Back on the 10th of November, developer UIC Phoenxsoftware released MonoPhix 1.0, which was a Black and White app that had potential but for me didn't really offer what I was looking for in a standalone Black and White app. MonoPhix 1.0 offered 3 predefined Black and White effects, Gray Mono, Deep Mono and Hard Mono, of which for me Gray Mono produced flat lifeless gray results with no punch, and Hard Mono produced just Black and White results with no shades of gray in between. Of the 3 effects, the only one I liked was Deep Mono, but the app offered no control over this or the other effects, and the Tiffen range of apps which I already had, offered a wider better range of effects.
Just under 1 month later and with feedback from myself and Marty Yawnick, up steps MonoPhix 2.0, but MonoPhix 2.0 is not just an update, but a complete rework of the original app, and so here is my review.
MonoPhix 2.0, the AppStore Description: Monochrome pictures can be amazingly beautiful, but only if you have the right tool available.
The tool you are looking for has three different kinds of Monochrome filters aboard, has an easy eye-catching single touch interface and doesn't pillage you in the pocket. It's called MonoPhix.
With MonoPhix you can create Monochrome images from your pictures with one touch. Even advanced image editing apps on your mac/pc require multiple filters and adjustments to create these high depth and high quality monochrome images.
Other than other iPhone apps, MonoPhix uses a special technique to create depth without losing quality, hence creating the most beautiful Black & White, Sepia and Antique effects possible on any platform.
Monochrome photography is an art and you could be the artist today.
Features:
- High Resolution support (+1.600x+1.200 pixels, Open & Save)
- Black & White Monochrome Filter
- Sepia Monochrome Filter
- Antique Monochrome Filter
- Ability to set Light Shade Intensity, Dark Shade Intensity
- Previews to see changes before applying them
- Presets to easily set the depth of images
- Set sub-zero values to create painting-like monochrome pictures
- Easy to use
- Eye-catching interface with dock
The App
Launch the app and after the splash screen you are presented with the apps home page, where, as with version 1.0 you will find the menu bar from where you open images, save them or reset them, and this is all done using the icons shown below.
Above: The MonoPhix menu bar
Above: MonoPhix's new effects, Sepia, Mono and AntiqueHaving tapped the open icon and loaded a photo you will now find 2 new icons and a renamed icon across the bottom of the screen, compared with version 1.0. The 2 new icons are Sepia and Antique, and these have replaced the unpopular Gray Mono and Hard Mono effects, which as the names suggest are Sepia and Antique effects. The renamed icon is Mono, and this replaces Deep Mono, but these icons are not just name changes, but when launched reveals a whole new app interface.
Above: MonoPhix's new interfaceTouch the Mono icon and you are presented with a new interface with sliders and buttons that allow you to adjust your photo to produce a wide range of Black and White effects, from high contrast (punchy) to low contrast (flat) effects, as well as a thumbnail view of the photo your are editing. What is nice about this new way of working within MonoPhix, is the sliders allow you to have full control over the intensity of the 'Light Shades' and 'Dark Shades', whilst the buttons allow you to apply the developers predefined effects, Maximum (maximum light and dark shades), Minimum (minimum light and dark shades), No Depth which sets the sliders to 0, and finally Default which sets the sliders back to the apps default settings, and these effects can all be dynamically viewed via the thumbnail. When you're happy with the effect simply tap the Apply button and the effect will be applied to the full screen view of your photo, then provided you are happy with the effect simply tap the Save icon and the photo is saved to the camera roll, and you're done. If you're not happy, or want to apply a different effect, then simply tap the Return (undo) icon and start the process all over again.
That's the Mono (Black and White) effect, but what if you want to apply one of the other 2 effects to your photos, well this is as simple to use and the Mono effect, simply select your photo, select your effect (Sepia or Antique) and then use the sliders or predefined effects in the same way as describe above to get that desired look.
So what do I think of MonoPhix 2.0?
I really like MonoPhix 2.0 with its sliders and preset buttons, and it is a hugh improvement over the first version. I'm not a lover of the Sepia or Antique effects, but this is nothing to do with the app, I just don't like these looks in general, but this makes no difference as the Black and White effects are really very good, and are all that I want in a standalone app like this. It would have been nice to have had the effects being applied dynamically to the actual photo rather than a thumbnail, but this is just a minor niggle.
Overall this is a great standalone Black and White app that I have no hesitation in recommending, in fact it is probably one of the best Black and White apps for the iPhone currently in the AppStore and gets the iPhoneography 'Recommended' award.
AppStore Link: MonoPhix - Price £0.59/$0.99
Oh, there's one last thing, I have 19 promo codes for MonoPhix 2.0 up for grabs which I will be pinging out via twitter and/or via the comments section of this post over the next few days, so if you want one then follow me on twitter or keep an eye on this site.
To start the ball rolling, here are 4 promo codes, but don't forget to redeem these codes you will need to have a US iTunes account.
- JTNPH7YPYHWK
- RY64YEE4A4WF
- KEJAFXHTLXFL
- 7673KR6KE9KA
Monday, August 1, 2011 at 8:54PM | 
The following is a full rundown of what's in MonoPhix version 3.1
