New iPad Photo App: MonoPhix HD

Description from the AppStore: MonoPhix lets you quickly and easily create beautiful high contrast black and white scenes from your existing pictures. After opening an image you can use two sliders to adjust the intensity of light and shadow tones. Additional features enable you to apply vignetting, color your monochrome photo, set the alpha of the black & white to blend it with the colors of your original picture to get a magnificent effect and much more. MonoPhix HD is optimized for your iPad, is fun to use and produces beautiful results.

Featureset:

• Intuitive interface which is very pleasant to use
• Big real time preview of your changes
• High speed filters, so you don't have to wait constantly
• Great tools to enhance the bright and dark parts of your picture separately
• Ability to custom color a monochrome picture
• Ability to set an Alpha to blend your monochrome with the original picture
• Ability to enhance the exposure of your picture
• Ability to apply 2 types of adjustable vignetting effects to your picture
• Ability to choose for a more raw classic monochrome filter
• Support high resolution pictures (full resolution)

AppStore Link: MonoPhix HD - Price: £1.19/$1.99

Editors comments: MonoPhix HD for the iPad is the big brother to MonoPhix for the iPhone, and this app demonstrates just what the extra screen real-estate of the iPad can do for an app.

The App

If you have MonoPhix on your iPhone, then the first think you will notice when you launch MonoPhix HD and open a photo to edit, is just how easy it is to see the photo and the apps controls.

At the bottom of the screen you will find all the editing controls, as well as the options to select, sepia or antique, in addition to black and white.  You will also find a 'More..." option, which allows you to control the RGB channels, just like you can on the iPhone version, but with MonoPhix HD it is much easier.  In the bottom right-hand corner you will find the reset button, which resets all the controls back to default should you need to, whilst across the top of the screen you will find 'open' which as the name suggests, lets you select a photo from your library, and 'save' which saves the finish photo back again.

Editing a photo with MonoPhix HD

Because of the extra screen real-estate, editing a photo with MonoPhix HD is a breeze.  To start, open a photo from your iPad's library and then decide if you want it to be black and white, sepia or antique.  I am not a fan of the sepia or antique look, so I will always use MonoPhix HD to edit in black and white mode.  Having decided on black and white, you can now decide if you would like to produce 'high quality' or 'classic' looking photos.  The difference between the two, is classic produces a more graining looking photo, whilst high quality produces smoother looking results, and this option can be selected before you begin editing or at the end of the edit, and before saving.

Having decided on the look, it is now just a case of editing your photo by adjusting its overall exposure, the 'Light Shade Intensity' and/or the 'Dark Shade Intensity'; turn on or off vignetting, applying either a burn (dark vignette) or bleach (light/white vignette) look to the photo.

A little extra something!

One feature not found in the current version of MonoPhix for the iPhone, is 'Monochrome Alpha'.  This feature lets you adjust the colour to mono ratio, allowing you bring as much or as little of the original colour back in to the photo.  I particularly like this feature as it lets you subtly bring some colour back in to your black and white photo, giving it a kind of washed look.

The above photo shows how I have brought some of the colour back to this black and white photo using 'Monochrome Alpha'

What do I think of MonoPhix HD?

If you have an iPad and are looking for a great black and white app, then in my opinion, MonoPhix HD is the app.

OK, it has a couple of minor niggles, I don't like the dark wood effect background, and I would like the sliders to be dynamic, showing the effect being applied to the photo as I slide the slider, as apposed to when I remove my finger from the slider, but these are minor things.  As for ratings, I have no hesitation in rating MonoPhix HD as a 5 star app, and a bargain at £1.19/$1.99.

Update on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 2:49PM by Glyn Evans

Got an iPad? want to try out MonoPhix HD for free?

I have 5x promo codes for MonoPhix HD up for grabs, so if you want the chance of winning one, then make your request in the comments section and I will select at random 5 lucky winners.

Please note: as with all promo codes you will need a US iTunes account to redeem these promo codes.

Comments

[Alberto]

Great review. I wanna try it for free ;-)

[Charles]

Glyn:
I have MonoPhix for the iPhone and except for the tiny preview screen like it just fine. I'm hoping the iPad's larger screen will greatly improve the usability of this app. If you still have any promo codes I would love one. Thank you.

[Cyril R.]

Please may I have the promo code?:)

[ipoddoforato]

I will happy to try it for free ;-P

[Tom]

I would love to try it!!

[Hans]

I will be happy to play with it. Loved it on the iPhone.

[Dave Webb]

I would like to win the promo code for MonoPhix HD. Thanks for the opportunity.

[scw]

*Note: For those who don't receive a code just like Filterstorm, MonoPhix HD is so advanced that it is a must have addition to anyone's collection interested in iPad photo editing on the iPad. That it is a MUST have app & at $1.99 it's honestly a great deal!

SCW

[Makoto]

I would love a promo code! :-)

[Tom]

Please send one my way.

Thanks

[myztero]

This would make a great addition to my iPad.

[Charles]

made your random selection yet?

[David Mooneyhan]

All I can say is WOW!! After reading this review I would love to try the MonoPhix HD app if you have any codes left. Thanks.

[kristin]

in for promocode!