The site that made the digital "selfie" portrait infamous has now added a new dimension to the instant sharing of images. Instagram has launched a video feature to its apps for iPhone and Android users.
Video clips of 3 to 15 seconds in length can now be added to customers' Instagram streams. Users will also be able to download a new set of filters and share edited videos with friends via various social media platforms.
According to Instagram, a service that is owned by Facebook, the new version of the video app will look and feel a lot like the older version. Users can select a "camera" button and choose to use a still or video option. Once video is selected, a viewfinder appears. By pressing the video icon, the device will begin recording video until it is released. The video can be started and paused repeatedly in this fashion, up to 15 seconds.
After recording the video, the customer can then choose between 13 new video filters, including those that convert the scene to black-and-white or to brighten or blur the images. When the videos are seen in playback mode, other filters can be added for new effects.
Another feature, called "cinema mode," which offers video stabilization to reduce the effect of shaky hands, is currently available only in the iPhone version.