Right out of the box, Photoshop Mobile tends to be more in line with traditional computer-based post-processing. Virtually now learning curve if you are familiar with CS2 and up. There are all the normal settings like Saturation, Exposure, Contrast, B/W, Focus and Tint settings in addition to the “artistic” presets. Also unlike BC, PS Mobile gives you varying levels of each setting as opposed to a preset amount for each type of change. As a result you can get very sharp (for an iPhone shot) high contrast black and white images, which seem to be a favorite among iPhone shooters, myself included. In addition, PS Mobile also includes a Sketch mode as well as a sharpening tool.

The place where PS Mobile is lacking is the artistic modes they provide. I have found very few instances where the artistic presets actually added to the aesthetic of the image. Oh, and Adobe … if you’re reading this … that Rainbow tint has GOT to go. As I said before, if you like high contrast B/W images, you’ll love Photoshop mobile.

Photoshop Mobile also, as of the last version, has added in some great border choices. In a world where the camera phone has taken the place of the Polaroid, borders are an important detail in given the images that vintage look. I especially like the film emulsion border. I love to see more creative borders.

Chase Jarvis is a name that, if you are a photographer, you should already know. He stormed the iPhone world recently with his app, Best Camera. Being a fan of Chase, I bought it right out of the gate. After getting past a few of the birthing pains of a brand new app I have to admit I really enjoyed it. BC gives some seriously artistic presets to play with, as well as several settings. Some of these include, Fade, Warm, Cool, Contrast, Desaturate, Darken, and Vignette. However, as mentioned above, the strength of these are preset. You can stake them, but if the base effect is too strong, there is nothing you can do to really counter it.

A positive though, is that BC’s artistic presets are first rate, especially for those people who love super saturation or vintage images. This is where BC really shines, although there aren’t too many of them to choose from.

In conclusion, I have found Photoshop Mobile to be a highly usable image editor for on-the-go shooting. While I hate to say it, I also find it much more robust and usable than Chase’s Best Camera. However, I do recommend getting both of them due to the fact that multi-app processing brings a lot to the party. If you can only get one … snag Photoshop Mobile.

Both apps can be found on the iTunes App Store. Chase Jarvis’ Best Camera is currently selling for 2.99. Photoshop.com Mobile is Free.