StarryCamera2 vs Easy Long Exposure Camera

This camera app is designed to help you take beautiful photos of the stars with your iPhone. Why not try shooting star trails with your iPhone? ### How to Use 1. Go to a location with low temperatures where stars are clearly visible. 2. Secure your iPhone on a tripod or similar mount (this is the most important step). 3. Select a shooting mode. 4. Adjust brightness using shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. 5. Press the shutter button. ### Mode Features Starry Sky: Makes bright stars stand out; captures the scene close to how the naked eye sees it. Star Trails: For capturing star trail photos (shooting for 30 minutes creates a distinct star trail effect). Milky Way: For capturing the Milky Way and fine stars with sharp clarity. Night View: For when you want no processing; produces low-noise images. Lighten Composite: Uses lighten compositing (ideal for fireflies, fireworks, light trails, etc.). ### Fine-Tuning Focus 1. Position a bright star (such as a first- or second-magnitude star) in the center of the screen. 2. Press the focus button to zoom in; use the slider for coarse adjustment, then use the stepper controls to find the position where the star appears smallest. 3. If it is difficult to tell, try shooting with different focus positions and compare the results. ### About Star Trail Mode Unlike other modes, Star Trail Mode and Lighten Composite Mode do not allow brightness adjustments via shutter speed; please adjust the brightness using ISO sensitivity instead. To minimize errors, start with a 120-second test shot to adjust settings like ISO sensitivity before proceeding to the actual 1,800- or 3,600-second exposure. The "Starry Sky" mode is suitable for urban astrophotography, as it allows you to capture images in locations where long exposures might otherwise result in an overexposed, washed-out white image. Including statues or monuments in the frame can create impressive, visually striking photos. Using flimsy holders or tripods can cause the star trails to blur, so I recommend using sturdy, high-quality equipment. In "Star Trail" mode, the background is smoothed out via "Lighten Composite" (stacking) processing; this improves the visual quality, even on cameras with small, noise-prone sensors like those found in iPhones. Including the North Star enhances the swirling effect but results in shorter trails. Pointing the camera east (or elsewhere) eliminates the swirling look but produces longer trails. Choose whichever style you prefer. During a meteor shower, a one-hour star trail exposure might capture two or three shooting stars. For "Star Trail" mode, I recommend setting the light duration to "Middle Only." ### About Watermarks The default setting displays the app's name; please customize this with your handle or account name to protect your copyright. ### Recommended Method for Star Trail Photos with Cars 1. Start by selecting the ISO setting one step below the maximum. 2. In the settings, select "Middle Only" for the light duration. 3. Set the light intensity to "Medium" on the shooting screen. 4. Set the shutter speed to 120 seconds and take a few test shots to adjust the ISO sensitivity and light intensity. If the entire image is too bright, lower the ISO sensitivity; if it is too dark, raise it. If the car illuminated by the light is too bright, lower the light intensity; if it is too dark, raise it. 5. Once the ISO and light settings are finalized, set the shutter speed to 1800 seconds for the actual shot. Initially, you can leave the focus at the default setting of 0.0; however, once you get the hang of it, pressing the focus button to ensure precise focusing will result in sharper star trails and higher-quality photos.

This app makes it easy to take long-exposure photos with your iPhone. Capture the passage of time in a single image—from city lights, starry skies, star trails, and fireworks to flowing waterfalls and rivers. Choose from three blending modes to create the look you want. 【Light Trails】 Adds up the light from each frame to draw trails from car headlights and brighten subjects that are too dark to see. Perfect for night scenes and faint auroras that are hard to see with the naked eye. 【Motion Blur】 Averages multiple frames to give waterfalls and rivers a smooth, silky appearance. It can create a slow-shutter effect even in bright conditions and can also make moving people less noticeable. 【Lighten】 Keeps only the brightest parts of each frame, so the background doesn’t wash out even during long exposures. Ideal for fireworks, star trails, and auroras that are clearly visible to the naked eye. 【Create from Video】 Turn videos you’ve already recorded into long-exposure photos. Choose the part of the video to use and blend it with Motion Blur or Lighten. Stabilization is also supported. Key Features ・Exposure times from 1 to 180 seconds, plus Bulb mode that you can stop whenever you choose ・Live preview of the blended image while shooting ・Image stabilization to reduce camera shake without a tripod (up to 3 seconds in the free version) ・Post-capture brightness adjustment from −2.0 to +2.0 EV, with the option to save multiple versions ・Auto and manual focus, plus pinch-to-zoom ・Switch between lenses and front/rear cameras ・3-second and 10-second self-timers ・Grid and level tools for composing your shot ・Shoot using the iPhone volume buttons or a compatible Bluetooth remote shutter ・Selectable image quality and JPG saving ・EXIF metadata including exposure time and ISO Great For ・Cityscapes and illuminated night scenes ・Starry skies and star trails ・Fireworks ・Auroras ・Car and train light trails ・Motion blur in waterfalls, streams, oceans, and clouds ・Making moving people less noticeable in busy locations The free version includes all the essential features you need to enjoy long-exposure photography. The Pro version is available as a one-time purchase and adds manual ISO control, ad removal, noise reduction, unlimited stabilization duration with Bulb mode support, full-resolution saving for photos created from videos (the free version reduces the long side to 2048 px), high-bit-depth 16-bit PNG saving, direct saving without the preview screen, and more. Tips for Better Results For standard long-exposure photography, mount your iPhone on a tripod or place it on a stable surface for sharper results. Image stabilization helps reduce camera shake when shooting without a tripod, but the edges of the resulting photo will be cropped slightly. Results and available lenses may vary depending on your iPhone model and shooting conditions.