TriCamera - Triptych Camera for iOS

TriCamera, at first glance, looks like a solidly-built, easy-to-use app, but there is a certain learning curve here, which when combined with sometimes unclear directions, can be frustrating. For those who get past these initial stages, however, the app allows you to create some fairly appealing photos, even if some steps are, at times, unnecessary.

The basic idea of TriCamera is that you take three photos and line them up to create a larger, full-size photo in landscape mode. While the iPhone has a panorama option, TriCamera creates more static images that look good in smaller spaces. The problems we had with TriCamera were not related to the photos, which looked great. It was with initial setup and user interface. The instructions are not always clear and there are a lot of buttons onscreen, many of which need to be locked or unlocked as you progress. The result can be frustrating because, in the end, all you are doing is taking three images and combining them, and these early issues just seem to get in the way of what should be a fairly easy process.

Eventually, the disparate elements of TriCamera come together to create a powerful multilevel photo snapping tool. If you get to that point, you'll enjoy the app and probably create some very cool photos. Ultimately, this app is good, but it's probably not for the casual user. It seems best suited for those with a deep interest in photography and the patience to learn how to use the app.