PhotoPills Reviews

by Wired4Sound

PhotoPills provides an incredible amount of information about position is sun and moon at any time. It also shows direction of the Milky Way and meteor showers. Very useful for planning specific photographs. The user interface is befuddling. There’s no in-app help, and it’s not intuitive at all. I’ve watched the online videos and read the web pages. That can walk you through doing a specific thing, but good luck remembering the next time. It’s just too obtuse. Note that PhotoPills does not provide info on location of planets or stars.

by Kbtoystore

I will put in my coordinates to plan a shot. Send them to the planner only for it to override to my current location.

I am unable to just start from the planner and set my location other than dragging the pin. Not very ideal when I know the gps coordinates I want to enter.

The AR features are cool, but be sure to bring a notebook and pen to write down the information on the shot you want to take because PhotoPills is little more than just a tool to provide insight on when you might want to take a shot.

by Jcatherw

For example, I have dropped the red pin but what if I don’t have a place to plant the black pin? Also, in Night AIR, PhotoPills had me looking in the wrong direction! If my friend didn’t have excellent vision, I never would have pointed my camera in the correct direction of the Milky Way. PhotoPills , even having watched all the videos on how to photograph the Milky Way, doesn’t help figure out the the exposure settings—unless I only want to photograph meteor showers or an eclipse. I am also uncomfortable with all the ‘experts’ being men; have not women also used your app?

by TofuNatto

PhotoPills is so confusing to use. Yes, I know there are helpful videos that the devs release regularly. But sometimes I'll forget how to do something even after I've watched a video. And having the users watch a video to be able to understand PhotoPills is a UX failure. PhotoPills is powerful and really awesome with what it can accomplish. I just really wish they made it easier to navigate and use.

For example, when in the 'planner' area of PhotoPills , there are all these icons with the pin that I have no idea what they mean. I have to tap around and try to blindly figure out what each one does. Could a label be added underneath? I know the font would be small. Perhaps there's a better solution. But please make PhotoPills more usable for people that want to just pick it up and use it.

Thanks.

by Foto_alaska

First and foremost I'm a software user and the main reason I use Apple products is because of stability, they just work and I don't have to worry about them. One of the tools that I use the most in PhotoPills is the DoF Calculator. There is a serious problem with this part of PhotoPills that literally freezes PhotoPills with no response. There's been over three updates since I noticed this problem and it still is a reoccurring problem. The thing that confused me more is that these newer features are being put into the application with this problem still existing! I've deleted PhotoPills and reinstalled it and it still does not fix the problems that keep on reoccurring. I really am about stability first in features second. I would really appreciate it if you guys could make this a priority and fix it!

by Colin Robertson

If you’re a photographer, this is one of the most essential apps you can have on your phone, bar none.

My only real complaints are that the user interface can be confusing at times. For example, I can never seem to remember how to add a location in the planner “pill”, which often has me going to The Photographers Ephemeris to find what I need.

Besides UI tweaks (can we please have the ability to customize the pills order? 🙏), I would love to see an Apple Watch app! I envision customizable watch complications and small functions like long exposure timers and DOF & exposure calculators. It’d be great to see the sun & moon timelines in the large complication slot! I’m crossing my fingers that this is on the feature list… 🤞

by Droszel

Just downloaded PhotoPills after seeing it mentioned on the website of an Australian photographer. Haven’t used it yet, but have done the “tour” and gone through Settings. Have to say I’m impressed with the interface. Am also impressed with what I’ve seen of developer follow up to comments posted in the Review section of the this app app. After I use PhotoPills a while, I’ll see if it’s possible to come back and update this review. So far, however, I’m impressed with what I’ve seen.

