The iPhone’s very best camera app – which up to now was only available for jailbroken iPhones – is going to be available in the App Store tomorrow.
Snapture was always one of those jailbreak apps that was held up as one of the many reasons for jailbreaking the iPhone. It was a camera app that was miles better than the iPhone’s built-in camera app. It was also one of my very favorite jailbreak apps, and one I had lost hope of seeing in the App Store.
Until today. Today I received an email from the folks at Snapture Labs – to let me know that this superb old favorite of mine will be hitting the App Store tomorrow, September 21st!
My first reaction to that email was … HURRAH! My next thought was oh boy, I bet the app will have all its best features stripped away, the ones that make it so much better than the built-in camera app. No, no, no. Here are just some of the slick features the folks at Snapture Labs highlighted for me:
- Patent-pending Picture-in-Picture Technology (allows users to view and delete recent photos directly on the viewfinder)
- Multi-Touch Pinch and Pan Zoom (5X max)
- High Speed Multishot: 3 rapid-fire snaps to capture every moment of action.
- Easy Snap: Tap anywhere on screen to take a photo.
The last one is perhaps the one the app originally became best known for – the ability to tap anywhere on the screen to take a picture. No more hunting round blind for the right place to press – such a simple improvement, but such a joy to have as well.
I’ve been messing around with a pre-release copy of Snapture for just a little while this evening. Here is my initial impression: Wowza!
As I’ve said, this is an old favorite of mine – but I honestly thought if it ever made it to the App Store it would likely be so transformed by Apple’s restrictions as to lose all its magic. Not at all. It is even better than it was back in its jailbreak incarnation – with an even slicker UI and controls, and even more features than before.
I am a terrible photographer, so I apologize to you all, and to Snapture Labs, that I’m not going to come close to doing the app justice here – but I’m going to give you a few glimpses of what this app has to offer anyway. It’s got a nicer, more effective zoom than I’ve seen on any iPhone app …
Two quick pics of a tree and birdhouse out back from the same distance away …
The app’s finer controls are hidden by default, so as not to detract from your view, but popup nicely via an elegant little button. These three, from left to right, are to set the size of the touch zone, toggle on/off the Level Aid, and to set the Image Size (and resolution) to small, medium, or large.
Others let you set the Quick View location, toggle off and on the burst mode (to just one pic, or three rapid-fire pics in a row), and turn Zoom on and off (once it’s on, just pinch in and out to set the level). You can see these in the pic at the top of this post.
If you’ve taken a few shots in a row, the app displays a handy save button (along with the number of images to save) – which you can tap at any time and carry on in the app.
When it displays thumbnails for you, you can just swipe to get a popup on screen to Delete or Email that image – the mail is sent via in-app email, so when you choose either action, once again you’re staying right within the app and still able to fire away on a next picture.
Now I can get closeup shots of my stunningly handsome brute of a dog, even without being up close to him 
Back in its jailbreak days, I used to think of this app as being like the built-in camera app on Steroids. This newest App Store incarnation of it is much better than that. It’s like the built-in camera app on some of those undetectable, don’t get caught in testing, next generation performance-enhancing drugs that we always hear about. That’s an analogy I don’t love making, because as a sports fan I hate that so many sports are plagued by cheaters, but it’s an appropriate one in this case.
For a more positive approach, I’ll go with this: Snapture is the Usain Bolt of iPhone camera apps – it leaves the built-in app, and all others, lagging way behind.
Snapture should hit the App Store tomorrow. I don’t what it’s going to cost as yet, but unless it’s priced above $20, I’d say grab it up immediately – before Apple decides it’s far too good, and kicks the ass of a built-in app by too big a margin, for it to stay around long. In fact, if you do a lot of photography on your iPhone, I’d recommend this app at almost any price. It will be an instant, and long term, favorite app.
UPDATE – Good News on Pricing: I’ve spoken a little further this evening to the publishers of Snapture, asking about planned pricing for the app. They are planning to launch it at a very attractive $1.99 price point – which is a full 75% discount from the jailbreak app’s price point – at least for a limited introductory period.
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Awesome review. I will definitely be buying this app before Apple releases it, and then pulls it.
I haven't bought any camera apps yet because none of them seemed worthy enough. Finally an app that's worthy.
Awesome! I played with Snapture during the brief time I was jailbroke – it is an excellent app. Can't wait for it! Now I'll probably keep checking the App Store for it starting at midnight o.o
YES!!!! This is an app like you guys I have also been waiting for. The standard Camera app is horrible compared to what it really should be. I have been using Camera Zoom but it never really replaced me using the standard camera app. I can't wait to purchase this one and finally say goodbye to the standard junk app Apple provided us. Thanks Patrick for the heads up on this & great review. I only wish Apple would let us turn off (delete) the standard apps like you can do when you jailbreak. That would make too much sense.
Oh sweet! There's been quite a few apps that started as jailbreak apps finally cross over to official apps lately. I'm definitely looking forward to this app, and will be sure to grab it.
So…if I paid for the jailbroken version…will I now have to pay for the app store version? Or will Snapture Labs send me a freebie??
No doubt, this is one of the most useful apps on my iPhone to date! This will definitely one of the top paid apps in the app store!
Hm… I wonder how that is possible Chris. Considering AppStore controls all the transaction, and only provides 50 coupon for the developers.
I'm in the same situation. Snapture Labs are nice people, I really like them. They've always taken care of me in the past when I needed a serial transfer or something. I'm just saying… this time they might have their hands tied too because they're dealing with AppStore.
How will the "Tap anywhere on screen to take a photo" work on the 3GS with the "tap to focus"?
Not sure about this yet – have asked the developers about it.
Am I missing something? I don't see it in the App Store???
The joys of App Store search. It will show up if you search for 'snapture camera' but not if you use 'snapture' on its own. Very sensible, not.
It works now by just searching for 'snapture' in the US App Store.
Cool – good to know.
I guess now we know why the Cydia version of Snapture has been abandoned. I heard great things about it but it never worked on the 3GS/3.0. I couldn't understand how it wasn't fixed. Guess now I know why.
I believe that if developers have any dealings with the jailbreak app stores, they put their developer status with Apple in serious jeoopardy. Most App Store devs I've heard mention this subject have said it is just no worth the risk, given the comparative sizes of jailbreak and App Store markets.
Damn. Jumped into this one too quick. Want one that replaces the built in one totally. This one doesn't seem to have 3GS focus function and no switch to video.
You know this doesn't work with the 3GS autofocus, right? It's pretty much useless to people with that! How can we be so close to having a great app, and yet so far away?
We all want to buy this app, but apple make the apple store version so that you cannot buy or install the new version unless you upgrade your iphone OS to 3.1. No more jail breaking and unlocking at this time.
You cannot buy or install the app unless you are willing to give up jailbreaking and unlocking.
Terrible
Yeah, this is a tough situation at the moment. Here's hoping the Dev Team find a new jailbreak method for 3.1 and the 3GS soon.
Can’t possibly be the best phone app…not even close. Won’t work with the tap to focus on the 3GS, doesn’t have a simulated flash feature for shooting in low light, doesn’t take advantage of the accelerometer for making sure the camera is steady, doesn’t have ANY filters for effects. Sounds to me like an overpriced zoom and rapid-fire app, and nothing more for us 3GS users. Can’t imagine why anyone with a 3G would even use the camera except to document a car wreck or some other emergency.
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