When Hipstamatic’s new America HipstaPak is released later this week, there will be 420 possible film and lens combinations. Figuring out which lens and film combos to use is either time-consuming or often just left to “Shake to Randomize.”
The new app Hipstamatch™ is an easy to use, thorough guide to nearly all of Hipstamatic’s films and lenses. If you shoot with Hipstamatic, this is an essential purchase.
More after the jump. >>>
Hipstamatch™ quickly and easily previews the different lens and film combinations using sample images in the app. Hipstamatch™ does not take, import, or process photos, but uses several different samples to preview results you’d get in various shooting scenarios, including:
• Exterior
• Exterior (strong sun)
• Exterior (with snow)
• Close up with sun light
• Interior with sun light
• Interior with artificial light
• Exterior with clouds
The interface is super easy to use. Select your preview image then slide through the lenses and films to see the effect a combination will have on a scene. Easy. By sliding through a range of options, you can learn all of the lens, film and border properties quickly. While not complete, there is a broad range of shooting conditions represented in the app’s samples. It’s definitely enough to give users a representative preview.
Hipstamatch™ is a whole lot easier than some of the recent online Hipstamatic grids. It has the advantage of being on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, so no internet connection is required to use. Sample images are consistent which really helps see the differences in the filters, unlike a previously released Hipstamatic guide which grabs tagged images from Flickr to use as samples. With the exception of the new Made In America FreePak and HipstaPak, all Hipstamatic films and lenses are catalogued, including the limited edition ones — currently 20 lenses and 18 films. The developer promises to update the app regularly, including a forthcoming update with the lens and two films of the upcoming HipstaPak.
This is an excellent and essential resource for Hipstamatic users. Not only is it good out in the field, but it’s a great way to quickly experiment and find new favorite shooting combinations.
I have only minor quibbles about this app. The download size is HUGE — it’s a 130-plus megabytes. The huge download is understandable given the number of sample images this app contains. Also, there are no people as subjects in the previews. Showing how each combination would effect human subjects would add to Hipstamatch’s usability.
There is no denying the appeal and popularity of Hipstamatic. Since its introduction over two years ago, the app has spent much of that time in the Top 5 Paid Photo Apps. I think deservedly so. The quality of its filters is lush and detailed. The looks are for the most part unmatched by any other photo app. It’s one of many users’ first iPhone photo apps.
Hipstamatch™ is the perfect companion to Hipstamatic. It’s like a crash course in Hipstamatic for new users. For more experienced hipstas, having a quick and easy resource of Hipsta’s lenses and films can help broaden your own choices with the app and let you discover filter combinations you may have missed. Definitely worth a dollar and the download.
Hipstamatch™ is created by a third-party developer who is not associated with Synthetic, Hipstamatic’s creators.
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
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