By Graham K. Rogers

In late September 2011, a lot of tongues were set wagging by pre-release publicity for an OS X application called Analog. With the font chosen, some wondered if Leica were developing their own software. When I asked in an email, I was told, "Sorry to disappoint you, it's just Realmac software behind it." My original review of the application that was on the AMITIAE site is below.

Back in June 2012 I was interested to see that an app I had recently reviewed for the iPhone, Diptic, was also being released for OS X. Results with both were pleasing and it was a job well done. Fast forward to now and information released by Realmac earlier today tells us that Analog Camera is coming soon to the iPhone, reversing the process of Diptic.

Realmac have focused on the core features that were important - "stunning filters, incredibly fast and easy to use". In the enclosed text release, they also emphasise the fun aspect. The app will have a beautiful fluid interface, we are told: screen shots and video available indicate the design aspects have a high priority.

While no firm date is given right now, Realmac Software are saying, "later this month". This may well be something to look forward to.

[Original review of Analog for the Mac (29 September 2011)]

Over the last few months there have been several teaser videos on the internet for a coming-soon application with the name Analog. Initially, with the lettering used for the name, there was some speculation that this was a software release from Leica, but I contacted the developers who squashed that rumour: just us, they said.

As it turns out that may have been a little modest. The app was released earlier today and is now available from the online Mac App Store. The price is a reasonable $7.99 but there was a note concerning an introductory offer of $5.49. [The price is now shown as $9.99.]

Analog applies filters to digital images and the ease of use on a scale of 1 -10 is 11. There are 19 filters to choose from, plus Original [now 27]. A simple switch above the filters allows us access to Borders. In a similar panel -- displayed two by two, users have a selection of 13 filters [now 15] (plus original). Some of these make the finished image look like old film, with sprocket holes or film roll numbers beneath.

The filter effects and the borders are applied almost instantly: a gear wheel turns for a moment or so.

The main image display has four control icons that appear when the mouse is toggled over the area: near the bottom-centre of the image. These controls are Toggle processing (using the Analog icon), Crop image, Rotate image and Share. Each of these actions is also available via one of the menus. Some (not exporting) could also be applied using key commands.

The Toggle control changes the image back and forward: between the image with effects and the original without. When taking the effects Off, this was almost instant. However, when toggling the effect back ON, there was a lengthy delay and the computer slowed. After trying this a couple of times, the process became a little faster.

I also experienced considerable slowing when trying to open a second image using a Finder window. Once the image was displayed, the effects were applied easily and the processing was at the initial reasonable pace.

With the Crop command, a useful grid was placed over the image and the crop could be effected either using a tool with preset sizes, or an adjustable window. A check icon to the right accepted any change made. Rotate turned the image 90 degrees clockwise each time the icon was pressed. There was no anticlockwise toggle as far as I could tell.

Pressing the Export icon revealed a panel with a number of choices: Save As, so the image could be saved on the computer; Send via email, which brought up an email message ready for details to be entered. The image size could be adjusted. Other services available were export to CloudApp (an online service), to Facebook, Flickr and to Picasa. [Tumblr has been added and I am also able to export to Aperture.]

I exported an image that in its original form was 4928 x 3264. The saved version was 1708 x 1276 (just under 24" x 18"). While manipulating the images there were several processing delays, and the spinning wait cursor appeared for lengthy periods. Work in other open applications (for example typing in a text editor) was also delayed.

I quit and restarted the application, but the process was rather slow. I then opened smaller images and Analog was far better behaved. Looking at the intended export sources it is clear that this application has a limited intent: image effects and sharing, particularly using social networking sites, so the type of large image that I had initially tried, would not be what most users will be using.

My initial attempts with this were perhaps over-ambitious, but I work in Aperture and accessed that library via the Finder window, so was able to test the limits with large files. Were I to want to use such images in the future within Analog, I would expect to export them first or risk slowness if I were working on more than one image.

As an image manipulation application, its easiness makes it a useful addition to the collection of software for anyone who might want non-standard images -- with some interesting effects -- that can be processed and exported quite quickly to a number of popular sites.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.