by The latest iOS devices are capable of producing amazingly high-quality video footage, but the resolution tops out at 1080p HD. Thanks to Ultrakam, a new third-party camera app, the iPhone can squeeze out even more pixels—even if the current hardware isn’t quite up to the task. Ultrakam is capable of shooting video with up to 70{813a954d5e225a1509f22204ece89c855080ce25555f20805f61bed63cbfde3b} more pixels than standard HD. Although Hollywood may be pushing 4K Ultra HD as the next big thing, many Blu-ray masters continue to be sourced from what’s known as 2K, which typically boasts 2048 x 1556 pixels.
While there’s no denying that Ultrakam manages to cram in a whole lot more pixels into each frame of video—and the additional detail is certainly noticeable—there are too many tradeoffs made to get there. The most glaring are the non-standard frame sizes captured by the app (maxing out at 2240 x 1672), which requires rendering in order to be used in 2K-compatible video editing applications such as Final Cut Pro X.
Audio is another headache, since it’s recorded separately as a QuickTime-compatible CAF file that then needs to be manually synced with picture. Sound recording is absent entirely from Ultrakam’s time-lapse and slow motion modes, which otherwise do a respectable job of capturing video, although the latter is limited to 720p HD resolution.
Otherwise, the addition of independent focus, exposure and white balance, and the ability to record in multiple frame rates bring a pro touch to the app. We were disappointed to discover the app is locked to a single landscape mode, however, which winds up being the opposite of how users now hold their devices. No matter, since the volume button can’t be used as a trigger to start or stop recording. Ultrakam also includes a built-in media player, but the app warns that audio playback is for reference only, and we found playback at the highest 2K resolution too choppy to be of much use.
The bottom line. Ultrakam feels like a proof of concept, but does produce videos packed with extra resolution—assuming you’re willing to put up with its (many) idiosyncrasies.
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