Last summer, dedicated film photographer Don Goodman-Wilson released an app he designed specifically for film photographers. In November, he set the stage for regular releases of the Flint + Crown app with a significant update. The third such update is now available, adding the option to keep track of film in storage.
Available for both Android and iOS, the Crown + Flint smartphone app allows photographers to keep track of their equipment and the photos they capture. It serves as a replacement for taking notes in a physical notebook or note app that isn’t tailored to photographers and offers light meter capabilities to assist when taking photos.
When designing the app, Goodman-Wilson set some high expectations.
“It must collect relevant metadata on shots I take: Exposure, light metering, location, time, which camera body and lens I used, what film is loaded. It must be no more cumbersome to use than a hand-held light meter. It must make it easy to correlate the collected data with the physical film itself, ideally through some combination of printable sheets to store with the negatives and/or EXIF data I can merge into film scans. And it should reflect the needs of the photographer, not just the needs of the data being collected,” he explains.
The Crown + Flint R3 (third update), which is also called “Cold Storage,” adds even more convenience. The new update overhauls the “Unused” tab in the app to make it easier to keep track of film inventory. That includes bulk rolls and boxes of sheet film.
“If you’re like me, you’ve got rolls of film in your freezer, your fridge, out on your desk, it’s everywhere. Maybe you have a plan for it, maybe you don’t. Maybe it’s fresh, maybe it’s expired. Or maybe you just have a couple of rolls you’re not ready to use yet, you’re saving them for a rainy day,” explains the release notes.
I’ve personally been guilty of loading a roll of film into my camera and taking so long to get through it that I forget what’s in it and when I even started shooting it. Keeping track of that in an app is an extremely helpful tool. Plus, having the ability to easily pair camera settings and conditions with individual film frames is a great way to improve my film photography skills.
When users go to add film to their stock list, they have the option to include plenty of details. The app suggests the manufacturer name as they type and populates the various film options from that manufacturer. Then, users can select how the film is stored, the film format, and the quantity. There are fields for purchase date and expiration date, a blank notes section, and where the film is stored (refrigerator, bag, or freezer). Once a user inputs all that information, they can sort using filters, hopefully making finding a specific roll easier.
Beyond film storage, the R3 release also offers new support for cameras with interchangeable backs and film holders. Plus, the team improved the archive export for exiftool.
Crown + Flint already released what’s coming next back in November, and they appear to be sticking to that. R4 is dubbed “Homecoming” and will provide home screen and lock screen functionality, making it faster to pull up the app. R5, or “Filtered Reality” will add support for filters, taking the mental math of figuring out exposure out of the equation.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.