The iPad’s camera already has plenty of features that let you do cool things right out of the box. Along with taking pictures and recording video, you can read QR codes, scan documents, and measure objects in augmented reality with the Measure app.
The App Store offers software that finds even more uses for the iPad cameras, both front and back. Some, such as ProCam 6 and Filmic Pro, give you more control of camera settings while taking photos or capturing video.
The apps that follow all use the iPad camera to do something extra with the image, such as extract colors, equations, or edges or help you use the image to do something interesting, such as create a movie, draw, or manage a meeting.
Create a Color Palette With Adobe Capture CC
Adobe Capture CC relies on the camera to deliver several services: to turn an image into vectors, patterns, brushes, or even a 3D object, among others. One of its best tricks is how it can create a 5-color theme from a photo. Move color dots on the screen to the colors you want as part of your palette if you don’t like the ones it auto-selects. The app is free and allows for up to 2GB of storage, with an upgrade to 20GB of storage per month available.
A versatile app that lets you use your camera to create custom tools and palettes.
Requires you to sign in with either a free Adobe ID, Facebook, or Google account.
Trace a Work of Art with Da Vinci Eye: Anyone Can Draw
While it doesn’t draw for you, the Da Vinci Eye: Anyone Can Draw app may help you trace and sketch a bit better. You’ll need to place your iPad several inches above a piece of paper and then select an image to draw and position it on the screen. Adjust the opacity to see the original picture, your drawing, or a bit of both.
Smart, selectable use of the camera and opacity settings.
Make sure to position your iPad and drawing where they won’t be bumped or move. It can be a bit tricky to re-align things.
Capture Whiteboards, Documents, and More With Microsoft Office Lens
Use the free Microsoft Office Lens app to take a photo of a whiteboard, document, or business card. The app recognizes the edges of the object, removes glare, and lets you crop the image, add text, or draw annotations. You can then export it to several other applications, including OneNote, OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, Photos, among others.
Recognizes edges and captures the content of documents and dry erase board images well.
Doesn’t always convert handwritten letters accurately.
Convert Physical Notes Into Virtual Ones in Padlet
Padlet offers a virtual wall on which you can arrange notes, links, images, video, and more, in a variety of layouts. And you can create a new board with your camera: Open the app, tap to add a new board, choose Catscan, and then take a picture of notes on a wall. Padlet turns them into virtual notes on a board that you can add additional content to as you resize or rearrange your entries. With the free version, the app includes ads and limits you to 10MB of files and three boards. An upgrade to Pro removes ads, increases storage to 250MB, and lets you create an unlimited number of projects.
Catscan may be the simplest way to make virtual notes out of small squares stuck on a wall.
Catscan isn’t available in the desktop version if you work on multiple platforms.
Point and Solve With Photomath
Stuck without a solution for a math problem? Open the free PhotoMath app and point the camera at an equation. The app will recognize numbers and variables and show you each step you need to reach the solution.
A fantastic app for math homework help.
Keep an eye on the kids to make sure they work the problem first and then grab the app, not the other way around.
Identify Stars, Planets, and More in Sky Guide
Sky Guide displays stars, planets, satellites, and more on your iPad’s screen. Tap the compass and camera, then point your screen in any direction to see objects relative to your current position and orientation. The basic version includes a catalog of 2.5 million stars, or you can upgrade to Supermassive for an improved star catalog and support for high-definition zooming.
Night vision mode dims the screen and displays items with a faint red color.
Extended viewing of the night sky while holding an iPad in the air will build arm strength, but may also be a bit tiring.
Create Animated Movies With Stop Motion Studio
Create stop-motion animated videos frame-by-frame with the camera on your iPad and the free Stop Motion Studio app. Cut, copy, or paste frames, add audio, and export in SD or HD formats. Upgrade to unlock the ability to add effects, import images, work with higher resolutions, and more.
Powerful step-by-step image capture.
Ability to display preceding image overlaid on current camera view (also known as “onion skinning”).
Timing is everything: It may take some experimentation for people to learn how much (or little) to adjust an object to achieve the desired animated movement.
Find Your Type With What the Font
Ever see a sign, ad, or book cover and wonder… what the font? This free app helps you locate many fonts that either match or are very close to the font found in your photo. The app includes links to MyFonts.com, where you may purchase identified fonts (prices vary)
Finds matches for most widely-used fonts.
Shows alternatives even if an exact match isn’t identified.
You need to capture the font photo front-on and level. The app struggles to accurately identify fonts captured from a side angle or with a tile.
Results may not be spot-on.
Zoom Cloud Meetings: A Portable Conference App
With excellent battery life and a large screen, the iPad works well for remote conferencing that uses the camera to let you see other people in your meeting. Zoom Cloud Meetings supports video, whiteboarding, and file sharing and also enables screen sharing from your iPad to other attendees.
Zoom includes most of the features people will want in a mobile meeting app.
The ability to share a screen, real-time from an iPad is an impressive feature.
No way to apply the 40-minute time limit for group meetings to all meetings we attend and not just those where we use the free version of Zoom.
The free version limits group meetings to 100 people and 40 minutes, although one-on-one meetings are not time-limited. Paid options remove these boundaries.
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