night-photography
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Take pictures in very low light with NightCap Pro
I've seen a few iOS apps that allow you to take photos in dim lighting conditions, but none so far are as well thought out or feature rich as NightCap Pro (US$1.99). The app, which supports both still photos and video, puts your camera into enhanced modes that really improve low light performance. NightCap Pro also features grain reduction, always a problem when shooting in low light, and a Light Trail Mode for getting good images of light painting or even star trails. The onscreen displays are extensive, and when you first use the app you'll get a tour of what the icons mean. You can lock exposure, focus (critical at night) and white balance. There is a self timer and also a burst mode, with adjustments for the amount of noise reduction. Add too much and the image gets soft, so having an adjustment is a good thing. Photos are saved at the full resolution of the camera for stills. For video, resolution is lowered for Night Mode. I gave the app a try in my generally dark neighborhood. We have no street lights overhead; just exterior house lighting. The photos (see the slide show below) looked quite good. I could even see some bright stars in the image, not something I am used to seeing in an iPhone shot. I didn't try star trails, but I've seen some samples taken with the app and they were impressive. No camera can shoot in total darkness, as there has to be some ambient light to trigger the sensors. But NightCap Pro does an excellent job of letting you shoot photos in lighting conditions that you'd normally avoid. There is plenty of control flexibility, and colors remain natural, as opposed to the green cast that some low light apps provide. NighCap Pro requires iOS 7. It is a universal app, but expect the best performance on the latest iOS devices.
Review: Night Camera HD - Low light photography
As the iPhone's camera continues to improve, people are inclined to use it more often. The new flash on the iPhone 5s is a huge improvement over its predecessor, but it's not a help when you're shooting late-night cityscapes, for example. That brings us to Night Camera HD, a US$0.99 app designed to let you shoot in darker environments (it also reduces noise in brightly lit environments). Of course, no app can turn night into day, but Night Camera HD is a big help. Night Camera HD features exposures up to one second, a manual ISO3200 setting for really dark locations, an on-screen histogram, tap-to-focus and automatic or manual exposure adjustment. There's a handy timer, so you aren't moving the camera when the shutter engages. In fact, for most night photography, you'll want the camera on a small tripod or held VERY steadily against a solid object. I tried Night Camera HD around my neighborhood in minimal light, and inside dark rooms. The app worked well. In a mixed-lighting environment (a dark room with blinds closed, but some bright sunlight leaking through), the app produced a presentable image, but so did Apple's Camera app via HDR, something that's not available on Night Camera HD. I did notice the Night Camera HD image had lower noise. Night Camera HD features on-screen grids for composition and keeping the horizon level. It works in landscape and portrait modes, and outputs photos at full resolution. It also allows you to use the volume control buttons on the iPhone. The volume up button triggers the shutter, and the volume down button allows you to hide some of the on-screen GUI. Be careful when exposing a low-light image with a volume button, though, as you're likely to move the phone and produce a blurry image. Night Camera HD is a handy addition to your phone. It's a good value for $0.99. It requires iOS 5 or later, but some features will require the newest iPhones, such as the fast ISO3200 mode. The app is not universal, but there is an iPad version with identical features. There are other apps that allow for long exposures, but this app specializes in low-light photography and has the features to help you get good results.
