Camera Genius

I have an iPhone 3G which means I have a built in camera but not the ability to record video.  I use the camera quite a bit to capture things around the house and when I’m out and about with the kids. It also comes in handy when I’m at the store and see something I want to remember. I’ve got plenty of photos of Costco items on my camera roll. So when it comes to using my iPhone camera I think of myself as a no frills photographer who is just fine with point and shoot. Still, I was curious to try out the Camera Genius app and see what it could bring to my iPhone camera.

Zoom – A slider appears on your screen and you can use it to zoom in and out. It’s a decent zoom feature,  not as great as what you’d get with a real camera but I think that’s to be expected with a camera phone.

Sound Capture – If you turn on this option the camera will take a picture when it detects a noise. Don’t try this out when you’re in a room with noisy children! If your house is like mine your phone might go into overdrive from all the noise, taking picture after picture after picture!

Anti Shake – This feature will help you reduce blurry photos. I didn’t get a good test of this one because I tried it out on my baby who never sits still. It’s not a fair trial when the subject is in a constant state of  movement.

Big Button – This simple option was one of my favorite features. When you turn it on your entire screen acts as a camera button and you can tap anywhere on the screen to get the shot. No need to hunt for the tiny camera icon.

Guides – This turns your screen into a grid so you can set up your shot perfectly.

Timer – Set a timer for group photos.

Burst – If you have an iPhone 3GS this feature lets you take three photos, one right after another. For an iPhone 3G it’s two photos. On my regular camera I always use my burst setting when I’m taking photos of my kids.

Settings – In the settings you can set up an automatic location and timestamp for your photos.

Video Mode – Video Mode turns your iPhone into a video camera, even if you have a 3G like I do. You won’t be able to zoom in the video but it does a decent job with the video capture. You’ll be able to share your photos directly from Camera Genius but you can’t share your videos. You can pull them off your phone when you hook up to your computer but it’s an extra step.

I was pleased with all the features that Camera Genius provides for the price tag.

Price when Reviewed: $1.99 – Price for a limited time

Seller: CodeGoo

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.