera-app.html

I really like this app. It might be that the honeymoon period is not over yet, but the fiancee and I had a blast with this the last few days. The "you never know" aspect brings back memories of using a little crappy 110 camera to try and take pictures of things as a child. It is a great 1.0 release. Full resolution is a must, PLEASE.

This is honestly the first app that I am undecided about if I would want the ability to run other photos though it. I would even be open to the option of a Hipstamatic Darkroom, another app with more control and more options without the ability to take pictures. Complete without a lot of in app purchases.

I have never been a fan of in app purchases, it's the cynic in me. If you have the good stuff, give me the good stuff when I buy your item. I do not feel that is what happened with this app. I think it is part of the stylizing of this app. Shopping for camera parts and film. It goes to the whole outlook for the app I think. While I would much rather them add new lenses, film, flashes ect for free, I understand it. Plus it will give me something to look forward to with the app in the future as long as they keep developing creatively for this app.

Would I have rather had this app with everything for $2 ? Yes. Did I mind paying $4? No, but this is a rare case. There are a ton of apps out there that are a rip off at .99.

I want full resolution and a film type that goes all the way to the edge, and something with sprockets if you are listening devs. Thanks

Gotta add my 2 cents here. I agree with Catmouth and Brandon Lee with their reviews. I like the surprises that you get, reminds me of Toycamera. This is to me a great 1st release and hopefully they will keep developing it and adding more stuff and increase the resolution.

I have emailed the developer about the viewfinder bug which really bugs me and am still waiting for a response. Has anyone here corresponded with this developer?

@psikat I have spoken with the developer. I do not have any information about the viewfinder bug. To be honest, I forgot to ask. I will see what I can find out. I do know they are working on a crash fix that they hope to be submitted by the end of the week.

I am guessing that the viewfinder "feature" will be hard to solve. The way to solve it seems to be destroying the image that they have overlayed the camera output and show the real square. I do not think that resizing the camera output is viable (no iPhone developing experience though).

I do not mind much however, it adds to the experience - not actually being able to see the final result, but having to shoot from the hip.

The constant crashing however has made me avoid Hipstamatic for the time being. I want to keep the images I shoot. They should not be lost.

Used the app quite a bit today. It crashed several times and I really struggled with the 'wandering' viewfinder :-) I can't imagine real life toy-cameras having this feature; they will need to be somehow organic!

Of the handful of pics which ended up with decent composition despite the viewfinder, the effects are actually very good.

Hopefully, the developers would fix things soon. Personally, I'd like to see a 'big button' feature to make the camera more useable. It's not an authentic feature one would find in toy cameras, I know.

Good app.....But and its a big but....Lots of add on lens and you have to spend 7 dollars to get the most out of it. Its not worth 7 dollars.....

Tom, How did you end up spending 7 dollars?

it's actually only .99 for 2 addons currently so you pay 1.99 for the app, and 2x .99, so 4 bucks for the whole shebang.

I was told that the 'wandering' (wondering?) viewfinder is part of the authentic toy camera experience. Can that be true? I can't work out the physics..... unless the lens is distorted and freely rotates.

Update submitted....

http://hipstamaticapp.com/support.html#version_history

Grrrr, these news apps appearing in the appstore - is there a reason why they HAVE to make it so we have the latest OS for it to run? I'm not in a position (slow connection) to be able to update my OS. I have 3.0. Surely there can't be that big a difference in the SDK to warrant having to update one's firmware.

Ehr..feel kinda stupid BUT how do I download the hipstapaks? Can't find it anywhere though I'm pretty sure it must be somewhere..

Doh!
Found it.....

The Shibuya pack did not appear to get approved before the approval guys left for the holiday and should be available to be purchased hopefully.

http://www.facebook.com/hipstamatic#/notes/hipstamatic/purchasing-the-shibuya-hipstapak/220367847082

New Hipstapak purchase sorted!

I was able to download it also.

Self-Portrait Using The New HipstaPak

Amazing hipstapak. It's like getting a new app every time. The Shibuya Pack is just fantastic.

I've got to put my 4 cents in here (bad economy).

1. FULL RES. This should have been a no brainer. I really don't think there is any reason to go into why full res is necessary....Google it.

