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Spectre Long-Exposure iPhone Camera App Now Free, Ushering in Spectre Pro

Wednesday July 19, 2023 3:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Spectre, the long-exposure AI-powered iPhone camera app made by the developers of the popular Halide photography app, is now free.

spectre pro
For those unfamiliar with Spectre, the app uses a computational shutter to take hundreds of photos over the course of a few seconds to create an up to 3-second long exposure.

Because it's taking hundreds of images instead of one continuous shot, users can hold their phone while taking long exposure images with Spectre, no tripod necessary.

Previously $1.99, the app's switch to freeware marks the introduction of a new paid-for Pro version, which includes additional 15- and 30-second exposure modes, plus a new Pro icon.

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Spectre Pro is a free upgrade to existing users, while new users can unlock the Pro version for a $4.99 one-time purchase. The app works on the iPhone 6S and newer and requires iOS 15 and later, and is available to download from the App Store.

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Top Rated Comments

43 months ago

It may be decent and the non-subscription is awesome, however no serious person uses a phone to create art. If you want art, go get a real camera, a tripod, and study how to frame the subjects of your photo shoot.

spectre camera app iphone free image

Taken with iPhone 11 Pro Max (with tripod and bluetooth shutter), made the cover of a local trade magazine.

But please, let’s see some of your “serious person” projects.

Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)

43 months ago

It may be decent and the non-subscription is awesome, however no serious person uses a phone to create art. If you want art, go get a real camera, a tripod, and study how to frame the subjects of your photo shoot.

Only a real artist removes the shackles of limitation you seem to have put on yourself, only allowing one device for a medium..

I remember a very long time ago, someone in a teaching position told me to never listen to people that put barriers on the creation of art. It's all based on opinion, anyway.

Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)

43 months ago

It may be decent and the non-subscription is awesome, however no serious person uses a phone to create art. If you want art, go get a real camera, a tripod, and study how to frame the subjects of your photo shoot.

The camera is only as good as the one you have on you! A lot of people wont carry a main camera around with them all the time. Myself when out and about have a 4 year old and dog to contend with so the last thing i want to be carrying is a camera on top of everything else.
End of the day a picture from a phone camera is better than no photo at all

Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Unggoy Murderer

43 months ago

It may be decent and the non-subscription is awesome, however no serious person uses a phone to create art. If you want art, go get a real camera, a tripod, and study how to frame the subjects of your photo shoot.

I'm a self-proclaimed "pretty serious" photographer, I have a Canon 7D MK II and a great lens for it.

The best tool to create art is whatever you have, and whatever you make of it. I have taken some pictures on my iPhone that look as good as or potentially better than what I could capture on my Canon. My Canon, lens and battery grip also collectively weigh 20x as much as my iPhone, doesn't fit in my pocket, and doesn't go everywhere with me.

Equipment / brand snobbery in photography is boring and vapid; don't be one of those people.

Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)

43 months ago

No subscription?!? Love them already

Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)

VampyricGentleman

43 months ago

I'm a self-proclaimed "pretty serious" photographer, I have a Canon 7D MK II and a great lens for it.

The best tool to create art is whatever you have, and whatever you make of it. I have taken some pictures on my iPhone that look as good as or potentially better than what I could capture on my Canon. My Canon, lens and battery grip also collectively weigh 20x as much as my iPhone, doesn't fit in my pocket, and doesn't go everywhere with me.

Equipment / brand snobbery in photography is boring and vapid; don't be one of those people.

This is so true. A long time ago when I was not in as good a financial situation as I am now I owned a Sony Ericsson Xperia X8. I had an old Sony R1 as my main camera. Anyway a friend invited me to a Facebook online camera club which was full of people bragging about how they “only” spent £3000 on a lens. Anyway, they hosted a competition for a winter shot. So I entered something from the X8 (which if memory served cost £85) and won the competition (which was judged on the number of likes) by a country mile. You can imagine the equipment snobs horror when I told them what I used when they were using equipment that could have easily been 30x more expensive and their results were no where near as good.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

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