Velop FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

30 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

This is the reference desk: thirty questions photographers ask once they have felt the camera, the developing tray, and the gallery.

Read in order or dip by topic; every answer is written for field use. 

1. Does Velop upload my images to a server? (Privacy)

No. Your images never leave the bench. Velop is a local darkroom: no upload pipeline, no cataloging of your subjects, no remote processing. Files remain on your device and in your Apple Camera Roll vault that you control. For questions regarding the privacy policy, data privacy concerns, or to report an issue, please contact us at: support@velop.camera

2. What is the Velop Philosophy?

Velop treats your device as a precision instrument—mechanical in hand, chemical in spirit. We trade algorithmic haste for the slow honor of trays, safelights, and glass you can trust.

3. What is a "Standard Photo" versus a "Velop"?

The Standard Photo is the straight photo in JPEG, HEIF, or ProRAW where supported—light fixed to silicon without tray romance. The Velop Video is the timed development reel (.mov). The Velop Photo is the finished print: grain, era chemistry, and contrast exactly as dialed before exposure. One release of the shutter, three faithful witnesses.

4. If I enable all saves, do I get three files every time?

Yes. When all three toggles are on in The Darkroom – Settings, every 'Snap' delivers a trio to your Apple Camera Roll: the Velop Video, the Velop Photo, and the Standard Photo. You can toggle these off in Settings to save space or simplify your workflow.

5. Why does saving take longer than a standard camera app?

Velop refuses the disposable snapshot cadence. We are grading emulsion, precipitating grain, and threading a motion file while Photos certifies the write—work a generic camera app never attempts. The interval is chemistry.

6. Does the Velop Watermark show on my Standard Photo?

No. We respect your work. The Velop Watermark only appears on the Velop Video. Your Standard Photo and your Velop Photo are saved with clean edges, ready for printing or further editing without any branding interference.

7. How do I know which lens, film speed, or chemistry path I used?

We engrave the laboratory state into metadata like pencil on a negative sleeve. In the Apple Camera Roll, open the frame, swipe up (or tap the “i”), and read EXIF: era, contrast step, lens context—each decision you locked before exposure.

8. Why doesn’t Velop offer digital zoom?

We give you declared focal lengths on real glass: 14mm, 24mm, 48mm, and 100mm instead of pinch-cropping the center of a wider field. Need intimacy? Step closer; let your feet act as your zoom control.

9. Why are the lens presets 14mm, 24mm, 48mm, and 100mm?

These represent the 'Turret' of a classic professional camera. 14mm is your wide angle (ultra wide), 24mm is your storyteller (wide), 48mm is the 'Human Eye' (natural), and 100mm provides beautiful telephoto compression. These are the optical paths.

10. How do the Color Eras work?

Each Era is a decade-specific reaction palette, not a sticker overlay. From Fade 50s through Cool 60s, Instant 70s, and 80s Neon (Miami-night electric cyan shadows, cinematic highlight bloom, hyper-chrome saturation with skin-aware gates).

The 90s path (tray label 90s; shutter ring 90s Fly) is Editorial Varnish with Medium Format Gloss: inky shadows, highlight fabric held between 0.7–0.9 with a specular varnish gate, warm-magenta mids without teal drift, push-process Pop, and fine transparency-style grain. With an Era active, Base (0% develop punch), Soft (30%), or Pop (100%) calibrates how hard the chemistry lands.

11. What are the Black & White contrast choices?

Five monochrome contrast grades on Base, Sepia, or Plat (Platinum). Level 3 is neutral; Level 1 drifts high-key and luminous; Level 5 drives noir depth. Sepia warms the halides in copper; Platinum keeps a cool archival silver for architecture and skin rendered with metallurgical calm.

12. Why is the progress bar red during development?

This is a 'Safe-Light' simulation. In a physical darkroom, red light allows the photographer to see without ruining the light-sensitive paper. In Velop, it’s our way of inviting you into that darkroom feel.

13. Why a Total Shutter Count?

It is the odometer of devotion. Each shutter release is indexed in mechanical figures, echoing brass top plates that once counted every frame as a physical fact.

