Instagram 4.1 rolled out Wednesday, letting you straighten photos within the app. As you can see in the pic above, you’re presented with a unique interface when you press the “straighten” icon. You do the straightening after you’ve taken the pic in Instagram, or you can choose any photo in your image library.

The straightening tool is smart. Available only on the iOS version of Instagram 4.1, it first tries to automatically estimate the amount of straightening needed, and then it’s a simple matter to finish the job to perfection with a two-finger multitouch twist.

Another major new feature is the ability to import videos into both the iOS and Android (ICS only) version of Instagram. It’s a long-overdue capability that will be welcomed by many.

That’s an important feature — letting you shoot and edit video with sophisticated video cameras and applications — but it feels like cheating to me. Part of the fun of Instagram is shooting, editing and publishing video and pics right there in a single app on a handheld device. It’s a great leveler, giving everyone the same equipment to create art. Just add talent.

Oh well, purists can keep their production flow completely on the Instagram platform as they always have.

What an excellent update! If you’re like me, you’re bothered by crooked horizons, and now they can be fixed in a snap. Thanks, Instagram.

Via Instagram Blog. Image: Charlie White