Pros:
-Incredibly simple to use
-Don’t have to have photos in order to stitch
-Add photos all in one go
-Watch the building of the Panorama as it’s created
-Save to photo album is quick

Cons:
-No advanced options
-Alignment isn’t always dead on
-No cropping ability
-Resolution of panorama is low
-Only one resolution option

3.6/5

Autostitch is the only application in the App Store that gives the ability to stitch multiple rows of photos in any orientation in creating your panorama, meaning you don’t just get the normal one row, 360 degree view that Pano or the Panorama apps produce.

I was completely taking off guard when I found how utterly simple it was to use the application! Literally you “select & stitch” that all you do, no take one photo, stitch, take another photo, stitch, etc.

On the main screen you navigate to your photo album and tap to select photos, they don’t have to be in any particular order. The application will then load it into app (bottom half of screen) once that is complete; you can tap the “stitch” button. If there are photos you want to remove, just tap on the photos in the bottom pane and confirm that you want to delete it.

There is a progress bar at the bottom that I found quite accurate and you can watch you panorama build right in front of you.

Once the panorama is complete, it might be odd shaped, but you can crop it later via Photoshop or GIMP- one of the options that is really lacking. At this time you can also zoom in to view the stitching and if you want to replace a photo, you can go back and go through the process again.

Once you are satisfied with your result, it’s time to save the photo

Click on image to see the full resolution image.

Here are some tests (4) that I conducted with the app

1) 4 “rows” of photos, 360 degrees horizontally:
I tool 57 photos and had it stitched into the photo below. Each iPhone (3GS) photo has a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 (~1000kb each). The photo that I ended up with is 2,406 x 831 (784kb). So my end result is nearly smaller than the initial size of one iPhone photo – not cool. Test Grade: C-

Click on image to see the full resolution image.

2) 3 Rows of photos, 100 degrees horizontally:
Now the photo below, I took a total of 19 photos taken at the same resolution (obviously), ending result was a 2,350 x 851 photo – just as large as the previous panorama with less photos. I assume that the application is capping the size of the photo to reduce the RAM usage. Test Grade: C+

Click on image to see the full resolution image.

As In the first test photo I captured about 100 degrees vertical by 360 degrees horizontal, while the second one is only about 30 degrees vertical by 100 degrees horizontal. I am not a fan of this at all.

3) “Normal” one row panorama:
The app did a good job at just creating a single row panorama Test Grade: B

Click on image to see the full resolution image.

4) “Really bad photographer” panorama
I decided to take a number of shots that were taken diagonally, horizontally & vertically. The result I was very pleased with: Test Grade: B-

Click on image to see the full resolution image.

At first, I thought this app was amazing, but after doing a thorough analysis of the app through the tests, I wasn’t happy with the results. I expected a little more on the resolution side of things. As a reference point, the photo below was created using the Panorama App – its resolution is 3,004 x 832 by combining only 5 iPhone photos, considerably better resolution over the Autostitch app.

Click on image to view full Resolution

If you are someone that’s likes taking panoramas occasionally or would like to get into taking panoramas, this is a nice app to start with; however, if you are a photography kind of person, this isn’t the best app – namely due to the resolution issue, it’s just too low to do anything “more” with it.

Overall I found this application to be groundbreaking on the iPhone, even if it is not the first Panorama application to come to the App store market – it has raised the bar for other Panorama apps. The application is simple enough for anyone to use. My main complaint is the lack of cropping and picking of resolutions. I assume rendering into a larger resolution would eat up the RAM, but it would be a nice option, especially for the 3GS users. I noticed a lot of blurry areas in my pictures – this is caused by one of two issues – 1. I took a blurry shot or 2. The photo blending didn’t work out to well. Two bucks is a good deal for this tiny, yet powerful app.

Tips on Taking Panoramas with this app

• If using the 3GS, try to set the exposure on a foreground object (which initially appears darker) or vice versa
• If using the 3GS, try to focus on the furthest object, such as the horizon. Obviously this can’t always happen especially if you are following the point above.
• Try to hold the iPhone as steady as possible in low light situations

3.5/5

Pros:
-Simple application to make panoramas at an affordable price
-Merges and corrects exposure fairly well.
-Uses a third of a picture for stitching, less photos to complete your panorama.

Cons:
-Can only take up to 6 photos to merge.
-One set resolution
-No button to take another panorama. Must exit & re-enter app.
-If the app crashes, then you loose everything.

