Carbon - B&W Filters & Effects Reviews

by R. Rosen

So I must begin by admiring the filters. I am a professional photographer and rarely do images hit my phone without being rendered complete. But with Carbon I found myself exploring new options for my finished images as black and white photos. And I was impressed. And I’m glad to spend the money to purchase all the add-ons... but like all apps, when I test, I test for many things... including compression. This was most frustrating. I found that if I take a 14mb image, Carbon would compress it down to 450kb when saved. If I chose to save through direct airdrop, the image. Would still compress but would net out at 850kb. Either way, I would much rather be in control of the compression output, over Carbon dictating this. For how much I loved the filters, I would consider Carbon a total waste of time and money unless your goal is to share pixelated images to the world. So, I have a hard time giving a better rating until the compression issue is fixed. But I love the simplicity and filters of Carbon otherwise. I look forward to changing my review, this is can be a good app, but currently it is not even a consumer-friendly app in a modern high def world.

by RasRaven

Dear this app, please let me use your app before you ask me to read it in Carbon Store. All I did was download it, open it, and prepare to explore it. But first thing, I am greeted with a screen asking me if I love Carbon ! And asking me to review it! It would be really smart of you to wait to do this until people have actually had a chance to look at Carbon and see whether or not they like it, if it works, if it’s something that expands their creativity, or inspires them. I have the intention of looking at Carbon and possibly playing with it even though on the same screen I had a screaming add to buy more things without even knowing what I was looking at. I still haven’t looked at Carbon because it just seems so ridiculous to ask me for a review before I even got past the very first screen which didn’t show me anything except ask me for review and try to sell me stuff that I thought it would be smart to just let everyone know that this is what they should expect. So there is the review you asked for. Sheesh.

by JhtDesign

I’ve been using Carbon for around 2 years with their black and white collection. I paid for this collection of filters and was happy. Today, I went to use them and it asked me to pay for a subscription to use what I’ve already paid for.

I tried to report the problem in Carbon and nothing would go through.

I’m upset, I’m being gouged, and what I paid for isn’t working, and I can’t reach any customer service. Not only should Carbon refund me, this could be a legal matter. Especially if it effects others who are in this scenario.

by K.c.616c

I love Carbon and have created very many great looking black and white images using it. I would say control options is what sets this apart from the other apps in its class. However this last big update some of the best things about Carbon have changed. The warm control now actually changes the color of the image from a cool berg blue color to a warm sepia color. Before the image would stay black and white but the tone would change without the actual color changing which allowed me to get some very interesting tones out of the image. The hue control used to be the same way now it changes the actual hue of the photo which won’t make any difference unless you make it warmer or cooler. Those were the 2 main features that set Carbon apart from the others for me and now it’s just not as useful or as fun for me to use. I wish developers would change this back or give the user the option to do so. Other than this I would have rated it 5 stars

by FIT SF

You got greedy. Instead of focusing on volume with low profit per download you went high out the gate. I paid the $3.99 because I gave you the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe Just maybe there would be something else. I downloaded on my iPad and now my phone. The worst part is the download on my phone is not recognizing my email as an existing user. 👎🏼

I have one suggestion.
Would b great if you offered an erase option at least. This way I can erase the color off the photo on areas I feel will pop through the color more. Just a thought

by Chr1s Reviews

I went for it and bought the full upgrade but they really missed a few important items that would make the whole app more user friendly.

1) you can’t select the folder in your albums you want to search the the photo in. This means if you are looking for an old folder you have to scroll forever and most likely Carbon will crash before you can find said older photo.

2) when you test out a filter you can’t zoom in. Only being able to see a small version of a photo without being able to zoom in on individuals faces is a pretty big issue to me.

3) it’s very hard to compare filters. With there being so many, it would be better if you could select 3-5 possibilities for each photo so you can more easily narrow things down.

There are probably much better black and white photo filters than this and Sadly I didn’t realize Carbon ’s limitations till after I had paid for it.

by SusanF2013

The B&W filters are great but I obtained Carbon to add a border and 3D canvas to my photo after seeing someone else’s images on FB. With a border and canvas, my photograph looks like a work of art! The other feature I really like is the ready lists of hashtags to copy into my Instagram post.

