Apple’s iPhone 4 can function a perfect little camcorder if you are in a bind, but it’s never been our go-to cam for video shoots. Not just is its small sensor not appropriate for top-quality HD shooting, however the smartphone form factor may be awkward to carry, leading to shakier than normal footage. a brand new app called DollyCam, which also supports iPad 2 , helps soften the blow of the latter, letting you successfully stabilize videos — with a couple of drawbacks.
We took our iPhone 4 out to check a watermarked free version of the app in Ny city, shooting a scene first with the phone’s native app, after which with DollyCam. It won’t replace a hardware solution just like the Steadicam Smoothee , but it’s significantly cheaper and less demanding. The one major issues we noticed were regarding softened sound capture of all things (pay close attention inside the video past the break), and the undeniable fact that the app can’t process in real-time, so a minute-long video clip will need about five minutes to process. The app does crop your footage slightly, as may be expected. You’ll also must remain within the app as it’s processing, though you too can stabilize videos later, after completing your shoot. Overall, it’s an appropriate solution, especially considering the $2.99 ticket. Jump past the break to work out original and stabilized clips, and skim during the gallery below for a fast examine the interface.
[Thanks, Jon]
“DollyCam is the most effective software for automagic video stabilization”
August 3, Linkoping, Sweden. Scientists at Linkoping University in Sweden recently launched DollyCam for iPhone and iPad. The app relies on patent pending technology that automatically stabilizes video captured with CMOS video cameras, comparable to present in new cell phones, and tablet devices. The result’s astonishing and lets amateurs create professional movies without expensive equipment.
Anyone who has tried to capture video with a cellular phone knows how easily the outcome becomes shaky and wobbly, with skewed objects and an overall amateurish feeling. The poor result’s due to the rolling-shutter technology utilized in low-end consumer cameras, and by the truth that you hold the camera to your hand. Professional filmmakers use global-shutter cameras, rails and dollys for smooth camera movements.
DollyCam is predicated on leading research in computer vision. The original algorithm uses three-dimensional data from the gyroscope and accelerometer sensors at the iOS device to correct tilted objects and take away wobble. A video stabilizer then adds smoothness and makes the movie stable. DollyCam can be adaptive and adjusts its parameters dynam- ically to the movie processed. The scientists have conducted a blind user study among students on campus. The study demonstrated that participants preferred DollyCam output to that of its competitors.
“With this app you get knowledgeable and smooth video from an inexpensive consumer camera”, says Per-Erik Forss Ìen, assistant professor at Linkoping University who presented the underlying algorithm on the international IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in San Francisco 2010.
The scientists recently founded the corporate FR Vision AB, with support from the Innovation Office on the University. DollyCam is their first product, however the company also intends to disseminate the technique as professional products for video editing pack- ages like Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut, in addition to application programming interfaces that let integration in other products.
“Our vision is to integrate our technology in hardware from big players like Apple, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung, to let a much bigger audience experience better movies”, says Erik Ringaby, doctoral student on the Department of electric Engineering at Link Ìoping University. “We also hope service providers like Google and Facebook would be fascinated about licensing our technology.”
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