App Update: MonoPhix - Vintage meets Technology

MonoPhix - Vintage meets Technology

MonoPhix which I reviewed a year ago has just been updated from version 2 to version 3, and what an update it is.

MonoPhix 3 has had a complete overhaul, and now has the look and feel as its bigger brother MonoPhix HD for the iPad.

So what's new?

• Completely renewed engine
• New high quality monochrome filter 
• New "dark wood" interface 
• Support for iOS4 and fast app switching 
• Retina Display support 
• Ultra high contrast support without loss of quality with the same multitone sliders as in MonoPhix 2 
• Ability to hide overlays for a better view of your (edited) picture 
• Processing menu with: Exposure enhancement option; Option to set the alpha of your monochrome overlay; Noise/Grain generator; Posterization slider; Invert color switch for infrared-like look 
• Vignetting menu with support for fully adjustable burned or bleached vignetting 
• Color menu with the ability to set any custom monochrome color 
• 3 presets for the color menu (B&W/Sepia/Yellowish Antique) 
• Huge semi-realtime preview of your changes (refresh time can take up to 2 seconds with default settings) 
• Ornamental "pins" to keep your picture in place 
• Settings panel with: The ability to switch back to the MonoPhix 2 monchrome filter; The ability to have a 720x550 pixel preview on retina display devices; The ability to change the ornaments which keep your picture in place; Ability to set the transparency of tool overlays; Online help file and version info in settings panel 
• Social note with links to MonoPhix HD, the facebook page and the phoenxsoftware twitter. 
• Preview updating indicators 
• One time review dialog. 
• New splash screen 
• New icon

So as you can see from the list of features above, MonoPhix 3 is essentially a completely new app.

The Review

Launch MonoPhix 3 and you will be presented with the same dark wood interface just like that of MonoPhix HD.

Clicking on the gear icon in the top right hand corner will allow you to set the film effect, either fast or fine grain, as well as the transparency of the menu overlays.

Having set these options, simply open a photo from the iPhones photo album to begin editing.

To edit a photo, you will find 4 menu options across the bottom of the apps screen, which are:

• Adjust - Here, by adjusting the slider bars you can set the intensity of the light and dark areas of your photo.
• Process - As with the "Adjust" menu, here you can adjust the photos exposure, posterization, add some noise/grain effect and also adjust the monochrome effect.  This is a great feature that allows you to subtly bring some (or all) of the colour back to your photo.
• Vignette - Here, as the name suggest you can apply a vignette effect.
• Color - Here you can add an over colour to your photo, or use one of the predefined sepia of antique effects.

Having tweaked/editing your photo, simply tap the save icon, and your B&W/Monochrome photo will be saved to the camera roll at full resolution.

So that's the app, but what do I think of it?

Version 3 of MonoPhix is a huge improvement over what was already a very good B&W/Monochrome photo editing app, with a bigger preview window, better menu layout and easier slider controls.

When I reviewed MonoPhix 2 back last year, I gave it the iPhoneography blog's "Recommended" award, and with MonoPhix 3, this still stands, so if you are looking for a feature rich monochrome photo editing app for your iPhone or iPod Touch 4G, then you can't go wrong with this app, and if you are looking for an iPad version, then check out MonoPhix HD.

App Store Link: MonoPhix; Price: £0.59/$0.99/€0.79

Comments

[Richard Bailey]

It's a pretty good update apart from the vignetting tool - when I use it all get is a venetian blind effect.

[Renzo Verleysen]

@Richard:

Could you try switching the Retina Preview option in the settings on or off. That works for some people. It's only a problem with the preview so the vignetting will be applied correctly if you save the image.

If you could also supply the width and height of the image, then I could add another manual exception to the vignetting system so that it works in the next version. I'm still looking for a permanent solution.

I also gave a full explanation in the comments section of our blog:
http://phoenxsoftware.wordpress.com/2010/12/03/app-update-monophix-3-vintage-meets-technology-again-major/

Kind Regards,
Renzo Verleysen
UIC Phoenxsoftare