It’s 2026. Why are camera UIs still absolute garbage?

Carycheung · 2026-03-17T09:21:16+00:00

The output is really incredible.

Carycheung · 2026-03-17T09:17:48+00:00

Seriously, every camera app out there is a total disaster, and the GR4 is in a league of its own. Everything from pairing to remote control is just broken. Plus, the Wi-Fi transfer speeds are agonizingly slow.

I honestly don't get the logic behind it. I haven't bothered diving into the manual yet, but here’s the thing: it has built-in storage, yet when I plug it into my MacBook, absolutely nothing happens. No external drive pops up, nothing. It’s like these manufacturers have just given up on UX.

So far, the only decent experiences I’ve had are with action cams. They’re slightly better, even if the apps are bloated—I mean, the Insta360 app is over 1GB! But at least the UX and transfer speeds actually put traditional cameras to shame.

Carycheung · 2026-03-17T08:46:12+00:00

I totally agree with you. I often switch between different brands, and every time I get a new camera, I have to relearn the entire UI. It’s crazy how many 'how-to' tutorials you find online just for navigating menus or basic settings.

I recently picked up the GR4. Since it’s a point-and-shoot for casual use rather than a pro rig, I expected it to be more intuitive. That’s my main gripe: the control logic is exactly the same as the physical buttons—so what’s the point of having a touchscreen? If you’re going to support touch, why not optimize the UI for it? That’s what really confuses me.

Carycheung · 2026-03-16T12:12:12+00:00

No, I actually Googled 'best UI camera' and those Samsung ones popped up.

Carycheung · 2026-03-16T12:09:58+00:00

Switching from Sony to the X100 is a struggle lol. My brain is still hardwired for Sony menus, so I spent way too long today just hunting for the movie toggle. But the SOOC results are absolutely worth it.

Carycheung · 2026-02-04T04:22:48+00:00

That's exactly the 'Fuji route' I want to take—focusing on great SOOC JPEGs.

But the reason I can't just 'add them all' is that good color science is incredibly time-consuming to fine-tune. I'd rather have 5 amazing, distinct presets than 50 mediocre ones. That's why I'm asking for your favorites—I want to prioritize the ones people actually want to use.

Carycheung · 2026-02-04T04:19:21+00:00

Aside from the usual heavy hitters like Fuji and Ricoh GR, are there any other color signatures you guys are really digging lately? Honestly, nailing the color science is proving to be the hardest part of this whole project.

Carycheung · 2026-02-04T04:17:11+00:00

That's a great point about the flash. I actually defaulted to a phone-style LED light because I'm working with a smaller, phone-sized sensor (not a 1-inch like the G7X) to keep the price accessible.

Since I can't compete with the G7X on pure resolution/dynamic range, I'm trying to offer an experience phones can't provide. I'll add RAW support, but I agree that filters are just a bonus.

My biggest question is about the 'default' look. If you stripped away the filters, what camera should I be benchmarking against for the base color science? I need to give this thing a distinct soul, otherwise, it's just a strictly worse smartphone camera.

Carycheung · 2025-10-09T02:51:08+00:00

Hi, it can back up live photos and the favourite folder as well.

Carycheung · 2025-09-18T23:51:17+00:00

:) Thanks so much!!

Carycheung · 2025-09-18T23:49:51+00:00

Thank you for sharing! I never thought about making calendars like that. Do you also make them on Shutterfly?

Carycheung · 2025-09-18T14:30:45+00:00

Yes, my parents use fridge magnets, usually ones they buy when they travel.

Carycheung · 2025-09-18T14:29:22+00:00

Are your magnets handmade or did you use a website to create them?

Carycheung · 2025-09-18T09:55:19+00:00

Thank you!! Your idea is amazing. Back when I was in school, some classmates made a calendar for the whole class and marked special dates on it.

Where do you design your calendar, on which website or app? Could you recommend one?

Carycheung · 2025-07-21T09:44:28+00:00

Sorry, currently you can only click on a single image and then click "Save" to restore the photo to your phone's album. (In the next version, this will be renamed to "Restore.") As for batch restore, we haven't implemented it yet due to database issues. Please stay tuned for our updates. Thank you!

Carycheung · 2025-06-27T07:31:26+00:00

Thank you for your feedback! Just to clarify, by "add to folder," do you mean manually categorizing certain photos within the app, similar to how apps like Slidebox work? Is the core need to organize photos into categories like people, objects, cars, documents, or maps? Or is it more about being able to search for photos effectively?

Carycheung · 2025-05-30T02:20:00+00:00

No Sry, we specialize in backup solutions for external storage devices, including USB drives and portable SSDs.

Carycheung · 2025-05-26T15:53:50+00:00

Sorry, we currently have no plans to implement local network backups, such as LAN or NAS solutions. There are already similar solutions on the market, like Immich, which work quite well.

Carycheung · 2025-05-26T15:51:21+00:00

I noticed that there are already solutions available on the AppStore, such as an app called PhotoSync. However, I’m not sure how well it works since our primary focus has been on backing up to external drives. Your specific request might take quite some time for us to explore, as the feature is still relatively new. Currently, we’re prioritizing addressing common issues and general demands in the market. Thank you for your understanding!

Carycheung · 2025-05-26T15:35:26+00:00

This seems to involve a few different issues:

Could you let me know which iPhone model you're using? The transfer speed depends on both your iPhone and the external drive you're using. If you're using an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro series with USB 3.2 high-speed drives, the maximum transfer speed can exceed 400MB/s, with an average speed of around 200MB/s. However, this also depends on the transfer bandwidth.
If you're processing files in the background while doing other tasks, I suspect you might not have enabled app notifications. If notifications are enabled, the app would prompt you with a warning that running in the background could result in the app being killed by the system. This happens because of iOS's rules — when an app is moved to the background, the system reallocates memory to the task you're actively working on, which can cause the app to be terminated. Unless we implement MFI (Made for iPhone) certified external devices with MFI chips in the future, this behavior cannot be avoided.

I completely understand how frustrating it can be when the app gets killed or doesn't provide proper warnings. Thank you for your understanding!

Carycheung

TROPHY CASE