by Gordini27

For an outdoor Photograhper being armed with knowledge is as important as remembering to pack your camera. Knowing EXACTLY when and when a full moon will rise, the sun will set, or the galactic core of the Milky Way will be visible will allow you to plan and capture incredible images. There are so many great tools and features built into this app that it has become absolutely essential for everything I shoot. Five stars are just not enough for this incredible App. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

by MTGMAN1

I’ve had PhotoPills for a while now and had just dabbled with it. Now after deciding to get serious with my landscape photography and having lost nearly 20,000 images due to not backing up systematically I’m once again building my photo collection. As I’m planning several locations I realize how complete PhotoPills is. I’ve used Light Trac, (which I like), but this app seems much more complete. That being said I strongly suggest going to their website and downloading the user guide so you can get the most out of this program.
As photographers we must be fluent with not only our photography gear, but with image processing software, etc. this app is 1 more important and helpful tool to learn how to use for exceptional photographs rather than just ordinary pictures. The $10 is a valuable investment in your craft.

by MEdwardsL

this app is by far the best all-around planning tool to help bring your images to fruition. The team is also responsive. When I first started using PhotoPills I had a suggestion that I submitted. Turns out it was a feature already built in and they let me know. Get PhotoPills & clothes — you need both anyway so support these guys!

by Geezerpunk

So much power for so little money. I use this all the time. I have months of plans set up and ready to review. Really saves time scouting our locations.
I set up plans first, then I try to get out and scout the location ahead of shooting and use the AR view to make sure I’m in the right spot.
Also, the PhotoPils folks have a ton of documentation, tutorials and helpful articles to get you going and stay inspired.

by JHoffmann117

I had originally been using a cheap ($3) app that had a bare bones version of the sun tracker. But I got frustrated by that app’s poor design and heard a few photographers mention this app. Spent the $10 and have already used it to plan & execute some amazing astrophotos of the Milky Way. There are so many features and tools packed into there it’s crazy, yet the UI is super intuitive and easy to use. All of that takes a lot of work, $10 is an absolute steal!

Think about this: if PhotoPills was somehow converted into a standalone gadget, you’d find photography stores selling it for $100, minimum.

The planner tool is amazing, with the ability to view a map and layer on the precise positions of the sun, moon, Milky Way galactic center (& arm), various meteor showers, eclipses, custom calculated shadow lengths for objects of any height at any elevation. And that’s just one “pill”! There are a bunch of other “pills” such as the time lapse calculator tool, depth of field, and more.

by Drove19

Love PhotoPills hands down. Just one thing I want to mention with iOS 14 is PhotoPills in the widget sucked my battery down from 100% to 25% in 4 hours and heated up my phone. Also the phone would barely charge with the widget active at 20% in 1.5 hours. Turned the widget off and the phone is charging way faster, not hot and the battery lasts like it normally does. Hope the devs can fix this cause I’d love to have the widget.

by Brskier

I’m a wedding photographer and I do a lot of night/Milky Way shoots with couples. this app is absolutely essential for what I do. I spend a little time during the day scouting locations and compositions before the shoot and I screenshot the MW in the frame during the day and it’s so easy to replicate the frame at night. This is a must-have app for night photographers, but especially useful for me as I have a short window with 🥶 clients and I don’t have time to experiment with compositions.

by Joshua Crites

I'm a landscape photographer and I've been using PhotoPills for a long time. You can see my work on instagram (joshua_p_crites) or 500px. This AP has saved me many hours of wasted trips. At first it was a little intimidating, but after watching a tutorial and using it a little bit, I love it. If you're a photographer who is interested in sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, Milky Way, or Astro photography this is PhotoPills for you. The only thing that I would love to see incorporated into this would be a tide chart and swell info, otherwise it's awesome.

by Mwx7

I’m a complete beginner. Know nothing about astrophotography but wanted to attempt to take a photo of the Milky Way with my new iPhone 12 Pro Max. Bought PhotoPills about three weeks before my trip to a Dark Sky National Park; read and watched the many useful tutorials online made available by the developers and boom, got an incredible shot of the Galactic Center on my very first attempt. Thank you and I will be playing more with the many other incredible features available in PhotoPills.

