Review: CameraBag 2
As a hobby photographer, I’m always looking for new applications to add quick effects to my photos. In today’s review, I take a look at what CameraBag 2 has to offer!
If you own an iOS device, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across, or heard about CameraBag. This review will cover the Mac/PC version of the application, which currently sells for $29. Being a designer, I rarely purchase applications like this, especially at a $29 price point. However, Nevercenter was nice enough to send me over a copy to review.
Launch
When the application is first launched, the interface is very simple, as it should be. You have the option to Load an image, Learn tutorials, which opens a YouTube channel, or Download filters/updates, which I can’t seem to find through the link. You can also preview the different effects that CameraBag 2 has to offer by hovering your mouse over the desired effect on the right side of the application.
Opening up an image in CameraBag 2 is as easy as is it in other applications. You can either use the Load an image button, or simply drag an image right onto the application!
Styles
When the image has loaded, clicking on any one of the 21 Styles on the right will instantly update your image with the effect, and give you a few options at the bottom.
Sliding the Remix slider left or right will give you different variations of the Style that you have selected. It may boost/weaken contrast, shift color, or alter other aspects of the effect, depending on which Style is selected. Of course, if you like the overall effect, but want to dampen it slightly, sliding the Amount slider to the left will do just that.
If you want to see a preview of how all the Styles will look like on your photo, the Quicklook button will open a nice grid, allowing you to select any of the available Styles.
Adjust
The Adjust tab contains many of the common adjustments that you may find in Photoshop, such as Cropping, Exposure, Contrast, Saturation, and Curves. Clicking on any of these options will add a new ‘plate’ to your project, and give you access to the adjustment sliders.
A little bit further down in the Adjust tab, you’ll find color and photographic adjustments, which you can add to achieve custom ‘vintage style’ effects. Each time you add a new effect, a new ‘plate’ gets added at the bottom, allowing you to easily edit that adjustment later on, or remove it completely using the “x” button at the top left corner of the ‘plate’.
Once again, the Quicklook button will allow you to preview and select any of the available Adjustments to apply to your image.
Borders
Last but not least, borders! An application like this just wouldn’t be complete without them! CameraBag 2 offers you12 preset borders, plus the ability to customize a straight or rounded border.
Selecting either the Custom Straight or Custom Rounded border will allow you to adjust the thickness, roundness, and color of the border, giving you complete control over the final result.
Favorites
Once you’ve finished applying your effects, if you think you might want to use the same effects at a later date, clicking on the Favorites tab will allow you to add and organize your favorite effects!
Conclusion
The Good:
- The application is very quick and responsive.
- There are many styles/adjustments/borders to choose from.
- Customization within the styles is almost endless.
The Bad:
- While you have the ability to save your image, I would love to see direct social network integration. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.
- When working on an image, if there are multiple ‘plates’ active, removing the original Style removes all the adjustments/borders.
- Pressing the Spacebar randomizes the Style that’s applied to your image. This can be quite frustrating at times.
All in all, this is a great application if you’re looking to add quick effects to your images, and you don’t have access to Photoshop or similar applications. Is it worth $29? I personally wouldn’t fork over almost $30, but if you aren’t a Photoshop user and want to stylize your images, this may be a great solution for you!
