Update to DSLR Camera by by Fulvio Scichilone: Another Hidden Gem

By Graham K. Rogers

Despite the difficulties in finding some of the apps in the iTunes Store, there are some gems. One excellent Photo app is DSLR Camera and this was updated this week with some additional features, plus optimisation for the latest iPads.

One of the major problems with the iTunes App Store is the difficulty of finding apps. There are Top 100 lists, there is search, there are Latest Favourites, and Categories, as well as a number of other ways in which apps may be grouped. Unless they drop neatly into one of the popular groupings, are picked up by a sharp reviewer, or passed on by word of mouth, a number of great apps are developed, then lost.

One such app is DSLR Camera, developed by Fulvio Scichilone, with love, in Sicily. It is among my collection of photo apps that can produce RAW output, yet is rarely featured like (say) Halide: another great app that I also have. I first reviewed DSLR Camera in 2017, although it has been around since 2014: it took that long for me to discover the app.

The interface is fairly straightforward and offers three basic operating modes now: Manual, Program and Automatic. Some fine-tuning is possible in terms of file types (RAW) and display features such as Grid lines. Unlike many apps there are terms used which are based on Italian expressions. These add a certain charm to the app. It is easy enough to grasp what these are and work with them, such as W and Z for x1 and x2 lenses.

The app has been updated this week and there are several new additions, including optimization for the new iPads and new predictive filters. When a photo is taken it is shown as available for editing and as well as almost 150 filters there are a number of useful editing tools, including Curves.

On my 9.7" iPad, the display is now optimized for the larger screen, with controls in a smaller panel at bottom left. Note that on such devices, RAW is not available. Certain functions that require the dual-lens setup of iPhones are also not active. The update makes DSLR Camera a far more useful tool for those using iOS devices other than iPhones.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. After 3 years writing a column in the Life supplement, he is now no longer associated with the Bangkok Post. He can be followed on Twitter (@extensions_th)