Why You Can Trust CNET Manual (iOS) review: Great features, but imprecise controls
Pro photographers are going to love the manual controls, but the app is unnecessarily difficult to work with.
Manual for iOS is a new camera app that launched alongside iOS 8. Taking advantage of new enhancements in Apple's newest mobile OS, Manual provides for nearly full control over exposure, white balance, shutter speed, focus and ISO when capturing photos with your iPhone.
Manual (iOS)
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Several photography apps are getting more manual controls recently, including Camera+, one of the more popular photography apps first released in 2010. Manual stays away from all the bells and whistles of apps like Camera+, but instead focuses on advanced controls. Unfortunately, the implementation is lacking.
Only for iOS 8
Though iOS 8 came with a lot of new features, one of the biggest was that Apple gave third-party developers access to controls they never had before. This means that before iOS 8 things like taking a picture with direct control of ISO, focus settings, and shutter speed -- like we see in Manual -- were things a third-party app simply couldn't do.
But with Apple giving programmers more access in iOS 8, we're going to start seeing a lot of apps that give you more granular controls for everything from photography to messaging, and the new wave of apps is only just starting to surface.
With that said, if you're still running iOS 7, there is no point in downloading this app.
Lay of the land
There's zero setup for Manual. Upon first launch, a quick tutorial walks you through how to adjust ISO and shutter speed, or activate automatic mode. Once you've learned the controls, a basic camera interface is presented. The majority of the screen is the viewfinder, with a bar along the top providing quick access to app settings, controls for white balance and a manual focus mode. Along the bottom is the shutter button, along with the tools to provide more control over your photos. A histogram sits just above the ISO control, updating in real time.
Unlike all-in-one photography apps, you won't find the ability to record video, HDR photos, burst mode, or capabilities beyond capturing a single photo in Manual. But that's kind of the point of the app.
Taking control
To adjust a specific parameter, tap and hold on either the ISO or "S" (for shutter speed) located near the shutter button. Doing so will bring up a scrollable list of the various settings your device is capable of. For example, a range of 50-500 ISO is available on an iPhone 6, while shutter speed ranges from 1/2000 to one-half-second. A long-press on either control put the respective parameter in automatic mode.
Scrolling through a list of parameter variables isn't a pleasant experience. I found it to jump around between numbers without giving me a chance to fine-tune the setting. Instead, I was often forced to scroll up, then back down, then back up, then down again where I would finally land on the number I wanted.
Further complicating the implementation is the fact I'm not able to look at a scene and decide what ISO or Shutter Speed to use without previewing either setting in the app (changes you make to either setting are immediately reflected in the viewfinder). Meaning, I'd have to struggle to adjust the settings, frame the photo, decide if I liked the preview, then repeat if it wasn't what I wanted.
I spoke with the developer of Manual, William Wilkinson, who assured me he is working on fine-tuning the picker and interactions within the app.
One feature I think would be beneficial to all Manual users, would be the ability to set one parameter, while leaving the other in Auto. Meaning, I would like to set shutter speed for some shots, but let the app worry about proper ISO. As it is now, Manual is either fully automatic, or fully manual. There is no in-between.
More control leads to better photos
There's no point in purchasing a dSLR camera and leaving it on Auto mode. Sure, the photos look better than those taken on a point-and-shoot, but you're not getting the best shot possible out of the camera.
There's no question the iPhone's camera has been considered one of the best smartphone cameras year after year. But by hiding advanced controls in what amounts to be an automatic mode, we never truly saw the full potential of the camera.
Now that the controls are unlocked and developers are releasing apps such as Manual, the photography industry as a whole is going to benefit. Not only will we see better photos from mobile devices, but the intimidating learning curve of jumping to a "more complicated" camera will be lessened. The more a novice photographer can learn the basics on a smartphone, the better he or she will become with a full-fledged camera in hand.
Manual vs. Apple's stock camera app
During a trip to the Denver Zoo this past weekend, I captured photos using both the stock iOS camera and Manual. I selected the same focus point in both apps, taking extra time to adjust ISO and shutter speed in Manual. The results were nearly all in favor of the photo I captured with Manual, with the remaining photos amounting to a draw.
The iOS camera seems to play it safe when it comes to exposure, frequently under-exposing a photo. Often, once you get the hang of shooting with Manual and adjusting the settings, you can skip detailed editing and go straight to sharing your work.
Conclusion
If you haven't taken the time to read up on photography and how adjusting something like ISO can make a dramatic impact on a photo, there's no better time to do so. Manual was the first app to garner attention for using iOS 8's new Camera APIs, but it won't be the last.
Manual offers advanced controls with a minimal interface, granted the interaction methods need some work, but it's one that's not cluttered with filters and random features, requiring a user manual in order to take a photo.