HDRI Prep vs Exposure Check

HDRI Prep is a small utility for use in visual effects for creating HDRI bracketing sets for RICOH THETA 360 cameras, specifically, the V, Z1 and X. (If you don't know what all that is than this app probably isn't for you.) Different bracket settings are needed for different production situations. The THETA cameras does do multi-image exposure bracketing that you can set with the iPhone THETA app, but modifying them is painfully slow and difficult and you can't save sets and reuse them later. I wrote this to fill that need and speed up use of the THETA on set for taking HDRIs. With HDRI Prep you can: • Define brackets as X number of photos (3 to 19, always odd numbers) taken X stops apart (1 to 3) rather than setting each photo’s parameters individually • Pick the camera and you can set the Aperture, ISO and Color Temperature for all the photos at once with the settings limited to what the camera can actually execute • Pick a Center Shutter Speed and the bracket extends exposures equally higher and lower • Custom name brackets, organize by show, drag and drop reorder them, move between shows, and duplicate them as needed • View the photos taken read from the camera Quickly modify the Camera’s speaker volume and time it takes to auto-sleep (up to 60 minutes so watch your battery) HDRI Prep is not intended to be a full featured replacement for other THETA iPhone apps. It is designed only to fill a hole in the current functionality of the official THETA app (and what 3rd party apps I've played with): to make a library of Bracket settings, a method of organizing them, and a way to call them up and use them quickly on set. As such you will find it is missing various functions of the official THETA app. Those extended features may be added at some later date, but I make no promises. I recommend using it in conjunction with other apps as needed. Some limitations of the app: • Currently this only works with a direct Wifi connection to the camera (camera hosting Wifi) and it assumes the ip address is 192.168.1.1. • Image viewing is minimal. You can see what is on the camera (heads up, it's slow to load) but I am leaving the downloading and deleting of images up to other apps. You can use the official THETA app or you can manage them on a Mac using Image Capture (you're on your own with Windows). • Be aware that adjusting the camera shutter sound volume and the sleep delay time writes these changes to the camera, overwriting any previous camera setting. If you change the sleep time to 10 minutes it will stay that way even when HDRI Prep isn't connected or running. • If you want to see a live count of the images as they are taken you can actually switch to the official THETA app after beginning a capture. I hope to add this to my interface in the future.

Exposure Check brings professional-grade exposure analysis to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac for 1 low price! False color imaging — used by cinematographers on set worldwide — reveals exactly where your highlights clip and shadows crush before it's too late. Use this tool to import images from Movies, TV Shows, and more to reveal how professional cinematographers exposed their final graded images. SHOOT IN APPLE LOG Capture with the in-app camera in Apple Log and read exposure the way you would on a pro monitor. Zone and False Color overlays follow the exact Apple Log curve, so every zone lines up with true scene stops — the full dynamic range of your sensor, measured in real light. REAL-TIME FALSE COLOR CAMERA See your scene through a live false color overlay as you shoot. Instantly identify overexposed highlights, underexposed shadows, and perfectly exposed midtones — the same tools used on professional film sets, now in your pocket. TAP TO METER Tap anywhere in the frame for an instant zone readout and a recommended f-stop. Simulate any lens aperture with the IRIS control and get a recommendation to place your subject at 18% middle gray — before you roll. ZONE SYSTEM ANALYSIS Exposure Check maps your image into distinct one-stop tonal zones so you can evaluate exposure with precision and intent. MANUAL CAMERA CONTROLS Take full control with manual ISO, shutter angle, white balance, frame rate, and lens selection — plus pinch-to-zoom lens switching and a live, draggable histogram. ANALYZE ANY PHOTO Import photos from your library and run Zone or False Color analysis instantly. The stacked compare view shows your original and analyzed image together so you can see exactly what the exposure is doing. ORGANIZE WITH PROJECTS Create projects to keep your shots organized. Import directly from your photo library, move and copy images between projects, and review your work in a clean full-screen viewer with smooth swipe navigation. KEY FEATURES -Live Apple Log capture with real-time Zone and False Color overlays -Exact Apple Log curve — every zone is a true scene stop -Tap to meter: zone readout + recommended f-stop anywhere in the frame -Simulated IRIS with 18% gray recommendations -Manual ISO, shutter angle, white balance, FPS, and lens controls -Pinch-to-zoom lens switching and a live, draggable histogram -Import and analyze photos from your library -Stacked compare view — original above, analyzed below -Adjustable color reference bar -Project organization with multi-select, move, and copy -Full-screen image viewer with smooth swipe navigation -Share processed images directly from the app -iPhone, iPad, and Mac supported A note on accuracy: On graded or imported images, overlays reflect the how the image was graded — not the exposure captured on set. For true scene-stop readings, shoot in Apple LOG with the built-in camera. Whether you're on set, shooting in the field, or reviewing work in post — Exposure Check gives you the exposure tools professionals rely on.