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Halide Devs Launch New 'Spectre' App for Capturing Long Exposure Photos
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The app looks pretty cool, but I would've preferred it as a paid IAP to Halide app. I prefer not to have that many apps, especially for shooting photos or video.
halide is such an overhyped and overrated app.
i dont know about spectre, but i suspect it's the same. anyone test it and can report?
I agree. In their official blog post they call it a "companion app" to Halide, but why? It's already an extra step to have to launch their app instead of the built in one, now I have to launch one of two different apps based on what kind of photo I want to take? It makes sense when the apps are from different developers, but they could have just added this as another mode to Halide like the official camera app has modes to swipe between.
I bought it anyway since I got some really nice photos out of Halide last year, but I would have preferred an IAP as well. (Have not had a chance to play with it yet, I just grabbed it now before they raise the introductory price)
I fell for the hype and I just wasted $2.
Stabilization, my a$$. Every single handheld photo was full of motion blur, although I held the phone as stable as possible, even the on-screen indicator said it was stable, yet the images are crap.
It seems like the only way I'll ever get proper long exposure through digital image stabilization when I write the app myself or I get a Pixel phone.
Stabilization, my a$$. Every single handheld photo was full of motion blur, although I held the phone as stable as possible, even the on-screen indicator said it was stable, yet the images are crap.
It seems like the only way I'll ever get proper long exposure through digital image stabilization when I write the app myself or I get a Pixel phone.
You still miss the point. There are people who don't have such equipment but their phone or don't want to bring their DSLR every time to take a photo.
Regarding the app, it's not crazy new things, but it's the stabilization that I'm after. I want to know how good it is and if it works for taking night mode shots.
Same here. Using a iPhone 6 Plus the results are rubbish. Maybe a higher spec phone can handle it better? (Edit: Yes as Manatlt says iPhone 8 or greater required.) Hopefully an update will fix it but it does feel like a waste of money at this point. They shouldn't really say it is compatible with older devices.
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Yeah, from what I've read, you need an iPhone 8 or later for better results due to Apple's Neural Engine which is found on newer iOS devices.
Can anyone that purchased this. Compare the stock Camera App with Live Photos, then into Photos and run the long-exposure within the Edits (technically below the photo, not in the actual edits) Vs. using the Spectre App. on the 'same' photo/capture. (I understand two photos will need to be shot to fully check on the abilities straight from the specific app.)
Apple has done a nice job from my past long-exposures via Live Photos.
Apple has done a nice job from my past long-exposures via Live Photos.
Agreed! Except... not everyone *has* a good DSLR+tripod, and even then I don't carry mine everywhere. The ability to get these pics is still a net positive.
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I would take that one step further and wish for the stock camera app to have snap-in capabilities. That way we would have ONE app to load for all photography scenarios.
I’ve been trying this and comparing. There isn’t much in it after you edit. I think it’s okay for light trail effects and so forth but it doesn’t really offer any low-light capability over the stock photo app - unsurprising as Apple is basically doing the same sort of computational stuff. My advice would be to get it now at $1.99 because it will soon go up and it’s not worth more than this price - at least to me. Have to say I was more hoping this would tackle the real low light situation in the way Night Sight does on the Pixel. That capability would have been so cool. Creating fancy light trail effects isn’t something I care about so much but ymmv.
Thanks for the reply. I purchased Halide a few months back but haven't found too much use in that. Though figure one day I may want to use it. Since purchasing that app I haven't had much chance other than snapshots that the iPhone can take, no real desire for such an awesome photo capture.
*For those saying a DSLR is better. sure, it is. But on a recent family portrait session where [my family and] I was the subject I was able to snap a few long exposures with my iPhone since i wasn't the one with the nice camera. There are times when going somewhere without a larger camera is fine but you still may want to capture a decent photo. Certain times you take the nicer camera, certain times you just have a smartphone.
I took a few trial photos with it this morning of some traffic in town. The moving cars do in fact disappear as advertised. Its fun watching them fade away in Live Photos.
The first photo I took was very sharp, with no motion blur due to hand movement (3 sec exposure). I didn't have as much luck with subsequent photos. But they do recommend a tripod or at least a very steady bracing. I've got the full gear to do this with a DSLR, but this is much more fun. I shared the app with a relative who is visiting Rome and am hoping to get cool light trail photos back from the Colosseum at night.
