The Pictar One Mark Ii ($99.99) is an accessory that promises to make your smartphone more comfortable to concur when using it as a camera. Information technology succeeds in that chore, but fails in so many others that we can't recommend buying information technology. The Pictar app, which is required to make the device work, doesn't do nearly as much as your phone'due south default camera app can achieve, and shows noticeable lag when changing modes. My communication is to skip the Pictar One Mk II and see if the company's next production, the Pictar One Pro, delivers on its promise of better build quality and boosted features.
Low-Quality Build
The Pictar One Mark 2 is available in a standard version, priced at $99.99, for pocket-size and standard size phones. The Pictar One Plus Mark I is of the same generation, merely is fabricated for phablets and priced $ten higher.
The standard version measures at 2.eight past 3.9 past ane.3 inches and two.ane ounces. The Plus is iv.three past 5.three past 1.viii inches and iii.0 ounces. You tin can buy the Mark II in black only, while the Plus is available in black, pink, or white.
The grip is all plastic and feels OK in the hand. There'south a handgrip protrusion, like to what you go with a larger bespeak-and-shoot photographic camera. With my large phone secured it isn't too different from the Samsung's discontinued Galaxy Camera in feel. A textured leatherette makes it a flake more secure in the hand than bare plastic would on its own.
At that place'southward a spring-loaded clip to clench over your phone and hold information technology in place. I spent the most time with the Plus model, which held my iPhone 8 Plus securely, without having to remove its slim protective case. Bulkier cases could pose a trouble.
A standard tripod socket is positioned on the bottom, below the handgrip. On the superlative you'll find a cold shoe that tin accommodate a small light or microphone. Physical controls include the shutter release, two top control dials, and a front dial that doubles as a button.
The dials feel chintzy, but aren't in danger of falling off. Two are on top, with the left dial changing the shooting mode and the right adjusting shutter speed or EV, depending on which way y'all're using. The dials turn easily, but with a minor click with each setting, so y'all can more than easily dial in minor adjustments to exposure or shutter speed.
They are joined by the shutter button—a two-stage blueprint like those you find on SLRs, with a half-press required to focus and a full press to snap a picture show—as well equally a front control punch that sets digital zoom and switches betwixt the front and rear cameras.
The Pictar is powered by a single one/2AA battery, an odd size you won't be able to find easily at convenience stores. The company estimates six months of life, and then information technology'south not a bad idea to go on a spare on manus. You demand to use a pocketknife or other tool to remove the bombardment, as the compartment is a bit besides tight to get a grip on it with merely your fingers.
A Tiresome, So-So App
You need to use the Pictar app to make the grip piece of work. It'due south a free download for Android and iOS devices. The buttons do absolutely nothing when the app isn't running. The reason behind this is elementary—the Pictar uses ultrasonic sound waves to control your phone. Had the company gone with a more traditional interface, like Bluetooth, information technology could at least trigger the shutter when using other apps, but that is not the case here.
Using the Pictar app to snap photos prevents your phone's camera from doing many of the things it does so well. Portrait fashion, switching between standard and 2x lenses, automated HDR toning, Raw capture—they're all missing. These capabilities do more to make your phone compete with an SLR from an imaging perspective, and they are simply not there with Pictar. You lot do have access to Apple's Alive Photos if you utilize an iPhone, but I'd rather have dual photographic camera portrait support.
The app is also hampered in terms of speed. With my iPhone viii Plus I'm able to capture images with absolute zero shutter lag when using the Apple tree Camera app. When using Pictar there is a 0.2-second filibuster between pressing the shutter and capturing a photo. There's also a blackout and delay when switching modes, which is a surprise because I'm using a top-end handset that'southward only a twelvemonth old.
There is a modicum of control customization, but I wish it went further. You tin swap out push settings en masse, only not on a mode-by-manner basis. I opted to switch the on-screen control, which sets EV compensation by default, with i of the superlative control dials. You can't swap out the directions with the dials, which is a shame as they are totally backward to me. Turning the EV dial to the left brightens a scene, while I'm used to the contrary being true with my Nikon D850.
An Easy Pass
I call up seeing an early on version of the Pictar at a merchandise show a few years ago. At the time, I saw it as an intriguing, innovative product. But phone cameras take moved beyond simple image capture in the interim. Modernistic smartphone cameras run circles around what we saw in handsets from a few years ago. We now take fast burst shooting, dual lenses, bokeh furnishings, HDR, and other tech that works together to put smartphones on more than equal ground with real cameras with big image sensors and interchangeable lenses.
The Pictar I Mark II doesn't do any of these things. Its app is very basic, without support for Raw capture or the computational photography tricks that work behind the scenes to make your smartphone snapshots stand out. Information technology does do a good chore as a grip—having a bit more phone to concur is a good thing—simply it'due south only not worth the limitations introduced by the Pictar app.
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