The message on the hashtag page says that all I need to do is shake my iPhone to communicate a new hashtag category. This does not work with my iPhone 7 Plus. Please add categories for Birds - one for shore birds, one for garden birds and one for raptors/birds of prey. If those categories get added, I’ll upgrade your rating to 5 stars.

by Jam7382

Love the sleek black and white filters, really makes my photos look professional. Looking forward to the next update !

Update: been using Carbon for a while and I'd say it's become a standard part of my workflow. It's missing some stuff but overall I'm happy with it. No other apps have the diversity of black and white filters that this app has and this is the key reason I keep coming back. Suggestions for the developers is to add in percentages for the sliders, increase output resolution options, allow us to save editing sequences and also to bulk edit photos. Good stuff so far. Looking forward to the updates!

Update 2: I have another suggestion for you guys. One thing that I noticed was that sometimes, the hashtag feature won't let me post all the tags, the post will just be cancelled, and so I have to manually delete a couple before it will work. If we could set a number on the tags we wanted to copy, that would be great! I use the tag feature a lot so that would be amazing!

by Mibesto803

This is a great app, but what the developers fail to mention is that practically every filter in the "everything" bundle is also included in their "TRIPPY" app. So, if you have "TRIPPY," all you need to buy is the $3.99 b&w bundle.

Also, kind of a rip off in that I paid $3.99 just for b&w, then thought I'd go ahead and get everything. Was charged -not the difference-- but for the whole suite, which includes the b&w. So.... ended up paying nearly $25 when all I really needed was a $3.99 b&w bundle.

by Chandra Bodapati

I use 20+ photo editing apps. this app is my go to app if I want b&w filters. The filters are easy to use. The output looks very professional.

Lot of my photo subjects are from India with varying skin tones and varying color clothes. this app provides fantastic output. People love my bw this app converted image over the color images I get from them.

Good job keep developing more great features

—
One thing I want to see.
When i am editing pictures, I like the way it looks with shadow and framing.
I would love to be able to safe a high resolution picture with shadows etc
At present i snap the image of the screen and use the photo. The resolution is lost.

Would love to see a way to save the entire photo and shading as I see on the edit.

All the best
Chandra

by Berilynzoeee

One night while using Carbon I accidentally downloaded/purchased all the filters & textures because of the in-app purchase feature & finger print scanner on iphones (which has since been turned off to avoid that from happening again). I landed in a bit of a panic because I figured if I messaged Livintis they'd probably respond that there was nothing they could do because I'm an idiot.

BOY. WAS. I. WRONG.

I got an immediate response from the creator of Carbon apologizing for the mixup & asking me to send him proof of purchase & my paypal info so he can send a refund. While I hadn't actually been charged yet it took a few days for me to send that info to him. Once I sent it my refund was immediate!

I couldn't believe how understanding he was of the situation when he could've responded "sorry you're an idiot I can't help you" & leave it at that but he totally understood & helped me out.

While I don't have all the fancy filters, using the filters the free pack offers I'll still continue to use Carbon because I like what it has to offer & because of how Livintis handled everything. I'll be sure to check out what other app's they have to offer now & in the future.

A great app & great customer service.
Keep up the amazing work everyone!

by FujiShooter

Excellent, simple, powerful, professional app. The workflow is logical and the presets are perfect. Very easy to get stunning results quickly. It is also very powerful. I highly recommend the additional presets, such as, texture. There are several and they are reasonably priced. All in all a great app. I have it on my iPhone and on my iPad. The one thing that does need attention is the ability to run Carbon in horizontal mode, on the iPad.

by Ruby Forest

The best BNW app but the only problem is the mixed messaging...in app theres nothing telling you...if you are paying $20 for a lifetime membership or paying $20 for a subscription...nothing pops up on your iTunes subscriptions either...hopefully they update this soon and those like me who purchased before subscriptions are implemented get a lifetime subscription...cause hell $20 is nothing to scoff at for an app. Lol [Real Talk]

by F3l1tr0n

I really love using Carbon to edit my photos with black and white filters. These black and white filters have their unique touch which makes your photos even more special. In addition, u have textures and light leaks to give your photos more detail and more uniqueness. However, my favorite feature on Carbon has to be the borders. I apply borders to every single pic i edit on Carbon. These borders give the photo a nice touch of classy which i love. If you are looking for some good B&W filters and some good editing, Carbon is for you. Amazing app.

by This Nickname Is Taken Pls Choose Another

Carbon is a must have for b&w enthusiasts. There are a ton of filters and features. Easy to use and my pics look awesome.

