Out with Minnie Mü this morning on our usual walk around Stafford Orchard when the sunrise was just stunning. Time for a few comparative shots with the iPhone4S camera apps.
First up was the camera+ app… nice but the colours are a bit cool.
Sunrise Camera+
Next I tried the Pro HDR app – this makes the whole scene more balanced across the tonal range but lacks the oomph of a sunrise.
Sunrise Pro HDR
Finally I used, what is becoming a bit of a favourite 645PRO. This replicates a medium format camera (though you can a range of ratios, from square to 16×7). I used the 645 ratio with V50 colour film.
Sunrise 645 PRO
To me without any editing, other than a crop, this is the best and getting the colours just right.
I found out a new term today via Flickr – iPhoneography: the art of taking, editing and creating photographs solely on the iPhone. At the minute I use the iPhone 4S which has a pretty useful 8meg camera. The only real limitation is the zoom – being digital it’s pretty poor. This makes you think about photography again. It’s either back to basics or cropping in camera… or phone!
A client visit to do a bit of photography allowed me to practice my new found art form.
When I was first shown this at Birdfair in 2012 I was both blown away with how good a product it was and disappointed that it wasn’t yet on sale. Thankfully Kowa kindly supplied me with a sample for review and now after plenty of time in the field I can finally offer an opinion.
Firstly I have to say this is a superbly engineered bit of kit that Kowa have put together. It fits the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S but if you use a case to protect your phone you’ll need to remove it first as the TSN-IP4S fits just like a cover. It is easily attached and released from your phone but when you’re out in the field I would keep the adaptor on at all times. You can access all the functions of your phone as normal.
So what do you get when you unpack the box? Well, there’s the iPhone case and adaptor rings for a telescope and binoculars that must be screwed together but which are very easy to swap depending on whether you’re taking a scope or not. I quite like this feature as I often bird without a scope and this allows you to get what could be a valuable record shot if you find a rare or locally rare bird. There is also a handy lanyard so you can digiscope without the risk of dropping your phone.
Unpacking The Box
Using the adaptor could not be simpler. Much simpler than standard digiscoping in fact. Simply focus on the bird, drop the eye-relief and push the adaptor onto the eyepiece then shoot your photo or video. The adaptor is set up so that you don’t have to refocus… unless the bird moves of course.
If like me the first thing you do with your iPhone earphone and microphone cable is throw it in a bedside cabinet you might want to dig them back out as the + volume control on the microphone acts as a handy remote release so eliminating the risk on camera shake.
The Set Up
As the iPhone camera only has a digital zoom I prefer to use the Kowa 20-60x zoom to get closer to the bird rather than the camera zoom. In fact the only limitations are a fault of the pnone and not the adaptor. I have found that my results are better using the Camera+ app that allows the focus point and exposure to be set independently (and locked if needs be) and the FiLMiC Pro and FiLMic Classic apps for shooting video that allow similar fine controls
Easy To Use
All-in-all this really is a superb bit of kit and I would recommend it to any Kowa users with an iPhone4 or 4S, the binocular adaptor fits my Leica Ultravids perfectly too and I have tested it as a push fit on the newer Swarovski ATX/STX scopes though you might need to eliminate vignetting. I would always do this by cropping on the PC or phone and not in camera.
Black-headed Gull
Finally, who these days, goes out without their phone? Not many and if this gives you the ability to find and upload photos and video on the go then I would say it’s for you. I’m hoping one day I can get a tricky mega clinched in the field by uploading to the internet rather than it be discussed overnight on the forums.
Hawfinch
Here is an example of just how good HDvideo is using the TSN IP4S the Hawfinch was filmed through my Kowa 883 with the 30x WW eyepiece and edited in Windows Live Movie Maker.
I was messing about again with Photoshop trying to get the watercolour painting look. I’m quite pleased with this effort. The sky could be a bit better but the photo was taken on my iPhone 4S.
I was a bit early for a lunchtime appointment so took the chance for a stroll around the Castle Park area of Leicester today with the old iPhone 4S to get a few autumnal shots. If you live in Leicester or are just visiting Castle Park is a haven of peace and quiet in the city and full of history. Well worth a visit.
St Mary de Castro
Castle Gateway
The top photo was taken and processed using the HDR Pro app and the bottom is the trusty Hipstamatic.
Jewry Wall and St Nicholas
Another HDR Pro effort above and a Hipstamatic below.
Jewry Wall and St Nicholas
Crooked Back Dick
Another couple of Hipsta’s
St Mary de Castro
Further along by the River Soar is this splendid new block of flats… I like it!
River Soar
Reflections in B&W
The bottom photo was taken using the Hueless app with a red filter effect.
Since getting my old iPhone 3GS and now with my iPhone 4S and the new Coolpix P310 I’ve gotten really in to making short films. Nothing special and usually quite dull but I’m learning all the time and hopefully getting a bit more adventurous with my editing etc.
I started off using the 8mm iPhone app for filming and editing with the Reel Director app. This is state of the art for me now.
Recently I downloaded iSupr8 which is a bit of a different beast. You film your movie clips and then process them ‘in camera’ so to speak. There’s a lot more flexibility in terms of film stock, grain, flicker and the like. Also and here’s the beauty, you can process as many times and ways as you like. Processing the ‘film’ does take quite a while though with HD and uses up a hell of a lot of space. Now we have an iPad, I will probably transfer most film clips over there for processing before downloading to the PC for editing using Windows Live Movie Maker.
Here’s an example of iSupr8.
I think that WLMM is a decent bit of kit… it’s free! I am thinking it’s a bit limited creatively though. Anyone got any recommendations for other film editing software for under £100?
The title of the post… from a band I really liked in their early days – Dire Straits. Don’t laugh! Making Movies was a great album… their last great album too!
The Drunkbirder™ 