New iPhone Photo App: HDR for Free
Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 9:24AM | Glyn Evans 
"If you haven't heard of us by now, we like to give our apps out for free. Yep! These aren't those lame Lite apps that flood the free section of every category. These are full blown applications for free!
We've brought you the number 1 photography app, Crop for Free. Now we bring you HDR for Free!" Well that's what the developers of this app has to say!!
HDR (High Dynamic Range) images use a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques. Basically, for us non-technical folk, it makes images look sweet! Those lame and vanilla looking outdoor photos will look awesome! Check out the before and after screenshots to get an idea.
Key Features:
- OS 3.0 compatible!
- Choose between 9 HDR presets
- Undo any mistakes
AppStore Link: HDR for Free
Note from Editor: I tried this app just to see what it was like. Sadly I was far from impressed, and not long after installing, deleted it from my iPhone. If you are going to make statements like "These aren't those lame Lite apps that flood the free section of every category", then you better make sure your apps are good, and I personally don't think this one is, but that's just my opinion.
HDR for Free in New iPhone Photo Apps
Reader Comments (6)
Hi Glyn, thanks a lot for your excellent blog of reviewing photography apps. Keep up the good work. I still think paid apps offer better results and quality finish.
@Dennis. I agree, most of the time paid apps are better. Thanks for the complements about the site and I'm glad you enjoy the reviews.
Thank you for the commentary and observations. Super helpful in trying to sort the signal to noise ratio of photo apps for iPhone.
More of the same please!
Would you mind sharing what you didn't like about it? "far from impressed" doesn't provide any insight ;)
I personally like the 9-panel previews, and wish the HDR app I pad for provided this sort of preview.
I downloaded, and will be trying out. I grabbed Crop for Free and used it until I bought PhotoGene, which has cropping built-in.
@Jim C. As you know it is not yet possible to great HDR images directly in the iPhone, and all the apps that declare they can create HDR effects are misleading. At best these apps just increase the contrast and over saturate the colours, and HDR for Free is no different, and is the reason I said I was "I was far from impressed". Also if an app developer is going to say "These aren't those lame Lite apps that flood the free section of every category" when describing their app, then the app must live up to the expectations being set by this statement.
Now I know this app is free, and so anyone downloading it has nothing to loose, but I think most will be as disappointed as I was, but I may be wrong, so if anyone else has tried this app, then please let us know what you think of it?
Frankly I find the resulting image to look very unnatural.
Once again you get what you pay for.