ProCam app for iPhones - better than the Camera built-in app?


Although I applaud iPhone's and Android's native camera apps, there is something to be said for third-party camera apps that do the same thing.  The question is, do they do it better, or is it a waste of time learning and money when they are not free?

There are quite a few apps out there for cell phone photography, but I will be looking at only one today.  That is the Procam app that you can find in the App Store for around $10.  It seems somewhat superfluous for Android as the native app has a professional mode that gives you control over exposure values individually, but the addition of a histogram is a definite bonus.  For Apple devices though, it is a game-changer.

The main reason is that the iPhone Camera app has very little ability to control exposure settings individually.  Yes, you have exposure control and night mode, and the little sunny icon that appears when you touch the image, but that is all.  And the night mode will tell you that you are about to do a "3 second exposure", but this couldn't be further from the truth.  Procam allows you to select the ISO, obtain the desired shutter speed, and obtain long shutter values when shooting at night.  Have a look at the image below.


I expected to get light trails when doing this and was surprised when I didn't.  It turns out that iPhones don't do long exposures, they take several short ones because it produces less noise than one long one.  So, the only way you can get light trails, change the ISO to a value you want and pick a subsequent shutter speed, is to use a third party app.

Having said all that, iPhones Camera app does produce very good photos, as long as you are happy with it taking full control.  The truth is, most of us are happy with that and are pleased with the end result.  That's why Apple is so highly regarded in the photo world.  It is a good product.  But sometimes, it may need a little help.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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