Customer service beats all hands down. I had a question and it answered quickly and completely. Then I needed some more advice and each time I had a reply in a matter of hours. The developers get 5 stars just for that. They truly want to make sure the customer is happy. The in app purchase is a one time fee. Not some crazy subscription like most apps. Well worth the cost.

by Jseasphotos

For a while now I have been trying different editing apps and what I bought was doing me just fine until one day I came across this app...I instantly fell in love. I love black and white photos and this is just what I needed for what I do. In addition they just came with the desk top version. I wish I didn’t have to pay for mobile and desk top but that’s neither here nor there I have them both now and I have no complaints. I look forward to what else you guys bring to Carbon .

by Kevin D’Elia

I had taken a look at Carbon a year or so ago and was disappointed with the filters and the price I paid for the full pack. I must now reverse that opinion and review. The developer has done an AMAZING job of revamping all the filters to a very high quality. As it is now Autumn in my area I resort to primarily B&W photography so re-downloaded this app. I’ve made some beautiful edits with it. One of the filters rendered a picture of some leaves in my area with terrific creamy tones. I got many likes on EyeEm for it. It is definitely an app you want in your editing arsenal. Keep up the great effort to keep Carbon top-notch!

by DarknessKnightmare

I use this for most of my b&w photography and editing. There’s so many different filters to use, textures to apply, and grain to change the look and feel of your photo. I use this to convey a nostalgic feeling to some and others make them into jaw-dropping clarity in b&w. I recently had an issue with Carbon crashing and not loading properly on my iPhone X (2017) and I messaged the developer Ritvik. His customer service was awesome and he was standing by to make sure I was satisfied with Carbon . The recent update really changed some details and I’m glad I downloaded Carbon and i tell my buddies about it too.

by An Apple User (Obviously)

I was captivated by the stunning images on the front. I was also skeptical of the people who raved about the terrible quality of Carbon . So I downloaded it.
I must say that it does its job: provide you with black-and-white filters. However, you only have access to the first four filters before you have to pay. If you pay, you get the rest of the filters, textures, and whatnot.
The free filters aren’t that much different from the filters in your default photos app. So if you only want to stick with the free filters, you’re better off with your regular photos app. But if you’re willing to pay, the filters look amazing, and it’s promising. So go ahead.

by Nm85927

I love the black and white filters in this app. I've tried a lot of other photo editing apps and none of them do black and white so well. Sometimes the filters bring out shades that I didn't think were possible without color. Yes, some of the other apps have some more nuanced controls, but the one click b&w filters in this one offer such a variety that it makes creating a black and white photograph super easy. One thing I wish we could do is save favorite filters and also be able to go back directly to the camera roll if we chose the wrong image instead of going to the start. Oh also would love filters for desktop, i'd definetely get some of them. Video editing would be amazing too. Please add it!

by Scottkatz

I’m truly disappointed in the fact that Carbon costs a premium price but does not include very many updates. Since I’ve owned Carbon I can only count on maybe one hand a few minor improvements. I’m not fond of the fact that each time you open Carbon they ask you if you want to use their sample image to practice with the software. There are very few editorial tools that are commonly found in other apps for such things as highlight and shadow compensation, etc. additionally more presets would be a welcome addition. Other apps who use presets typically add presets monthly and if not then at least yearly. I’m disappointed to say the least.

by Oldmanmikey1956

This is a great app, but what the developers fail to mention is that practically every filter in the "everything" bundle is also included in their "TRIPPY" app. So, if you have "TRIPPY," all you need to buy is the $3.99 b&w bundle.

Also, kind of a rip off in that I paid $3.99 just for b&w, then thought I'd go ahead and get everything. Was charged -not the difference-- but for the whole suite, which includes the b&w. So.... ended up paying nearly $25 when all I really needed was a $3.99 b&w bundle.

by Twadewunder

This has been my go to app for photo editing. The various filters and textures have allowed me to create moody and haunting type photos. I love the wide range of effects it offers and the creative freedom I have found in using it. I’m quite new to photography and I don’t always understand all the technical in’s and out’s, but Carbon has made my learning process extremely enjoyable! Keep it up!