iDataBack – an iPod app road test
Monday, August 10th, 2009With the release of OS Version 3.0 the iPod Touch and iPhone now have a ton of useful apps. An iPod is almost an essential tool for contacts, calendars, to do lists, time logging, the odd game and music too!
There are some great photography specific apps also and I noticed a new release called iDataBack a few days ago and thought it worth a look. The idea is you use this app to record your data when you’re shooting with your film camera. I enjoy shooting a bit of film, it’s like my day-off photography – a little bit of indulgence. Sometimes I’ll revisit something I saw and re shoot it with film and other times I’ll head off on a film shoot expedition. Doesn’t matter what film, I’m not fussy about what goes in the camera and it can be slide or print, pro or chemist shop, the camera doesn’t seem to mind either.
Film shoot fun
iDataBack is like carrying your notebook with you but with the convenience of being quick and accurate to log your shoot data. My first impression was there in no instructions, I soon realised it’s so simple you don’t need any.
First you make an entry for your new film.
For each frame add your exposure data and add a remark if you desire.
Input of settings is quick and easy.
When your film is full, email the data to yourself.
All seems good, so how did it work on the job?
First I will say this app is a great idea and has a ton of potential for people like myself who don’t mind phaffing around with gadgets and find pushing buttons quicker than pencil and paper. It is also far quicker and more accurate than writing. Film shooting is a lot more methodical for me now than it was pre digital, every shot is planned and carefully captured and if I’m not using iDataback I’m going to be writing capture info in a notebook anyway. But, it feels like version 1.0 software and I really hope the developer intends to carry on with the job to make it a great bit of software.
So what’s good about iDataBack.
Great idea!
Quick data input.
Auto date stamp at entry time.
Auto frame count.
It’s a dairy of your film shoots.
Entry field for remarks about capture.
Easy export for data use or print. Input data into scanned files or print and store with negs.
..And why iDataBack falls short of the job.
Instructions, or at least an introduction or developer name. Maybe even a splash screen at startup.
Need preferences to set input to full, 1/2 or 1/3 stop settings on Aperture and Shutter.
Could have a lens info data field.
Input settings should default to last used setting instead of 1/60 and F/4 each time or have a preference for default.
Export data should be be more IPTC friendly. Maybe choice of export format would be useful.
Seems to be a bug in remarks input where it is stuck on numeric keyboard sometimes.
Remarks don’t get included in email export of data.
So the conclusion is.
It annoys me when developers have good ideas like this but release their goods half cocked. This software has great potential for folk who love to shoot film and like to integrate some data into the analogue workflow for later file handling.
I only hope the software writer doesn’t think he’s done with his great idea. I’ll use it because I think it is very useful even as is, if it can be developed as suggested it will be super duper!
UPDATE!
iDataBack has had a major rework, all the features I dreamed would be great are now implemented and it is one very useful app for film shooters. Nice work.
I will write an updated review soon as I get some time.