When you first began the application the screen will represent the
camera.app on your iPhone/iTouch, except, it will have instructions at the top (if holding horizontally). You can take the first picture by pressing the green button. If you tap “cancel” then you can enter portrait mode. It will then ask you if you want to use the photo (basically a confirmation). You can choose to “use” or “retake.” You then take the next photo. And you keep doing this until you have taken the right amount of pictures or your have taken 6 photos.

After the first photo has been taken a third of the previous photo at about 30% opacity will appear on the screen to help you line up your next picture that you are going to take.

Pano overlaps the images by about a 1/3 of the image when combining them. After taking 6 photos (or less) the app will automatically merge the photos into a panorama. This might take anywhere from 1 – 5 minutes depending on the complexity of the panorama.

Once it is done merging, you will see “Done” screen and you can also view “Pano Tips;” however, the link takes you out of the app and into the Safari.app.

At anytime while taking photos you can tap cancel to bring up a menu that will allow you to create the panorama with the previous photos you have taken (less than 6), Quit Pano, or Resume shooting.

Here is a panorama taken with the app. The photo was taken on the Baylor campus in Waco, Texas. Click on to view full resolution of the image.

And another example from my recent trip to Rome, Italy.

More screen shots & panoramas created by this app can be found here.

Pros:
-If you iPhone happens to crash or you do not want to render the
panorama at that moment, you can exit and return to the app to create
the panorama.
-Multiple resolutions
-Uses 1⁄2 image overlap, reducing stitching errors.
-Add photos to either side of your panorama

Cons:
- “Main” screen can be annoying if you are trying to take the panorama
in a hurry.
- Uses 1⁄2 image overlap which means you must take more photos to make
your panorama.
-After taking a photo, the photo will appear to be misalighned, but when testing, the photos appeared to stich without flaw- conclusion: ignore.

$9.99

Panorama works in much the same way as Pano, but has several more features.

When you first begin the application you can choose whether you want to take the panorama in landscape or portrait orientation.

After that the process of taking pictures is the same as in doing it with Pano, however, there is one extra step.

After taking each picture, you are brought back to a “main” screen in which you can add a photo to either side of you panorama and also remove certain photos if you feel you have done something wring. And of course you have the option to start over. What is especially nice about this screen is you have a small preview of the panorama. As you add photos, the screen will only show a portion of the panorama, but you can scroll it on the screen to view the rest of it. Once you are done, you select “done” and you have the option to select from several resolutions – 600×420, 800×560 or 1200×840.

I always choose the largest resolution as I like to have it in it’s fullest form, however, the larger the resolution the longer the processing time. I think the longest it has taken me to process a
Panorama (over 360 degrees) is about 7 minutes.

Here is a panorama taken with the app. The photo was taken in the Vatican in Rome, Italy. Click on to view full resolution of image.

Tips while using the apps:
Pano & Panorama – Hold down the green camera button then aligning the iPhone to take the picture and the let up on the button. This allows you to more accurately take the picture rather than tapping on the button as this may move your iPhone when trying to accurately position the camera.Also for other to view your panoramas. I recommend using CleVR. CleVR is an online panorama hoster and viewer. Two of the panoramas below (in the Panorama section) can be viewed using CleVR and even more links to others at the very bottom.

Click on the Panoramas to view their actual resolution. (Caution: they are large.)

Pano Panoramas

On the Baylor Campus.

On my flight from Germany.

On the Baylor campus.

Panorama Panoramas

St. Peter’s Square: Rome, Italy || View with CleVR!

On the Baylor University campus.

At Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. || View with CleVR!

Using CleVR:
St Peters Basilica
Epcot – Showcase Lagoon 1
Epcot – Showcase Lagoon 2

Pros:
-Numerous options to choose from
-Fun application to personalize your photos

Cons:
-Lag time on more than about 10 objects placed on the photo
-Bad placement of developer’s website link
-limited to 14 objects
-lacking objects from running sports (marathons, track, ice skating)

Sports Brush is a simple photo editing application that allows you to add multicolored, multi-transparent, sport-themed shapes on top of your photos.

There are a total of 14 shapes (a baseball, a basketball, a bat, a bocce ball, a bowling ball, a football, soccer ball, a helmet, a hockey stick, a ping pond paddle, a rugby ball, a tennis ball, a volleyball, and a solid circle) and several colors for each one.