The first photo I took was very sharp, with no motion blur due to hand movement (3 sec exposure). I didn't have as much luck with subsequent photos. But they do recommend a tripod or at least a very steady bracing. I've got the full gear to do this with a DSLR, but this is much more fun. I shared the app with a relative who is visiting Rome and am hoping to get cool light trail photos back from the Colosseum at night.
halide: own tests, experiences from others, pictures i notice etc. and the hype i notice.
spectre: poor results i see.
Maybe because there are tons of other free apps that do the same things as Halide. For example Lightroom. It has RAW and HDR RAW (in most cases better than Smart HDR and Halide's Smart RAW). Also has the rest of the control you can use over your camera and is a great editing app too.
I think the highest praise for halide isn't so much is a unique set of features(aside from portrait mode on XR's although other apps do this also) but more fir the UX/UI. Super easy to use in general and IMO way easier to get to the camera than Lightroom.
Um, explode much? Dude never said anything other than just what he prefers. Calm down, my god.
Worthless App.
Actually, Ben Sandofsky and ex-Apple designer Sebastiaan de With can make nice apps. But this time I'm happy that Apple is refunding me for mispurchases.
Spectre results are miserable, worse than the original XS camera images.
For test I have compared some night and darkroom shots with Apple's XS Camera App. Apple's native image-capturing does better, with sharper results.
For pre-X iPhones without Apple's new image capture process, this app might be able to make some rudimentary better images.
I am very disappointed, because actually the idea presented is not bad. But this has nothing to do with AI, except for the color temperature and stabilization, as you already know it from Google's Pixel and Huawei P20Pro. Of course, the limitation of the lens aperture and the sensitivity of the camera chips remain the limiting factors. AI is just trendy marketing gossip, the fast track to coin collecting.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photo...uawei-mate-20-pro-night-mode-camera-shootout/
And since all mobile phone manufacturers currently use the same Sony chips (Exception: Samsung), Apple's rapid image acquisition rate means that Apple calculates the best images in real time. I found that ingenious, after I had understood what Apple has achieved on the firmware side.
And finally, I understand that Apple has kept their hands off Motion Blur on water surfaces, they will have discussed that. It would be one more setting that makes the camera app less intuitive. But Apple has been able to do it itself. Of course.
Actually, Ben Sandofsky and ex-Apple designer Sebastiaan de With can make nice apps. But this time I'm happy that Apple is refunding me for mispurchases.
Spectre results are miserable, worse than the original XS camera images.
For test I have compared some night and darkroom shots with Apple's XS Camera App. Apple's native image-capturing does better, with sharper results.
For pre-X iPhones without Apple's new image capture process, this app might be able to make some rudimentary better images.
I am very disappointed, because actually the idea presented is not bad. But this has nothing to do with AI, except for the color temperature and stabilization, as you already know it from Google's Pixel and Huawei P20Pro. Of course, the limitation of the lens aperture and the sensitivity of the camera chips remain the limiting factors. AI is just trendy marketing gossip, the fast track to coin collecting.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photo...uawei-mate-20-pro-night-mode-camera-shootout/
And since all mobile phone manufacturers currently use the same Sony chips (Exception: Samsung), Apple's rapid image acquisition rate means that Apple calculates the best images in real time. I found that ingenious, after I had understood what Apple has achieved on the firmware side.
And finally, I understand that Apple has kept their hands off Motion Blur on water surfaces, they will have discussed that. It would be one more setting that makes the camera app less intuitive. But Apple has been able to do it itself. Of course.
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I’m not sure you understand what this app is intended to do. I captured the following, hand held. To achieve a similar image with a DSLR (which I also own), I would need a tripod, neutral density filter and a bulb. Instead, I took a perfectly acceptable (and reasonably sharp) 3 second exposure handheld. I wasn’t even bracing my hand. The water is creamy soft (as intended) and the colors are accurate. (Note: this was using the 1.01 version of the software released yesterday).
I’ve seen no claims that this is supposed to be the iPhone version of the low light Pixel camera. It’s supposed to make long exposure photography accessible.
Long-term exposures have long been excellent with Slow Shutter Cam (my recommendation), Procamera, ProCam 6 or Hydra.
