Our Verdict
In an eternal seeking to become the next big thing in societal medium , many iOS developers have endeavor to do for TV what Instagram has done for still picture taking . But this endeavor can get tiresome , and sometimes producing mellow - timber termination trump the desire to produce shareable contentedness .
Echograph , a picture taking app for the iPad 2 and later , which allows you to make animated GIFs and MPEG 4 video from still photos , might seem like another Cinemagram ( and in theory , it is ) , but Echograph severalize itself as a more professionally prepared program . Rather than shoot a line social networking features , it ’s focused on render the puppet to make high - quality cinemagraphs — and for the most part , it does this very well .
The condition “ cinemagraph , ” coined by photographer Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck , refers to still dead reckoning that bear some moving element . Usually , they ’re bring out in GIF format , at a higher result than most viral GIFs that live the Internet . ( Echograph call its GIFs “ echographs , ” but they ’re essentially the same matter . )
Echograph is at its most beautiful with hi - re video recording , like that shot from a DSLR . But you ’ll decidedly call for to apply a tripod when blast . There is no anti - shake correction , so if you move even a trivial bit when take your clip , your echograph will have an annoying and undesirable shakiness in sure areas . you could use television immortalize from your iPad if you want , though that defeats the purpose of creating higher - quality results .
Once you ’ve pick out a television , you must clip it to five minute or less , though the trim function is n’t that intuitive . When you slide the bar at the bottom of the screen to trim back , Echograph never tell you the amount of clock time you ’re currently using . alternatively , the bottom Browning automatic rifle will order you how far you ’ve gone over the time limit , if you have . To reverse the menstruum of the television , tap the arrows at the bottom of the screen and tack on the reverse setting .
At the next cover , drag along the saloon at the bottom and select the still prototype you desire to habituate in your echograph . A blue shade will seem . you could paint over areas where you want crusade to be shown , adjusting your brushing sizing by using three fingers to create bigger or smaller brushwood . Unhappy with an edit ? Press the undo ikon at the bottom of the screen or nix all cut by pressing the X image . In ordination to go back to any level of the editing cognitive process , head to the top of the filmdom and rap the paintbrush icon , and select the step you require to render to . you could see a live preview your echograph by tapping the optic button , but be discourage — when you turn on the live preview and match the cover , you still add movement to the places that you meet .
you may export echographs to your reckoner via e-mail , iTunes , Facebook , Twitter , or Tumblr , and choose between two processing speeds : hi - def and lo - def . For me , even the hi - def exporting process was pretty quick . you’re able to access both MP4 and GIF version of your echograph from iTunes . When export as a GIF , echographs take up a palpably grittier force , but that ’s born to the data format . MP4 echographs are much crisper , but they wo n’t play with that sport looping effect . Take your pick .
Bottom line
Echograph is well - designed and drug user - favorable , though if you do n’t own a DSLR or HD camcorder , it probably wo n’t distinguish itself much from other apps that do fundamentally the same thing . But if you have high - timber footage and would wish to produce higher resolution consequence , Echograph is a good choice . There ’s no telling whether this type of go image photography is a live on art form or an net fad , but it certainly is fun . And for professional - look results , this is the app to stop out .
