New iPhone Photo App: iCamera HDR

"iCamera HDR is an interesting new comer to the HDR party, but currently is too buggy to be any threat to the leaders of the pack."

App Store Description: iCamera HDR uses Everimaging's cutting edge technology to capture, edit, and create beautiful and professional photos on your iPhone.

You all have seen other HDR apps in the AppStore lately. It turns out, they are all fake HDRs. Yes you read that correctly. They are all producing what is commonly known as Pseudo-HDRs.

iCamera HDR is the first app in the App Store to include the most advanced capture modes, full 32-bit HDR processing workflow, a range of digital photography post processing functions and awesome photo effects all in one app. This is also the easiest app to produce the results you, your friends and family will love. It works with photos taken by your Iphone, as well as those already in your Camera Roll from other sources.

Key features:

• Automatic in-app HDR captures mode allow you to capture beautiful images with one tap
• Manual in-app HDR capture mode allows you choose the exposures you prefer to create your HDR images
• Single in-app HDR capture mode allows you use only one photo to create HDR photos at lightning speed
• Normal in-app capture mode use in-app iPhone standard camera combined with other capture features (steady &/or fill light) to capture photos for later in-app processing.
• Advanced image alignment algorithm precisely aligns photos in seconds.
• Different levels of Anti-shake ensure the most clear, clean capture of photos
• We provide three different patented Tone Mapping Engines with fine tuning sliders for your choices to get the image you like
• True 32-bit HDR workflow
• Use the iPhone 4 flash as a continuous fill light to improve photo capture quality
• Dozens of sliders and buttons for you to completely fine tune and control your final images. From color balance, color temperature and tint adjustment, lens correction, highlight/shadow adjustment, white/black point adjustment, blur/sharpening, just to name a few, many levels of fine tuning are available.
• Innovative E-Lighiting technology: iCamera HDR is equipped with Everimaging’s E-Lighiting technology to automatically enhance the detail, color and contrast of single images with simple ease.
• Photo library support, you can make beautiful images from your saved images in your iPhone Camera Roll’s albums, either from bracketed shots or single images
• Social Media: share your photos to Flickr and Facebook with one touch directly from within iCamera HDR.
• Yes, Email your amazing Photos with one touch.
• Dozens of high-quality photo effects are also included, if you desire to add them to your images.

Please note: iCamera HDR is compatible only with the iPhone 4 running iOS4.0 or newer. We do have plans in the works for an iPad version – please feel free to send us a note at support@everimaging.com if you are interested in receiving updates about this or our great imaging other products for Windows and Apple computers.

App Store Link: iCamera HDR; Price: £1.19/$1.99/€1.59

Editors comments: As I said at the head of this post, iCamera HDR, whilst interesting is way too buggy for my liking, with orientation, colour and grain/noise issues [see sample image below] being prominent, and no full-res support, and that's without a full test.

The above photo was taken using iCamera HDR, which shows a hint magenta [caused by the green grass] in the tarmac, and noise/grain in the clouds. The below shot was taken a few minutes after the above photo with Pro HDR, which whilst less contrasty, is in my opinion a much better result.

I find it really annoying when developers release apps that they must know are below par, and so until they fix all the bugs, I will not be wasting any more time with this app, which is a shame, as it does have a nice user interface and editing features.

Comments

[win32forth]

I don't understand how they can claim everyone else is doing Pseudo HDR, and only they are doing real HDR. I have both Real HDR and HDR Pro, and I believe they both do "real" HDR, not pseudo HDR. It just escapes me why a developer feels the need to degrade another developer, not to mention irritate potential users. If they have a better product, then they will get recognized. If they don't, then they get shut down, as in your quick overview.

[Scoob da1st]

Whilst I agree with win32forth, I believe this app has a ton of potential, as I have bought it I thought I would give it a fair chance after my initial disappointment, but it is one of this apps that takes a bit of getting used to, it's all about knowing when to use it and when not too. In my humble opinion it is actually pretty versatile and can create realistic hdrs(with a bit of tweaking) and goes all the way to the other extreme if you like that sort of thing. See this image of mine
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whizzbangpictures/5439661147/
I will be posting a more realistic hdr a bit later on.
I agree with Glyn about the image noise, it is a shame, but hopefully that will be sorted soon and full 5mp support added.
I will be keeping it in my camera bag and making use of it despite it's minor flaws and am sure the more I use it the better my results will be(hopefully - lol).

[MBD]

I switched off at "... is compatible only with the iPhone 4..."

[Draigg]

I bought this app with high hopes. I really enjoy the look and feel of HDR pictures and have had fun with the other apps I already have (TrueHDR, HDR Fusion, & Pro HDR). I often feel like "the redheaded stepchild" of the iPhoneography clan, since I don't have an iPhone.... yet.... I shoot with my less than perfect, yet still awesome, iPod Touch 4th Gen....

Anyway, my hopes were dashed after downloading and *trying* to use this app.... I have yet to get the camera function to launch even once.... Did I waste $1.99 + tax? I don't know, but I was frustrated. They have an in-app feedback area so I wrote and let them know I wasn't the only one experiencing this....

Lo & Behold, the next day (Saturday) I got an email from Vivian of Everimaging. She thanked me for the feedback and said they'd submitted a v1.1 that was currently in review by Apple. Hopefully it will land soon and I'll be able to better assess the worth of this potentially fine app.

[Scoob da 1st]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, let's hope v1.1 sorts your whoes
I have posted a realistic (I hope) image , here's the address below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whizzbangpictures/5447167525/

[Shadow]

Hello.

This product is now compatible with the 'iPod Touch 4th Generation 8/32/64gb" models. The update is waiting for you in the app store :)

As for the product, I brought it, and is interesting. I did get a fairly decent result from it however.
http://imgkk.com/i/vycn.jpg

It needs work, a lot of work. But it's a nice start.