The capture screen on SlowCam lets you choose separate focal and exposure points.

You don't have to shell out big bucks for a new iPhone 5s if you want to take slow motion videos on an iOS device. If you have an iPhone 4, 4S or 5, you can download the the SlowCam app for $1.99. From the makers of Top Camera, SlowCam features a simple capture interface that allows for digital zooming, flash and the option to pick separate focal and exposure points.

This screenshot shows what the capture screen looks like when you are pressing the slow-mo snail icon. A blue outline replaces the normal red framing of the screen.

To start your recording, tap the red dot. Once you have started recording, a snail icon will appear. Hold down the snail to record slow motion video. Your recorded clips will save in your iPhone's Photos application.

One downside of SlowCam is that, unlike on the iPhone 5s, all slow motion video capture is done live. So if you want to add a slow motion effect after capture, you can't. Likewise, you are stuck with your slow motion choices after the clip is saved.

I took SlowCam for a test drive while making my morning coffee. It's not the most exciting example of slow motion videography, but I couldn't convince anyone to do backflips at 8 a.m.

The short video below shows the slow motion feature in action. At about 3 seconds in, you will hear the background noise warp as SlowCam brings my stirring to a snail's pace.

While SlowCam is a great choice for users of older iPhone models who want slow motion video, it's also an improvement on the iPhone 5s slow motion feature. Not only does SlowCam allow for separate focal and exposure points, it lets you quickly upload slow motion videos to Instagram without having to email the videos to yourself first. (But, unfortunately, it doesn't come in gold.)