Layout:
When you first open the application, you simply select a photo from you photos or take a picture with the iPhone camera. After selecting a photo, you will view the photo and in the bottom left-hand corner you can tap in the brush-icon as this will take you to the object-select screen.
Here you can select the object of the left side and the color on the right side. Below that are a set of sliders. The top one controls the diameter of the object and the second slider controls the transparency of the object(s) being placed on the photo. Below the sliders are to on/off buttons. The left one allows you to randomize the shape and the transparency of the object (overrides the sliders) and the right one, allows you to randomize the colors. I personally found that having the these two on as the results were quite neat. Once you have finished selecting you options, tap the “sketch” button at the top to return to your photo. You can then use your finger as the brush on the photo. You can always return to the objects and color by tapping the brush in the lower left corner. To save the picture you tap the save icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.

Issues:
The first initial objects came out very quickly, but after subsequent objects were placed on the photo there was a considerable amount of lag time. This isn’t really a problem if you are placing the objects one by one, but if you are trying drag your finger across the image- the lag time is very frustrating.
The undo button is okay – it undoes the objects one-by-one. If you are wanting to remove several or completely, it is going to take you some time to complete.
The screen where you select from the pictures or the camera, in the bottom right-corner is an info screen (nothing wrong with this). In the bottom left-hand corner, is an icon that take you out of the app and into Safari.app to take you to the developer’s website. While I am not opposed to having a website link, I think it should be in the info tab, not on the main interface because it can catch people by surprise and ruin the user experience.

Overall:
I think this is a nifty little application, but I really would like to see more objects added to the list. At $0.99 , this not a bad application to get started with.

More screenshots here.

Mobile Version

What is Animoto? Animoto gives you the ability to create photomontages with transitions and music all on your iPhone, well sort of… you’ll need an Internet connection as well.

Pros:
-Very Easy UI to use
-High quality rendered video
-Can share videos via e-mail (link to video)
-Cool new way to share photos on the go.

Cons:
-No way to link videos created to an account
-Short videos
- less than 45 sec. long
-Limited number of photos can be included (16)
-No way to credit your self (“Created by” example.)
-Large Animoto ad at end of each video.

I got really excited when I saw what this application said it could do and after trying it out, it didn’t live up to what I had in mind, but it seems to be on the right track.

In the application, you begin by selecting 8-16 photos from your photo roll. After selecting them, you can re-arrange the photos as you see fit. To re-arrange the icons is like re-arranging icons on you home screen.

After that, you move on to music selection. They have a wide range of genres to select from (this really surprised me,) however; they do not offer popular current music (at least I am not aware of it.) When you tap on a song name it will automatically stream a demo to you, if you like it, then tap the “select” button.

After you have selected the music, you can continue and review the details of the choices you have made in the previous steps, including the option to rename the video.

Once you are done, the app will upload the photos to the net, create the video and host it. It will take a minute or two to process and within the app, you will be notified when it has completed. If you exit the app (after the upload,) a number notify icon will appear on the home screen app icon to notify you when your video is ready.

During the upload process and rendering, you can start on a new video if you wish, however, if you leave the app while upload is taking place, the app will cancel the upload.

The video will be no more than about 45 seconds in length and no less than about 18 seconds. The length of the video and the type of transitions that are in the video seem to depend on what genre and song you select. A fast paced song seems to end up being a shorter video or having a slow paced song has a longer video.

After creating the video you’ll still have the option of changing the pictures in it, re-arranging them, changing the music or “remixing the video.” Remixing the video means the transitions within the video change. You also have the ability to share the video with someone whether they have the application or not.

Overall I really like what this app offered, however I think the photomontages are a bit short and I’d also like to see the ability to pick the transitions or a pack of transitions to add to the video. Also I’d like to see the photo selection expanded to allow more photos added. I think the videos are pretty nifty to share with family and friends on the go.

Below is a link to a video I made of screenshots for the app “Wanted.” As for displaying the screenshots I think it did a pretty good job.

Another thing you’ll notice in the video is that it attaches the Animoto trailer to the end. While yes, I agree they need to be credited, I however, disagree with how large and obtrusive it is to a user’s experience. Also I noticed at the end of the video, there is text in the bottom left-hand corner. In the second line it says “created by” but no name, in the app (nor in the setting panel) is there a way to include your name. Also on their main website, there really is no way (that I could figure out) to link your account with the videos that you create on your iPhone. This is a real bummer since you have the ability to download the videos off their main site. The overall quality of the videos are very good – DVD-like quality. This is defiantly an app to check out and experience.