14. How do I get Unlimited Signature Exports?

If you’ve enjoyed your introductory exposures and want unlimited developed exports in your daily kit, open Settings (gear) → The Camera and tap “$1.99 — Unlimited Exposures and Exports” for the one-time, in-app unlock.

15. Does the ISO (Film Speed) setting change my exposure?

No. Film Speed in Velop is a texture and chemistry control, not sensor gain. Higher presets deepen grain precipitation and emulsion grit on the developed print and reel; they do not instruct the exposure engine to brighten or darken the scene. Your capture meter reads the light; ISO reads the soul of the stock.

16. How much storage does a Velop session use?

It depends on your choices. A ProRAW Standard Photo can be ~75MB, plus the Velop Video and Velop Photo. If you are mindful of storage, choosing JPEG or HEIF in Settings will keep your files light and lean.

17. Will Velop drain my battery faster?

Developing and encoding video is a 'heavy lift' for your device’s processor. You may notice more draw than a typical camera app.

18. Can I share a Velop Video easily?

Yes. Each reel is a standard .mov. AirDrop, Messages, or social platforms receive it like any other motion file. Viewers need only press play; the darkroom drama unfolds without Velop installed.

19. Does Velop need a network connection to work?

No. Every reaction runs on your device; the network is irrelevant to exposure or development. You only need connectivity later if you choose to let iCloud carry the archive.

20. What is the 4:3 Aspect Ratio?

This is the classic canvas of photography. From high-end cameras to professional optical equipment, 4:3 has long been a practical still format. It is the 'Honest Ratio.' 4:3 is tall enough for a beautiful print and perfectly balanced for a smartphone screen.

21. Why are my Velop Videos narrow and my Photographs wide?

Velop captures video in a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio, optimized for modern displays. Photographs are captured using the full 4:3 sensor area (the Standard Photo) to maximize detail and provide the classic look of a professional still camera.

22. Can I change the development time?

Yes. In The Darkroom – Settings, you can set the Veloping timer anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 seconds. You are in control of the development pace.

23. What happens if I close the app during development?

Force-quitting mid-tray is like throwing open the darkroom door while paper is still wet. We recommend you remain on the screen until the save completes so every layer, the Velop Video, the Velop Photo, and the Standard Photo finishes its reaction.

24. How do I quickly remove a decade and return to a clean look?

Simply double-tap the 'Base' chip in the settings tray. This clears the active era and returns the laboratory to 'Color Base' for a neutral, high-precision capture.

25. Why does the Gallery only show one image sometimes?

Velop gives you total control over your digital footprint. The Gallery only displays and saves the specific formats: Velop Video, Velop Photo, or Standard Photo that you enabled in Settings.

26. Why is my 70s photo a square while others are full-frame?

The 70s Era uses a 1:1 Instant print geometry on a Cooled Bone card. Your Velop Photo matches that square format; your Standard Photo remains a full-frame archival photo so you never lose the original composition.

27. What is the factory calibration on a cold launch?

On cold launch, Velop opens on the 24mm Main lens with Color Base, the neutral color path, before you nominate any other glass or decade chemistry. This is the factory calibration state.

28. How do the lens menu and capture tray behave by default?

The lens turret sheet defaults to closed; the capture tray defaults to expanded so your emulsion lane stays legible without an extra tap.

29. When does Velop use my location?

Velop only uses your location if you have authorized Location Services for Velop. Your location is tied to shutter release, reflecting where the exposure was made. Velop does not see your location data. Velop does not continuous background track your location. However, your location will be in your metadata. If you share your Velop and you have enabled Location Services, you will be sharing your location through your metadata. You are in control of the location data you share. For questions regarding the privacy policy, data privacy concerns, or to report an issue, please contact us at: support@velop.camera

30. Can I turn off shutter or mechanical sounds?

No. Shutter, advance, and tray cues are wired-in haptic and acoustic signatures that complete the instrument’s mechanical feel; they are not offered as toggles.

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