Lensograf is a new free retro photo app with a cool name. Basically, it’s a Turkish Instagram clone, except that many of the filters are better than the current crop of Instagram filters.
It’s a low-res app, saving at 612×612. It has 13 filters, many of them look fine for one-click image processing. If you’ve got the room on your iPhone, they’re good as an alternative to the Brannens, Toasters, and Valencias that Instagram currently offers, but for little else.
I don’t recommend it, but if you get sucked in by the great name, then read on for important things I found about the app. >>>
Here’s the App Store description translated:
Take photos with the iPhone has never been so stylish!
Filter Lensograf photos with, share and explore photos from your friends. Capture all your moments with each other artistic filter 13. Moreover, completely in Turkish!
Features:
• 13 photo filter
• country-specific filters, such as Istanbul and the Maiden’s Tower
• Totally Turkish!
…
The app is in Turkish, but it’s fairly easy to figure out that “Geri” means Back, “Devam” means Continue, and “Tamam” means Okay (or something like that). The app looks and works like an old 1.0x version of Instagram. The filter names are pretty easy to figure out and the thumbnails in the tool bar help a lot.
With the app’s low 612×612 resolution, any of the filters are good enough to share on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, but that’s about it.
I wouldn’t have written about the app except that Lensograf won’t work until you log into Facebook. I highly recommend that you hit cancel at the Facebook login. Lensograf wants to access your Facebook information and your birthday. I’m sure it’s all legit, but I’m just nervous giving out my birthdate to anyone. If you hit cancel at the Facebook login screen, you’ll be taken back to the app and you can then shoot and save to your camera roll.
Despite its iOS 5 minimum requirement, Lensograf isn’t that sophisticated. Feature-wise, it’s about as good as one of the very first versions of Instagram except with different filters. There’s nothing here that isn’t available in other commercial apps. But if you have to try Lensograf, you’ve been warned.
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
=M=
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