Smart phone apps and analog photographers

[radiant]

Combined light meter with a "b&w preview filter" and zone calculation based on that? Cool!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Like something where you can input exposure and a film/dev combination and click on different points and see where the zones fall in accord with development time adjustments, or how to adjust development time to get the highlights where you want them? That'd be cool.

 

[Chan Tran]

Nope.

OK!

 

[sterioma]

I would particularly interested in an iOS app that would let me quickly and easily record shutter speed, aperture, iso, camera, lens, etc. while shooting analog - 135 for sure, and maybe medium format. Obviously, camera and film need be set only once per roll, while ss and f-stop are set per frame. The data should then be able to be exported in some format that can be used on a desktop computer (Mac, for me) - either as rich text, or comma separated values.

I am a very happy user of Exif Notes: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tommihirvonen.exifnotes&hl=en_US

 

[runswithsizzers]

I am a very happy user of Exif Notes: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tommihirvonen.exifnotes&hl=en_US

Thanks, but my only Android-ish device is an Amazon Fire tablet. I have not had much success trying to get apps from Google to run on the Fire. Until I can find a good app that will run on my iPhone, I will continue to use my low tech pencil and paper in the field.

 

[radiant]

Thanks, but my only Android-ish device is an Amazon Fire tablet. I have not had much success trying to get apps from Google to run on the Fire. Until I can find a good app that will run on my iPhone, I will continue to use my low tech pencil and paper in the field.

Did you try this one? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-film-roll-notebook/id1265215595

 

[runswithsizzers]

Did you try this one? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-film-roll-notebook/id1265215595

Thank you. I just installed it. I'm in the middle of two rolls now; will try it out when I load the next one.

 

[KenS]

We're working on some smart phone apps to help out analog photographers. We're curious as to which operating system is the most commonly used in this environment. Please take our simple poll below and answer based on which system you'd use when taking photographs (not what you use at work.)

The App that would interest me more than ANYTHING else,and I wouldn't mind paying for it is to get Bob Wheeler's "Bellows extension' correction that I used to use daily (using my Palm PIlot) when i was a 'working' photographer (where I had to 'do' 'close-up and macro' work on a daily basis.
and.. I'm more than willing to pay a 'fair' price for for it.

Ken

 

[radiant]

The App that would interest me more than ANYTHING else,and I wouldn't mind paying for it is to get Bob Wheeler's "Bellows extension' correction

On iOS there is some bellow correction in this app (I'm using it for reprocity calc): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reciprocity-timer/id459691262

btw: should be make a new topic called "there is app for that" or something instead of spamming Stearman Press forum? @Sean

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

On iOS there is some bellow correction in this app (I'm using it for reprocity calc): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reciprocity-timer/id459691262

btw: should be make a new topic called "there is app for that" or something instead of spamming Stearman Press forum? @Sean

Anyone is welcome to start a new thread in the appropriate forum. No need to petition Sean or the moderators. Just check that such a thread doesn’t already exist.

 

[tim48v]

We don't mind hearing about which apps everyone likes; just gives us a few ideas for our own!

However, nothing we're aware of even comes close to what we're planning:
1. Spot Meter: this is the trickiest part. Reading luminance levels from the camera isn't simple but we're making progress.
2. ZoneView: there are lots of monochrome phone apps. Most with silly filters that a "real" photographer would never use. Ours will allow you to select the format (for example, 4x5) and the focal length (150mm). It would then adjust the display to that format and angle of view. Of course, you could take a reference photo. Eventually, we want to include simulation for different film, for example, we could have a J.Lane dry plate mode that replicates the orthochromatic behavior of his plates. Yeah, we'd include color modes as well.
3. ZoneCalc functions: once you've got the light readings, the built-in ZoneCalc will help determine the optimum exposure.
4. Notebook: Add whatever comments you'd like to the reference photo.

There will be other features as well: bellows compensation, actual shutter speed compensation, GPS data etc.

Comments welcome,

Tim

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Format/focal length view are fairly well implemented in an iOS app called "Mark II Artist's Viewfinder," which I've been using since the Mk I version. It allows for a fair amount of programmability for custom formats, focal lengths, and smartphone wideangle lens adapters. It has a monochrome view, but no flexibility with that along the lines of film curves, spectral response, or filtration.

