Hi everyone.
Just updated to Camera+ v3.0. Can anyone explain, in simple terms what the benefit of having a separate focus and exposure will do?
I take that that the Square is the Focus and the Circle is the exposure?
It makes all the difference in the world. I use ProCamera because it has those options for video recording as well.
The exposure setting lets you control how bright or dark the picture is. You can focus the image so your chosen subject is sharp, not blurry, then you can adjust the exposure to make your subject however bright or dark you want.
Sometimes I want to make a picture even brighter than exposing for the darkest part will allow, so I cover the lens with my hand, set the exposure for pure black, and lock the exposure. Other times I want the picture even darker than exposing for the brightest part will allow, so I shine a flashlight at the camera, then set and lock the exposure.
Once you have the exposure locked so the image is as bright as you want, then you can set the focus for the distance to the actual subject you’re photographing.
Honestly, the biggest shortcoming in the iPhone camera is Apple’s decision not to make public APIs for directly adjusting the focus, exposure, white balance, and perhaps most important of all shutter speed of the camera. The physical optics and light sensor in the 4S are quite good, but without the ability to manually control them the camera is artificially crippled by Apple.
Independent focus, exposure, and white balance settings with the ability to lock them are the closest we have, and outside of Psonice’s magic with NightCap, there’s no control over shutter speed whatsoever.