New iPhone Photo App: Slow Shutter

Description from the AppStore: Slow Shutter is an camera application that you can enjoy a simulation of slow shutter with the iPhone camera!
This camera app lets you select shutter speeds, which range from 1/15 to 2 second.

Features:

• Shutter speed range：1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2(sec)
• Exposure compensation：+/- 2 EV (1, 1/2, 1/4 steps)
• Output size：320×426
• Other：Black & White effect

Requirements:

• Compatible with iPhone
• Requires iPhone OS 3.1 or later

AppStore Link: Slow Shutter - Price £0.59/$0.99

Editors comments: I haven't tested this app, but looking at the poor output size it looks like this app is somehow capturing the iPhone screen and not actually taking the image via the camera app. Also I am not aware of any way that an app can control the iPhone shutter speed. I may be wrong about this, so if anyone does try this app, then please let us know what you think of it.

Comments

[Matthew Chappell]

I've been looking for a long exposure app for a long time, and this just looks like a slightly more slick version of MoCoCamera or iMultishot who at least don't claim to be a long exposure apps.

I'm under the impression that the shutter speed depressingly cant be controlled by any app, I dont know if its even something feasible in the future by any jailbreak method. Having tried MoCoCamera it is quite useful for multiple exposure photography and inadvertently at removing noise on a stationary scene at best quality with 8 shots if you have an iphone tripod.

[=M=]

@Matthew

Unfortunately, the shutter speed of the iPhone can't be controlled by the app. I am following a thread on this subject over on Flickr. It'll be nice when Apple releases those APIs for public use.

If you want to have a look, the thread is here:

"iPhone camera specifications"
http://www.flickr.com/groups/takenwithiphone/discuss/72157610993645448/

About halfway down, JWilson talks about his progress (or lack of) in creating an app that can control the aperture. The thread also contains the specs of the iPhone 2G (and I believe 3G) if you're curious.

=M=

[lomobcom]

Slow shutter is great to take pics of a tube TV screen... set at "2" and "0" for compensation, it just smoothes the output and removes any interlacing artefact.

The output is really slow though, but as the pic is smooth, you can put it in another app to filter it and force the export to something higher.
I also managed to test the new HDR app with a 3G by taking different exposure pics with Slow shutter.

So far I like it... just for the TV capture capability. vintage photo + tv pics are great.

[Jason Caine]

Unfortunately, I had downloaded this app before catching the review here. The output size renders it useless as far as I am concerned. I am not sure what method it is using to generate the image, but I have had a couple decent results with capturing motion with it ... moving cars, traffic, pedestrians. Sadly enough at 320x426, even those results are useless when it comes to printing them or doing anything productive other than viewing them on your iPhone.

Save your 99 cents.

[Nick Porcino]

I actually like this one a lot. Here's a set of (yes, lo-res) images I made with it recently.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meshula/sets/72157623792558034/

The method it uses is very clever, as far as I can tell, it takes a low res video, and applies image stacking and HDR tone mapping to the result.

[Nick Porcino]

Oops, I use another app also called Slow Shutter, by Tomoki Kobayashi.

[Shutters Perth]

I'm still learning more about shutter activity so I'm actually surfing the net to collect online ideas regarding shutters and the best of ways it has to be used and emphasize. Thanks for your great discussion that really did helped me a lot!

[Collin]

Any updates on an app that can control the video shutter speed on iPhone 4S or iOS 5 rather...

Thanks!