App Turns iPhone into a Smarter Camera

“When a person uses SynthCam, she selects a still point of interest, like a statue, and taps its location on the phone’s screen. Then she moves the phone in a small circle around the fixed point for about 10 seconds. The app tracks the point of interest, searching for it in all frames. Realigning all of the images produces the composite one—showing the item of interest in sharp focus and the background out of focus.

In addition to simulating a shallow depth of field, SynthCam collects more light, producing better pictures in low-light conditions. It also removes moving objects from the background, since the composite is captured over 10 seconds or more.

Levoy says he developed the app, which costs 99 cents from the App Store, to let people see what’s possible on phone cameras. He expects an explosion of apps that use computational photography techniques over the next few years. “I’m not going to get rich over this,” he says. “But if it encourages other people to do the same, then that’s a good thing.”"

App Turns iPhone into a Smarter Camera – Technology Review