Camera bag is a simple and creative application.

It allows you to apply several different filters to a picture you have already taken our one that you can take within the  application itself.

Besides the filters themselves, you have the option to choose which  resolution you wish to use. The higher the resolution the longer the app will take in saving your new photo, but the better the quality the picture will be. Personally I want the highest quality possible and it didn’t seem to take an unnecessary amount of time to save (the save time is shown in there video below.)

The app has 8 filters total that you can apply to a photo:

Helga: this desaturates and adds a vignett border as well as crops the  photo.

Lolo: crops the photo to a square, adds a white border and increases  situation and contrast.

Cinema: desaturates photo and adds a blue tone to the photo.

1962: converts to black & white (grayscale) and increases contrast.

1974s: adds sepia tone to photo, adds white border and crops photo.

Fisheye: Creates a bubble type of effect with your photo. (not really fisheye).

Infrared: Converts the photo to black & white (grayscale) then Inverts the colors.

To get started, you just have to tap the camera icon to take a photo oftap the “group” icon – right-most icon of the 3-group of icons, to select a previously taken photo. The photo will load with the first filter applied (Helga). You can then select from the list at the top by tapping the name of the filter to drop down the list and selecting another filter. You can also “flip” through the filters, as you would do in your photo album. Once you find the filter you like, you just click the save button (middle of the 3 keys) and it automatically saves to you camera roll.

This application only applies coloration filter, in other words there is not mosaic or of-the-like-type filter, which for me, I enjoy. I tend not to like the mosaic and “fun” filters, but more of the black & white, color variation filters. The app developer says they will include more filters in the following updates. I’d like to see a variable filter of some type (contrast for example), in which you can control the variables (sliders) of the filter. I’d also like to see the ability to apply multiple filters before saving.

At first I was a bit hesitant on purchasing this application as I didn’t want to pay $2.99 for applying filters on my iphone (I thought “that’s something I can do on my computer”) but it is a nice application to have and it creates nice photos overall.

Recommendations & Tips: although you have the ability to take the photo in the application, I’d recommend taking the photo with the standard camera application then apply the filter in the app. You can also add multiple filters by applying a filter, then saving it, then reopening  your newly created photo and apply another filter. You may encounter small artifacts in the photo due to multiple conversions/savings in doing this though.

Videos & more Photos:

Normal | Mobile

Click here for more screenshots & filter copmparison examples.

4.4/5

Cons:
-Inconvenient to create a new panorama right after the last one was saved.

$2.99

4.5/5

Holding the iPhone in a horizontal position you can take up to 4 pictures, then stitch them together as one photo.

When taking the 2nd through the 4th, the right side of the screen shows a transparency of the previous photo to help you line up the photo.

I was very surprised at the blending and exposure control in the program.

The panoramas are then automatically saved in the photo roll.

Here are a few panoramas I took yesterday.

The main problem I ran into was that after saving the first panorama, I had to exit then re-enter the application in order to take another panorama. Other than that, I really enjoyed running around taking panoramas.

Just as a reference I have been stitching panoramas together for some time now, including some that are Giga pixels in size (yeah, that’s a lot of Mega pixels.)To see one of the panoramas that I have created, click here. The image is fairly large…you’ve been warned

You can also see more panoramas that I have taken with the application along with more screenshots here.

4.6/5

Fuzzyshot is a simple photo blog poster. It has only a few screens. A screen to take the photo and then a screen to add a title & a description of the photo. You also have the option of including geotag to be included with your photo. If the title is left blank, the current date will be inserted. I found the auto-current date quite nice as my photos I usually take are usually random, so the easiest way to group them, is by day. However if you are at a concert and you title the photo “concert” and then later take another photo with the same title, the photos will be placed in the same album under that title as long as the photos are taken within 24 hours of each other.

Once you hit submit, your photo is uploaded to a your photo blog hosted by Fuzzyshot. For example my Fuzzyshot photo blog is: Fuzzyshot | msbaylor’s Mobile Photos

I really enjoy having a place to display my photos “live” so that family and friends can see what I am up to. It is also a nice way to back up your photos if necessary (although one-by-one). Besides taking a picture within the app, you can upload a previously taken photo.

Since I own a domain, I just created a sub domain and forward it to my Fuzzyshot photo blog so it’s easy for people to remember it.

Overall I find the app very easy to use and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. Highly recommended.

Posted: 9-23-2008, 06:54am