2. PHOTO ALBUM support. I could go on and on about this one. Basically, I think the concept of only being able to be "surprised" as the photo is taken is flawed--though I'm there 100% with the sentiment. An image is an image. It doesn't matter when it was taken. Maybe it is just me, but I don't base my level of "surprise" on the time between taking the image and viewing it. I base it on the image itself.

That said, I see far more chances for disappointment with the current workflow than surprise, as it is more likely that one wouldn't have the ideal combination of lens/film/etc for a particular captured moment of time. Whereas if one were able to post-process, then one could be "surprised" with each potential combo and then make public the the combination that is most appropriate for the subject.

Additionally, forcing one to make lens/filter combos before taking each image removes a great deal of the element of surprise, at least for me. I know it will be green, I know it will be out of focus, I know it will be square, I know the border will be black and I'll do everything I can to choose a subject and composition that works with these known traits, consciously or not.

Meanwhile, lots of potential images will be lost because I felt at the time that they may not work with what I had, I've essentially removed the element of surprise by making decisions based on known equipment. (Not likely as I tend to take hundreds of shots. More than likely something will catch my eye and I'll be forced to photograph it over and over again with different filter combos. This is just a completely unnecessary way to be forced to work in the digital age. Not to mention useless if photographing a moving subject).

For those that think it is more realistic and true to the original camera and therefore that is the way it should be then maybe you wouldn't mind being charged a flat rate for each set of say, 24 images and then an individual charge per image on top of that? That would be even more realistic. Or perhaps, randomly, an image could be ruined through simulated mechanical failure or simulated exposure to heat or cold...etc. Or, maybe the app just quits working due to "cheap plastic component failure" being programmed in.

My point is, where do you draw the line between "realism" and taking advantage of the digital format? And why would you draw it before one of the greatest advantages of digital photography on the iPhone?

All of this aside, the fact is, with Photo Album support, one has the freedom to work any way that works for them. This includes preconceiving all "surprises" if one desires.

I told you I could go on and on...

I would have to disagree with adding the photo albums to the app. The app, in simplest form, is just a set of filters. What makes it so exciting and fun is the experience in applying the filters as film, lenses, and flashes.

How would it be introduced into the workflow of the app without removing the entire experience. In truth, most of the filters can be found in other apps that you probably already have or are available for free.

I love my Hipstamatic app not just for the photos, but for the fun I have experimenting. I enjoy waiting for it to develop my shot. That was something I actually loved about shooting with 35mm. I say keep the photo albums out. It's not just an app, it's an experience! :P

@JuanO
I absolutely disagree. I think adding the option in use your own photo is a MUST. Thus having the OPTION to turn this feature on if you want it. For it also opens up sales of Hipstamatic to iPod Touch users too whom do not have a camera but are already willing to pay for Hipstamatic & the in-app extras. Yes shooting with an old 35mm WAS fun but this IS an iPhone & in the digital age of iPhone apps, photos & editing. As well as the price that this app already costs the end user... to limit ones use yet charging more than any other app to do less is NOT a user friendly option to decline. It is in Hipstamatics best interest to add the option to use your own images & to update the resolution to full. To not do so is honestly very annoying to loyal & paying costomers.

@scw
Don't get me wrong I see the benefit of adding the photo albums. I even understand the demand by the users. I really enjoy the way this app works. I just think developers purposefully left out this option (I assume it's an easy solution to code) for sake of the experience. I didn't think about making it a selectable option in the settings. That's a good middle ground. I still wonder how it will be worked into the workflow of the app, though.

Regarding the resolution: the max you could get would be 1200 by 1200 (at least for the 3G), right? I get 1050 by 1050 right now. I can see for 3GS owners 1050x1050 is a little low.

@JuanO I hope you won't spend you time worrying over the coding of an app since you are only a consumer. To wish, want or request a feature or function is just that... but to discuss & or worry about why it was or wasn't coded in the first place or if so in the future is kinda of irrelevant. Yes I believe 1200x1200 for 3G & 1536x1536 for 3GS will be the max though I have some square apps that saved to 2048x2048. Now that might be doable direct from the camera if it's in the API but I will assume it was an upgrading image flaw in some apps that upscaled the final image thus degrading the final result.

@ Juano "In truth, most of the filters can be found in other apps that you probably already have or are available for free." Please, let me know the apps as I haven't found them yet and have quite a lot of experience with iPhone apps and their manipulation.

