KitCam Lovefest, Take I

23 Dec 2012

An ‘everything-you-need, everything-you-want, everything-you-wish-for and everything-else-you-can’t-think-of’ camera app.

Let’s start with what KitCam won’t do. It won’t give you a foot massage. It won’t fix you dinner. But it will darn sure make you wanna kiss your momma because this sucker is LOADED.

I will not speak of, reference or otherwise humiliate other camera apps out there in this article. If you’re looking for comparisons…well, there aren’t any. (Okay, maybe there are. That can do some of the things. Some of the time. But, ummm…No.)

What you will get is the frosty goodness that is KitCam. It went from my ‘apps-to-test’ screen to my dock in 5.3 seconds (buh-bye ‘other’ apps). If you already own it (high five!), let me know if I miss a feature (there’s so many!). If not, prepare to be dazzled (warning: temptation in progress).

The Basics

The basics are often overlooked. Or take five apps to house them all. Or are just, well, basic. You need them and KitCam has them. All of them. Plus their cooler cousins.

Grid Overlays (7 of them including rule of thirds & golden ratio)
Histogram (live preview overlay, default: Off)
Horizon Level (turns green when level)
Aspect Ratios (4×3, 1×1, 16×9, 3×2)
Timer (3-10 seconds, Bonus: Torch countdown)
Stabilizer (press shutter and it will capture the shot when camera is steady)
Volume Shutter (use volume up button as a shutter)
Continuous Shooting (hold down shutter, default: On)
Multi-Shot (2 or 4 shots; 5 layouts & three settings)
Separate & Lockable Focus and Exposure points (two-finger tap to separate)
Auto-Save to Camera Roll (default: On)

The Extras

The basics are shiny but what about the bling? If you’re going to spend $1.99 you better get some sparkle, right? Well, shine a spotlight on these extras and be blinded by the shimmer.

Multi-Exposure

That’s right, this is not multi-shot. We’re talking full-blown, frame multi-exposure. Choose to capture between 2-6 shots and they are exposed on top of one another within the same frame.

Wishful Thinking: On-screen overlay of previous shot(s) for alignment/composure

White Balance & Exposure

Camera-esque white balance & exposure slider controls with live preview (icon to the right of shutter button).

Tip: A quick tap on the WB or Exposure icons will reset values.

Video

Resolution of 720p or full HD 1080p (iPhone 5 only) with automatic stabilization (iOS 6). There’s also a low res/high speed option.. Focus, exposure controls and WB all work in real-time.

Plus, live view filters that can be changed during recording.

Time Lapse

Full-featured time lapse camera options including Intervals (in seconds), FPS (2-60), Duration (in minutes) and Output (video or photos).

Live view filters are available here as well.

But Wait, There’s More

Yes, MORE!!! The Basics & Extras should have you downloading and switching your ‘default camera app’ to KitCam, like, yesterday. It hasn’t even been on the market for a month and has already received three substantial updates. (Plus its from the makers of PhotoForge2 so it has to be awesome, right?)

But for those of you that are a tad greedy, a banquet awaits. We’re talking lenses & film & frames & auto-archiving &…well, MORE. Stay tuned for KitCam Lovefest, Take II (because this app is too finger-lickin’ good for just one bite).

Let us know what you think of KitCam by sharing with us on Instagram using our #photocruncher tag, tweet us @photocruncher or share via Facebook.

Tested on an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.1 and an iPad 4th generation running iOS 6.0

Update: Click here to view KitCam Lovefest, Take II

About Marsha Bezzina

Marsha Bezzina has always enjoyed writing. But photography was mostly relegated to annual trips until the acquisition of her first smartphone, the iPhone 4s. Now this self-declared ‘mental crafter’ is a data hog – capturing moments, hoarding photo apps and editing with abandon. She is @notDelilah on Instagram but had to settle for @notDelilah_ on Twitter. Or check out her site, www.notDelilah.com