Obscura 3 Camera App Gains Overhauled Interface and New Capture Modes

[MacRumors]

Alternative iPhone camera app Obscura 3 has launched with several new camera features and an overhauled design that aims to make its various photography tools easier to access.

In the newly designed interface, the control wheel of the previous version has been replaced by an entirely gesture-based control system with haptic feedback, which the developer says improves single-thumb control and gives users the closest feeling yet to using a real DSLR on a smartphone.

As in previous versions, Obscura 3 allows users to shoot in a range of formats such as RAW, HEIC, JPEG, Live Photo, and Portrait-style modes, amongst others, but the way the modes are controlled has changed.

The new app builds upon Apple's latest camera hardware, with Pro, Pro Photo, Depth, Live Photo, and Video modes. The default Pro Photo Mode uses only a single camera at a time, enabling manual control of focus, white balance, shutter speed, and ISO.

Pro Mode uses the dual or triple-camera system of the iPhone, with fast zooming between lenses at the expense of the more manual controls. All of the modes offer various shooting options via a gear icon that when pressed reveals horizontally scrolling settings below the viewfinder.

The Obscura camera features also provide flash control, grids, shutter time, and spirit level, while an improved dedicated library browser includes pre-built albums like flagged and starred, and it allows users to apply filters and easily edit, share, copy, favorite, hide, delete, and trash their pictures.

The app also includes three themes, several app icon choices, light and dark modes, and a companion Apple Watch app that can trigger your iPhone's shutter remotely.

Obscura 3 is available to download on the App Store for a one-time purchase price of $9.99.

Article Link: Obscura 3 Camera App Gains Overhauled Interface and New Capture Modes

 

[aircanman]

£8.99 on the app store, in the 10 minutes I used it, it crashed 3 times. :/

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

I went to check the App Store page and I was flabbergasted
I’ve never seen an app with no screenshots before

 

[andyorkney]

Hoped as an Obscura 2 purchaser that there might have been an upgrade path/discount; because that has not been offered I’m wary of investing more. The Obscura 2 hasn’t been updated to correctly reflect iPhone 13 pro cameras with telephoto continuing to report as x2 instead of x3. I’m hoping Ben is going to continue to update v2 or offer an upgrade path. It has camera features that make it interesting and usable over some others that I have in the camera stable

 

[RoryKelpie]

A review would have been useful. Rather than paraphrase the Obscura website. (I know this is posted under News, but still).

 

[SkippyThorson]

I read that quickly and asked myself 'what obscure 3-camera app' are they talking about?

 

[erikkfi]

What I really want is an app that can automatically focus stack using the 13’s macro mode. The macro implementation in the stock Camera app is still awful even after the updates.

I assume they’ll fix this software problem exclusively for the next generation of hardware.

 

[pmbooks]

A review would have been useful. Rather than paraphrase the Obscura website. (I know this is posted under News, but still).

Perhaps a paid infomercial?

 

[TL24]

$9.99 for a camera app is a bit much, $2.99 is more like it or maybe under $5.

I don't know but all my shots are from the stock camera app and they turn out excellent 99% of the time lately. I just edit them in Lightroom or VSCO Cam.

 

[kiensoy]

While it’s not exactly cheap, I like that there’s no subscription and it includes video and Live Photos so I can just rely on one app.

I had bought Halide but it had issues saving my photos to memory (not what you want in a camera app).

Maybe I will give this a try since I hate the strong denoise Apple does on ProRAW.

 

[dk001]

I have Halide but decided will give this a shot.
Maybe this will help with a couple of things.

 

[dk001]

Playing around with this for a short while. Not real impressed first glance.
Picture quality vs Halide - Halide is better. Actually Camera is better so far.
Now to get into manual settings.....

 

[CarAnalogy]

Camera+ 2 does what I need when the built in camera won’t, mainly manual focus. Cheaper than the app in the article and the comments do not seem to be kind to the article’s app.

 

[dk001]

Quick shot set taken on 13 ProMax with Camera, Halide, and Obscura 3
All three were taken with Telephoto 3 - 77mm / f2.8

 

[Pemberton_Malcolm]

Quick shot set taken on 13 ProMax with Camera, Halide, and Obscura 3
All three were taken with Telephoto 3 - 77mm / f2.8
View attachment 1960965 View attachment 1960966 View attachment 1960967

Your post is the most helpful post.
Your three shots really highlight the benefits (or lack thereof).

Please keep up the amazing posts and replies.