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filmic pro app review

Filmic Pro iOS Application Review

The Filmic Pro iOS App was designed to help users record better video footage with their iPhones.

Buy The Filmic Pro iOS App Here

The invention of the smartphone has really changed the digital photo and video camera market. With these powerful little cameras being added to the devices we carry around everyday that are readily available more photographers and videographers are coming out of the woodwork with some pretty amazing stuff. The iPhone's camera in particular is amazing and powerful if put in the right hands. Unfortunately, the video recording capabilities aren't so spectacular, but with the Filmic Pro iOS app that could change.

Here is a little more information on basics of the app and this data is taken directly from their Facebook page. According to the developers, the Filmic Pro app “is an award winning video camera app that gives you full manual control over your iOS device. With variable frame rates, individual focus and exposure controls, an audio meter variable resolutions and much more, FiLMiC Pro has become the default mobile camera for pros and enthusiasts the world over.” Based on what their Facebook page states the app has won a variety of awards & acknowledgements.

These include:

  • TUAW's Video App of the Year 2011, Editors Choice
  • Gizmodo's Essential Apps of 2012, 2011
  • CNET 5 Stars, Editors Pick
  • TIME – App of the Week
  • WIRED – App of the Week
  • Gizmodo – App of the Day and Week
  • Apple New and Noteworthy Photography
  • Apple What's Hot Photography
  • 9 out of 10 stars, AppCraver “Must Buy”
  • Favorite Filmmaking Apps, Philipbloom.net
  • Life in LoFi, Editor's Pick
  • Appleous, Editor's Pick
  • AppModo, Editor's Pick
  • AppAdvice, Editor'sPick
  • Macworld, 4.5 Stars
  • 148 Apps, 4 Stars

The above accolades are great and all, but let me fill you in on what I personally think of the app from my experience with it. I think the interface is really great and easy to use. The settings tab is simple to navigate and pretty self explanatory when it comes to configuring the features you are looking for. The features of this app are really useful and innovative. Things like switching frame rates, turning on image stabilization, enabling framing guides, and the advanced encoding options make this a huge advantage over the native video application.

The main problem with this app is that it has amazing potential, but severe stability issues. The app crashes, freezes, and glitches way too often to be acceptable by any means. The worst part about this is it always seems to happen when I am filming something crucial that I can't do twice like unboxing a product for the first time or doing a video tutorial for something. I would hate for someone to buy this app and attempt to tape their child at graduation or something really important just to have the app crash unexpectedly and miss catching the once in a lifetime moment on film. If the company can make it stable, I think they do have a real winner on their hands. Just in case you're doubting my experience, I am not the only one who has noticed this app's poor functionality as you can see on the recent reviews through iTunes shown below.

Screen Shot 2013-02-06 at 7.26.38 PM

It is unfortunate that an app with such great potential is ruined by simple stability issues. I cannot recommend this application in it's current state as it will cause you more frustration than it will satisfaction in almost all cases. I don't know of any alternative applications that have similar features to Filmic Pro so for now I would just suggest sticking to the native iOS video application until the stability is vastly improved or a better competitor comes along.

Buy The Filmic Pro iOS App Here