by Smaip

This is the best app I have ever used. I have had a longtime interest in photography but haven’t had the time to pursue it. I have recently gotten serious about photography in general and astrophotography in particular. The internet has everything you need but also has everything you don’t need. Most sources are good at telling you what you need to do but does not explain how to do it. Others tell you how to do it but in terms of an expert. PhotoPills pulls it all together..... the basics, the planning and the tools to pull it off. I am amazed.

by NLerMacMan

WOW, BRAVO, I think this is the single coolest app I have ever used on so many levels. It is wonderfully laid out and easy to navigate and use. I highly recommend it for any photographer either novice or professional who’s interest lies in just about any genre of photography. There is something in PhotoPills for everyone. If you have an Apple Watch with a compass (series 5 or later I believe) it makes planning the perfect photograph fun and easy to do. With a little luck from the weather gods, who knows, the stars might align and you’ll get the shot of a lifetime 😉.

by Powers111

If you are a freelance photographer/videographer PhotoPills is a must. At $10 people will complain about having to pay but seriously I bet within one year I’ll be paying less than .01¢ per use. I just was referred to PhotoPills by another professional and I instantly downloaded. We agreed that this tool would be worth paying for the type of info it provides every time you’re on a shoot. The amount of camera types it has and can calculate settings, distance, and even an AR preview of your subjects proper location at the set f/stop, lens mm, and camera mm along with a 35mm equivalent. It even takes crop factor into the equation. Don’t write reviews ever but PhotoPills and developer deserve it. Obviously a professional photographer themselves.

by Connections Are The Key

I am a beginner astrophotographer and I find PhotoPills primary to my ability to plan for shoots! Like most photographers the weather dictates if and when I can shoot so being able to plan is crucial to getting the projects I am striving to finish! I found this app because I was searching for an app or site that showed me the exact heading (or azimuth) the sun would set at and I could find no real information. I seen a post by a fellow Astrophotographer and ever since then I have been off to the races! Seriously speaking...the $$ you spend on PhotoPills is well worth it considering all of the apps PhotoPills makes obsolete. The sheer amount of time is worth the few bucks they charge! I love it and I won’t be without it again!!!

by Heltemes

PhotoPills appears to be a great way to take incredible photos with your iPhone. That’s what it says in the description. Or so you’d think. This is just a tool to help you take photos with another camera.

To the developer- I’ve read your passive aggressive and borderline insulting replies to other similar reviews and I want to tell you that I DID read the description. The description of PhotoPills is deceptive, and based on your obnoxious replies to users, I’m guessing that this is by design. This really does read as an app that is able to take photos as well as give ideas for other cameras. Nowhere, as the [extremely long and disjointed] description does it say anything about this not being a photo taking app. Which is what you told other reviewers is plainly written in the description. So save me the annoying and patronizing replies with stupid emojis asking me to remove this because I didn’t read the review. This is staying. And yes, I’ll ask Apple for a refund.

by FPU93

The planner function is quite confusing, the developer should make adjustments so it is easier to use. It took me a while to figure out how to change place (locates under “load”, which doesn’t make sense because you find a place, not load a place) and date (need to tap the tiny clock symbol). I still don’t understand what all the symbols under the plus sign mean, there is no explanation.

by Sneh2107

I am still learning PhotoPills but once you learn the amount of possibilities it opens up is just tremendous. Such a powerful tool to be a pro photographer and get shots that you can probably never get if you didn’t have PhotoPills . Invest time in getting to know it and you will make the best of it. Thank you to the team who developed it. Such an intuitive and useful app.

by Alan Chinnock

I watched a training video on this app done by Erik Kuna at Kelby One and thought this would be useful for Milky Way and moon shots. When I downloaded PhotoPills I was blown away. It is so much more. And it comes with a great User Guide and tutorials and videos and the most enthusiastic developers. I am just starting to learn my way around PhotoPills and have not shot any photos yet, but I expect they will be great. Well worth the money.