Picture perfect

Developer:

WilliamWilkenson

Platform: iOS 8

Price: $1.99

As cell phones get better, there is one key feature that has been upgrad-ed and improved upon as consistently as the computing power - the camera. Despite the number of megapixels crammed into smartphone camer as expanding, they are still simple point and shoots. Enter, Manual, an app that gives the iPhone camera new life by giving the photographers much more control. With each new iteration of the iPhone, Apple talks about the upgraded camera. In iOS, the company allowed third party software makers to create pro-grams to gain better control of the camera. Manual takes the iPhone's simple camera and adds controls, such as manual focus and ISO light-ing control.

App's such as Camera Plus and Avairy already do wonders, but unlike Manual, they don't get right down into the smallest details. With Manual, users can set everything from the exposure to the shutter speed.

The fine controls of the app allow camera enthusiasts and profession-als get the most out of their iPhone. Unfortunately for most users, Manual has a steep learning curve. A keen understanding of cameras is needed to operate this app. The super simplifi ed user interface isn't exactly the easiest to understand. Scrolling up instead of tapping and dragging for a menu item is unintuitive.

However, problems aside, Manual empowers the user to take photos by setting their own variables instead of letting the computer do all the work. The only other downside for Manual is that it's an iOS-only app.

Of course, Manual's arrival for the Apple app store is slow and delayed compared to the various camera apps found on the Google Android platform. Apps such as the FV-5 camera have been out for quite a while. Then again, the Android operating system is a whole beast upon itself.

For the 12 yuan ($1.99) it costs, Manual is a great addition to mobile photography on the iPhone.