The developers behind the popular Halide photography app today launched an all-new app, Spectre. Spectre is designed to overhaul the way that we take long exposure images using some unique machine learning and stabilization techniques.
When capturing a long exposure image with Spectre, the app takes advantage what's described as an intelligent computational shutter to take hundreds of photos over the course of a few seconds. Because it's taking hundreds of images instead of one continuous shot, you can hold your phone while you take long exposure images with Spectre.
Normally, these kind of long exposure shots require a tripod or another stable surface to come out well, but Spectre uses image stabilization and its computational shutter to simplify the process.
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Spectre's software can also do some neat things with the long exposure images that you capture with the app. It can remove crowds if you take a medium or long exposure photo in a touristy area, and it can create those neat blurred effects you sometimes see from long exposure images when capturing flowing water.
At night, there's an AI mode designed to create light trails for creative nighttime shots and light painting purposes.
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All photos captured by Spectre are saved as Live Photos, so you can see the end result as a still photo or see the exposure process from start to finish. Spectre supports 3 to 9 second exposures in the app, and while the long exposure features won't work for all types of images, you can still get a decent shot in most situations because it's simply stitching photos together.
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Spectre can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. It works on the iPhone 6 and newer and requires iOS 11 and up. Scene Detection features require iOS 12, while AI-based stabilization requires an iPhone 8 or later.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Seems like a neat concept, but I'd prefer to use my actual DSLR/mirrorless camera + tripod to shoot long expsoures.
You people are unbelievable!Nobody is saying that you should throw away your DSLR and all the lenses you have. This is for people who want to shoot best possible photos on iPhone.
Please...
Seems like a neat concept, but I'd prefer to use my actual DSLR/mirrorless camera + tripod to shoot long expsoures.
I cannot believe comments like this!Well, go and use your $40,000 Hasselblad and tripod or whatever it is you own (clearly, you need us to know you have a mirrorless DSLR). This is a $1.99 iPhone app for a smartphone. It's not meant to replace a DSLR, it's meant to make what you have in your pocket that little bit better.
For goodness sake.
Side note: Maybe this is the iOS answer to Google's 'Night Sight'.
Seems like a neat concept, but I'd prefer to use my actual DSLR/mirrorless camera + tripod to shoot long expsoures.
I also have a full backpack of lenses and my Sony full frame mirrorless camera. They surely produce pictures of great quality. But you can't compare the convenience of that full backpack 10 pounds setup with the iPhone that weights 6 ounces and fits in your pocket. Being able to take a creative picture is more important than being able to take a picture of high image quality, in my opinion.Side note from this I feel like we are starting to see more and more ML based app. Glad that CoreML is taking off.
And I'm not saying that. Typical MacRumors to jump on someone's post who you don't agree with....
I do not need to calm down, I am perfectly calm. Don't play a victim now.Take a breathe and calm down.
Seems like a neat concept, but I'd prefer to use my actual DSLR/mirrorless camera + tripod to shoot long expsoures.
Probably true one would get a better shot but I have the phone everywhere. So you can probably get a really good shot with this or no shot.It is more of an additional tool vs a complete replacement.