Apps like this one and pCAM, which I use sometimes are designed mainly for cinematographers, but are adaptable or applicable in certain ways for still photographers, and it would be nice to have all those LF zone system features in one app, like it looks like you're trying to do. A handy thing in pCAM that I find myself using a fair amount is the Siemens Star focus target. It would be simple to put this and maybe a USAF target in your app.

 

[Sirius Glass]

We don't mind hearing about which apps everyone likes; just gives us a few ideas for our own!

However, nothing we're aware of even comes close to what we're planning:
1. Spot Meter: this is the trickiest part. Reading luminance levels from the camera isn't simple but we're making progress.
2. ZoneView: there are lots of monochrome phone apps. Most with silly filters that a "real" photographer would never use. Ours will allow you to select the format (for example, 4x5) and the focal length (150mm). It would then adjust the display to that format and angle of view. Of course, you could take a reference photo. Eventually, we want to include simulation for different film, for example, we could have a J.Lane dry plate mode that replicates the orthochromatic behavior of his plates. Yeah, we'd include color modes as well.
3. ZoneCalc functions: once you've got the light readings, the built-in ZoneCalc will help determine the optimum exposure.
4. Notebook: Add whatever comments you'd like to the reference photo.

There will be other features as well: bellows compensation, actual shutter speed compensation, GPS data etc.

Comments welcome,

Tim

Make that a spot meter with filter factor and Zone Systems features.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

We don't mind hearing about which apps everyone likes; just gives us a few ideas for our own!

However, nothing we're aware of even comes close to what we're planning:
1. Spot Meter: this is the trickiest part. Reading luminance levels from the camera isn't simple but we're making progress.
2. ZoneView: there are lots of monochrome phone apps. Most with silly filters that a "real" photographer would never use. Ours will allow you to select the format (for example, 4x5) and the focal length (150mm). It would then adjust the display to that format and angle of view. Of course, you could take a reference photo. Eventually, we want to include simulation for different film, for example, we could have a J.Lane dry plate mode that replicates the orthochromatic behavior of his plates. Yeah, we'd include color modes as well.
3. ZoneCalc functions: once you've got the light readings, the built-in ZoneCalc will help determine the optimum exposure.
4. Notebook: Add whatever comments you'd like to the reference photo.

There will be other features as well: bellows compensation, actual shutter speed compensation, GPS data etc.

Comments welcome,

Tim

I just started shooting 4x5 BW's. In the past with medium format, I strictly used a light meter. But I decided to try my P&S which I switch to BW and checked the zoom to match the angle of the 4x5 lens. That's helps me find the best placement for the tripod before I move it and helps frame the final picture. The P&S also has a histogram and blinkies for clipping. I've been setting it on aperture priority but manual also is handy. OF course, I can take a record shot. But what's neat is I can hit the movie button and record the scene and my comments regarding the scene, settings, filters etc that I can transcribed after I get home. My camera doesn;t have it, but recording the location coordinates might be nice too. The P&S has spot as well as center exposure. Zooming allows you to change the spot and center size. Have a way of easily downloading all the info into a desktop or laptop. Good luck.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Set up a way of printing so that you can print all the exposure info on one paper sheet then keep it with the negatives for easy reference in the future. COmbining it with a digital picture of the scene would be neat too.

 

[radiant]

1. Spot Meter: this is the trickiest part. Reading luminance levels from the camera isn't simple but we're making progress.

I have implemented this on iOS so feel free to ask for help from me, I will gladly help.

 

[adelorenzo]

Having all features like metering, focal length preview, bellows factor, film reciprocity, etc.... in one usable app I'd definitely buy it. Right now I have like 4 apps to do these various tasks.

One suggestion: Allow the user to save custom aperture values. My current light meter app does this and it's super handy for pinhole, I can just punch in f/225 or whatever my pinhole is and it's always there in my list of choices.

 

[dmr]

Still, I don't see how there is a workable distinction between OS and Droid nor any significant takers for any other system. If you want to alienate Droids go with Apple, otherwise I think it needs to be compiled for both.

Yes, agree! In this day and age, there's no reason for applications not to be portable, period!