I'm annoyed that Macrumors presents unspectacular, still third-class apps to confuse (less to promote diversity and genuine competition) iOS users here at Macrumors. So I made up this compilation:
- Procamera (Cocologics): extends the maximum exposure time of the iPhone with the extension "Lowlight Plus"
- ProCam 6 (Samer Azzam): does exactly what is advertised here for a long time in the "Motion Blur" function.
- Slow Shutter Cam (Cogitap Software): makes a terrific job
- Hydra (Creaceed SPRL): can be set do do the same
(Open QR with iPhone Camera)
[doublepost=1551608563][/doublepost]
The App Store loop video set by the programmers shows the same (recordings that are made late in the evening).
Other forums also display twilight images or post-event shots as examples. Only this is not what the app can do or only very badly, others have solved this better for a long time. From the developers Ben Sandofsky and ex-Apple designer Sebastiaan de With I would have expected a really good app and not something so average.
"To achieve a similar image with a DSLR (which I also own), I would need a tripod, neutral density filter and a bulb".
In my DSLR-years or currently for drones I use ND just on flat mirroring water, for your image I assume its an option not a must-have.
Nevertheless, thanks for your image. I like people who not only talk about apps but also test their limits. My night pictures were total crap, I deleted them immediately and I didn't want to UL.
UPDATE: I just took hand held pictures in daylight with XS. Everything totally useless fuzzy crap. Halide: top; Spectre: flop.
European app ratings (non feeded by developers) are now full of such comments.
Thanks, Macrumors, for suggesting time waste.
Worthless App. File closed.
I'm annoyed that Macrumors presents unspectacular, still third-class apps to confuse (less to promote diversity and genuine competition) iOS users here at Macrumors. So I made up this compilation:
- Procamera (Cocologics): extends the maximum exposure time of the iPhone with the extension "Lowlight Plus"
- ProCam 6 (Samer Azzam): does exactly what is advertised here for a long time in the "Motion Blur" function.
- Slow Shutter Cam (Cogitap Software): makes a terrific job
- Hydra (Creaceed SPRL): can be set do do the same
(Open QR with iPhone Camera)
[doublepost=1551608563][/doublepost]
"At night, there's an AI mode designed to create light trails for creative nighttime shots and light painting purposes." (MacRumors)I’m not sure you understand what this app is intended to do. I captured the following, hand held. To achieve a similar image with a DSLR (which I also own), I would need a tripod, neutral density filter and a bulb. Instead, I took a perfectly acceptable (and reasonably sharp) 3 second exposure handheld. I wasn’t even bracing my hand. The water is creamy soft (as intended) and the colors are accurate. (Note: this was using the 1.01 version of the software released yesterday).
I’ve seen no claims that this is supposed to be the iPhone version of the low light Pixel camera. It’s supposed to make long exposure photography accessible.
The App Store loop video set by the programmers shows the same (recordings that are made late in the evening).
Other forums also display twilight images or post-event shots as examples. Only this is not what the app can do or only very badly, others have solved this better for a long time. From the developers Ben Sandofsky and ex-Apple designer Sebastiaan de With I would have expected a really good app and not something so average.
"To achieve a similar image with a DSLR (which I also own), I would need a tripod, neutral density filter and a bulb".
In my DSLR-years or currently for drones I use ND just on flat mirroring water, for your image I assume its an option not a must-have.
Nevertheless, thanks for your image. I like people who not only talk about apps but also test their limits. My night pictures were total crap, I deleted them immediately and I didn't want to UL.
UPDATE: I just took hand held pictures in daylight with XS. Everything totally useless fuzzy crap. Halide: top; Spectre: flop.
European app ratings (non feeded by developers) are now full of such comments.
Thanks, Macrumors, for suggesting time waste.
Worthless App. File closed.
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so i tested the app because of all the bad reviews. to my surprise it works well!
got great pictures and i tested it against coretex camera. coretex results were way worse than spectre.
but low light capabilities are lacking, but i guess this is due to the iphone being bad in the dark anways.
got great pictures and i tested it against coretex camera. coretex results were way worse than spectre.
but low light capabilities are lacking, but i guess this is due to the iphone being bad in the dark anways.