Custom firmwareColour and look
Live photos
With every photo, the camera also saves a short silent clip from just before and after the shutter; once exported, it is a photo that moves in your phone’s library.
- Switch: Off / Before + after / After only
- Clips go to the SD card’s GRLIFE folder; the photos themselves are unchanged
- Export on the web as iPhone Live Photos or Android motion photos
After flashing, switch it on on the Features page of GRLife Pro in the camera.
What it does
- Choose on the Features page of GRLife Pro: Off, Before + after or After only
- While it is on, the camera saves a short piece of the live view with every photo: “Before + after” is about 1.5 seconds before the shutter and about 1.5 seconds after it; “After only” is just the 1.5 seconds or so after it
- The clip is a silent MOV file in the GRLIFE folder of the SD card; the photo is saved as usual and is not changed
- The clip records the live view, so its resolution is lower than the photo’s
- “Live photo” (Off / On) can be assigned to ADJ, to pause and resume it while shooting without opening GRLife Pro; the item is unavailable while the switch in GRLife Pro is “Off”
- The Live Photo Export web page pairs each photo with its clip by shooting time and exports them as an iPhone Live Photo or an Android motion photo; files are processed only in your browser and never uploaded
How to use it in the camera
- On the Features page of GRLife Pro, set “Live photos” to “Before + after” or “After only”.
- Shoot as usual; the clips are saved to the SD card’s GRLIFE folder automatically.
- Put the SD card into your computer or phone, open the Live Photo Export page, pick the card’s root folder and export as iPhone Live Photos or Android motion photos.
- When you don’t need it, set the switch back to “Off”.
Requirements and limits
- It uses more battery while on; turn it off when you don’t need it.
- Photos recorded as RAW only get no clip; JPEG and RAW+JPEG do.
- If you power off right after a shot, the camera first finishes writing the clip, so it turns off a few seconds later.
- GR III / IIIx: in a burst, only the first 3 photos get a clip.
- GR IV: in a burst of up to 3 photos, the first photo gets a clip; a burst of 4 or more gets none. After a long burst, Live photos resume once the card access lamp has gone out.
- On the GR IV it is in Beta, like the rest of the GR IV version.
- Only in GRLife Pro 2.x, from version 2.4.
Testing status
Tested on a GR IIIx 1.71; on a GR IV 1.21, single shots, bursts and RAW-only shooting are tested. The GR III and the other firmware versions run the same code and are verified offline. Keep the stock firmware to flash back.
FAQ
How long is the clip? Does it have sound?
“Before + after” is about 1.5 seconds on each side of the shutter; “After only” is about 1.5 seconds after it. The clip has no sound; it records the live view, so its resolution is lower than the photo’s.
How do I get live photos into my phone’s library?
Use the Live Photo Export web page: choose the camera’s SD card and it pairs each photo with its clip and exports them as an iPhone Live Photo or an Android motion photo. Files are processed only in your browser and never uploaded.
Do RAW-only photos get a clip?
No. Photos recorded as RAW only get no clip; JPEG and RAW+JPEG do.
Does every photo of a burst get a clip?
No. On the GR III / IIIx only the first 3 photos of a burst get a clip; on the GR IV the first photo of a burst of up to 3 gets one, and a burst of 4 or more gets none.
Why does the camera take a few seconds to turn off right after a shot?
The camera first writes the clips that are not finished yet to the SD card, and turns off only when that is done.
Does it work on the GR IV?
Yes. The GR IV version is in Beta, and its rules for bursts differ from the GR III / IIIx.
What happens after flashing back to the stock firmware?
The Live photos switch lives only in GRLife Pro; after flashing back, the camera no longer records clips. Clips already on the card stay there.
Custom firmware, test version · The result is unofficial firmware and flashing carries risk; back up first and keep the official firmware.
Other features
- GRLife ProSwap films from the SD card in the camera, with grain, diffusion and an imprint (date and caption).
- HDR photosEach JPEG carries an HDR gain map, so highlights look brighter and more detailed on HDR screens.
- Recipes (parameters)Preset nine parameters on the stock image controls; the stock looks stay, and one or two slots is fine.
- More aspect ratiosAdds five aspect ratios: 7:6, 5:4, 4:3, 16:9 and full-width 65:24.
- Half frameTwo portrait shots become one 3:2 photo with a black line between them, just like a half-frame film camera.
- Golden ratio guidesAdds a golden ratio grid and golden spirals in four directions to the camera’s own grid style menu.
- Rail levelThe level becomes two rails; the camera is level when the dot sits in the ring and turns green.
- Anamorphic lensWith a 1.25× or 1.20× anamorphic widescreen lens mounted, live view and photos are desqueezed in the camera into a wide frame with normal proportions.
- Nine ADJ settingsADJ Mode Setting grows from 5 to 9 settings, and the ADJ strip shows them all at once.
- Rear dial sets ISOTurn the rear dial (the ring around the four-way controller) to change ISO directly while shooting, without pressing the ISO key first; below the lowest ISO is AUTO.
- Snap distance in feetThe snap focus distance reads in feet: in the menus, on the shooting screen and in ADJ, 2.5m shows as 8ft.