Also, to clarify, I wasn't suggesting that they remove the camera experience from their app. I didn't even go into how tedious the current camera experience is (ugh, what lens am I using, man what does that film look like again, why does my subject keep moving, don't they realize all the steps I have to take just to take a shot? ).

Hipstamatic is cool, it has lots of eye candy and more importantly, creates some fantastic, if trendy and a little too specific effects. But it is severely limited in major ways for anyone who approaches iPhoneography even semi-professionally, and is very very tedious to use on a day-to-day basis. Think Flash 10 years ago, everybody thought it was cool until they needed to deal with the final invoice, search engine optimization, updates...oh and iPhones.

Supporting the Photo Album and higher resolution not only is good business for the developers, but its good business for any end user hoping to make money from their iPhone images. As it stands now, Hipstamatic is one of my favorite games for the iPhone (and is priced accordingly), I sure hope it becomes one of my favorite tools.

@scw I don't think it's irrelevant, although I understand why it could be. I'm a web developer and I understand that creating something like this is difficult. Just because it's mostly code doesn't make it any less an art form. And like anything we create, we don't like outside interference. I have to mention I understand this isn't something to appreciate from a distance, but it is something we actually utilize. So, the requests everyone have made will probably get implemented because you are all right, it's in the developers best interest. I just felt like getting my opinion out there.

@jon betts Sorry, I meant most of the filters are in other apps. :) Format 126, LOFI, Camera Kit come pretty close. Edwin has some cool frames. I admit some of the effects are unique- I have yet to see anything the emulates the Roboto lens. And yea, you're right, there should be something to tell use what lens/flash/film we're using.

I am sure we can all agree that we all wait in anticipation for the next update. :)

can't understand, why there's still no update with full res....dev seems to be a little.....slow?!

Yeaaaaahhhhh where on earth is an update?!
I've had this app since the second week it was out (thanks to this blog) and quickly fell into a love/hate relationship. The images produced are downright aw-inspiring, I'd like to say that I've taken thousands of photos already with this little bad boy but can't due to the UI. The interface is very entertaining and much like a game, but if you take the time to adjust all your settings you'll probably have already lost your "Kodot" Moment. THEN you have to wait for the damn thing to develop which seemingly takes twice as long than it did to go through the lens/accessory selections. Worst part is when you find out you had the wrong flash/lens/gel/film selected you have to perform the entire cumbersome process over again.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this app, but I'm almost wishing there were an all-in-one pro-type version of this app that would address all the issues previously stated and add a few features that would definitely help, like; Geo-tagging of photos (I did an entire model shoot with this app and was pretty disappointed when none of the EXIF data uploaded to Flickr from my phone, had to take them down and tag them on iphoto), Full-Res output is a MUST, Faster developing because right now it just don't cut it, and here's an idea; since live editing is the new thing in the app store maybe there's a way to have 2-3 more screens around the primary one and have them preview image edits before you actually snap the shot? That one may be too much to ask for, but like I said, if you released a PRO version of this then I would be very much willing to pay a bit more premium of a price for streamlined performance

New version is out 1.50

Lots of improvements, but still not photo album option. :-(( I need a faster processing time to work with it, so Photo Album will allow me to work faster on situation and then process on hipstamatic.

Anyway, there is a lot of hipstamatic shots everywhere. And most of them just look very similar. Does any of you also think that Hipstamatic is going to die of success ?

unless they open up the option to edit photos in your camera roll I think it may get old. the reason you see so many of the same types of shots is because of the limitations of having to shoot the photo at the time. taking the time to tweak the film, lens, flash every time really limits the type of content you can capture.

Another recent update that basically added 3 extra filters to the very respectable collection. Processing time has supposedly improved, but it is still too slow to be used as the default camera app. Not allowing access to the camera roll for post-processing significantly narrows the appeal of the app (and the market that it can potentially capture).
As a novelty camera app, it is getting betterer and betterer ;-)

Okay I finally pulled the trigger. It's a great app no doubt fun to play with. But because of proses time and all the switching stuff around time I can't go to it as a default camera. It is cool though.

I think I might be ready to to buy Hipstamatic. (finally)

I agree with scw, I wish you could add photos from the photo roll. I would also like to be able to save the original image, so I can use it in other great photo apps.
I have been through my years with LOMO, I really don't think it's needed in a cellphone. To me the app is still flawed, but the end result is still so good, that it's worth it (I think) So I guess I'll be buying the app.