This list of the best film camera apps for phones will help you turn your phone into an old-school camera! Something about old film pictures makes them exciting and one of a kind. You can make digital pictures look like film now. There are a lot of great apps that can help you get this old-school film photography look by adding retro filters and effects that you can save right to your camera roll photos. Here are my picks for the best apps that can make digital copies of old film shots, along with a short description of each one.
As the iPhone continues to become the standard for photography, there are many apps that help you take great pictures with it. It can be hard to pick the right app for your shooting needs when there are so many to choose from. Let us help you out by giving you 8 of the best iPhone camera apps that will improve your photos. You can use any of these apps to take great pictures on your iPhone. Each one has its unique features and perks. Read on to find out more about these eight must-have camera apps for your iPhone.
As of January 2022, the last time I checked, there were a number of famous and well-reviewed free camera apps for iPhone and iPad. So, the apps you can get and the things they can do may have changed since then. The following are free camera apps that got great reviews:
Best Camera Apps for iPhone
It may come as a surprise to iOS users that there are more cool camera apps for iPhones that are better than the ones they’re used to. You can record life’s moments in stunning detail with these apps, which also have other cool features. These apps are a lot like the built-in camera app on the iPhone. That doesn’t mean they will be at odds with each other. They can also work together, and you can choose which one to use most of the time.
1. Dazz Cam
One of the most well-known apps for digital film cameras is Dazz Cam. This app is so well-known that many others have already tried to copy it, like the Daze Cam app.
With the “Insta C” filter and other film effects in the app, you can make a lot of retro wonders. Light leaks, old lens flare, film grain, and other effects are some of these. You can also put photos on top of each other to make a double exposure effect and use flash to add more detail to dark scenes. The app is free in both places and is updated regularly. There is, however, a paid plan that gives you a lot more vintage filter choices.
2. FIMO
If you like things that are simple and easy to use, you’ll love this one. One of the most incredible camera apps is FIMO, which makes photos look like they were taken with cheap film cameras from the past. The app’s interface is surprisingly easy to use, and it lets you pick your favourite film preset from a list of choices that look like actual films.
The apps’ buttons and features are all clearly written to make them easy to use. You can also use the apps to add different effects to photos you already have. As a result of switching from one-time purchases to subscriptions, you can no longer buy the chosen filters separately. This is the only bad thing about it.
3. OldRoll
Here’s another excellent choice for you to think about if you like camera filmstock from the 1980s. OldRoll has a lot of styles and filters for photography that look old, like Polaroid, disposable, popular, and more.
The app is officially free, but you can only use some of its best filters and film effects if you pay a monthly or yearly fee. However, the good news is that it’s surprisingly cheap for how good it is! If you want to get a famous film look on Instagram but need a digital film camera, this app is the next best thing.
4. NOMO CAM
NOMO CAM is an excellent app for taking pictures on your phone that makes it look and feel like you’re using an analogue camera.
The app can be used as a point-and-shoot camera, and it lets you add random analogue effects to your pictures right away.
On the other hand, you can use the app’s massive collection of effects and filters to make your saved photos look old quickly. Just like the other apps on this list, this one has a paid version that lets you use all of its features. It is, however, a cheap one compared to others.
5. Camera+
In the same way that popular photo-editing apps have taken over the web. Camera+ is an app that lets you choose between your camera app and a picture editor app. Well, that’s because it has a lot of different features.
Because it has AI built in, Camera+ is also great for making pictures bigger. Many tools can help you improve the look of your pictures by fine-tuning the exposure and making the shadows darker.
When you’re looking for a professional camera app to replace the one that comes with your iPhone, this is one of the best choices. The last thing that makes Camera+ easy to use is its friendly design.
6. RAW+ Pro DSLR Manual Camera
RAW+ Pro DSLR Manual Camera is one of those high-tech camera apps that doesn’t have any really cool features. Just like Halide Mark II, this app doesn’t come for free. That’s before we get into what it can do.
For those of you who like having complete control over your camera settings. This app stands out as a way to use a camera by hand. It does everything, from letting you change the focus and brightness by hand to shooting in RAW.
What makes it unique is that it works really well on new iPhones. Additionally, many settings can be changed to ensure you get the exact look you want.
7. Blackmagic Camera
If you have an iOS device, Blackmagic Camera is another camera app you should check out. Because it focuses more on cinematography, this app is excellent for making high-quality movies. Many valuable tools need to be added to the iPhone’s built-in camera app.
The Blackmagic Camera can record HD movies and make short films and documentaries. The app also lets you adjust focus, exploration, and colour balance by hand in a very advanced way.
Blackmagic Camera also lets you record movies in common file types. It automatically compresses videos you take, so you don’t need to use a video converter. The app is great for making movies that look like professionals made them.
8. ProCam
Without question, it is one of the best camera apps for iOS users. ProCam is an excellent choice because people of all skill levels can use it. ProCam has what you need, whether you want to make videos or take pictures.
In ProCam, there are more than 60 effects that you can use before and after you take a picture. Also, you don’t have to use these filters on pictures when you’re online; you can also use them on videos. ProCam is very simple to use, and it saves and loads settings quickly. You can change the camera speed, exposure, ISO, white balance, and other essential settings. This app makes sense in every way; it’s the best camera tool ever.
9. Filmic Pro
If you’re looking for a camera app, this is the best one for taking HD videos. Filmic Pro is proper here for you, so you don’t need to look any further. The hardware boost is one of the best parts.
Therefore, it lets you use all of your iPhone’s capabilities, giving you excellent service. It has different settings and features that are meant to make the job easier, just like every other app.
You can record HD videos with Filmic Pro. It has an easy-to-use screen where you can record videos. You should consider getting this app if you make material or movies.
10. Lightroom Mobile
Lightroom Mobile is the best option for professional iPhone shooters who want a combination of advanced shooting and complete editing tools.
Adobe created this powerful app, which is known for capturing photos in high-quality RAW format. It also gives you complete control over the final image by letting you change the exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance by hand.
Lightroom Mobile is great for shooting, but it really shines when it comes to post-processing. It has many advanced editing tools, like gradients, selective changes, and the much-desired curves tool for fine-tuning colour and contrast.
11. Reeflex
Reflex gives shooters powerful tools to improve the photos they take on their phones. The app has many manual settings that let users fine-tune the shutter speed, ISO, and white balance to get the perfect shot.
Reflex makes it easy for both amateur and professional shooters to take beautiful pictures with its sleek and simple user interface.
The app also works with RAW files, which lets you do more thorough work after the fact. Reeflex is a powerful camera app for the iPhone that blends professional-level features with ease of use. It’s an excellent choice for anyone serious about mobile photography.
12. VSCO
The VSCO camera app may only be for some because it has one of the most straightforward user interfaces. However, its fans are some of the most dedicated, as shown by the large number of people who have joined the VSCO Community, a social network similar to Instagram. Our camera app has a few features, but it works well. One cool feature is that you can choose different parts of the scene to change the brightness and focus. There are great settings for improving your photos later, but most of them can only be used if you pay for the VSCO X “Membership Experience.”
13. Tadaa
Even though Tadaa’s design isn’t as sleek as some of the other camera apps on this list, it works well. This is mainly because the app is clean and simple, showing only the most critical settings. Some pretty strong filters come with it, but you can change how intense the filters are and make masks to control which parts of an image the filters affect. There are a lot more filters and editing tools that you can buy inside the app, but it already has everything you need.
14. Halide
Make sure you read the short guide the first time you use the Halide iOS camera app. It has a lot of buttons, functions, and tools that you can call on. You can change everything about the app, from the ISO and shutter speed to the lighting and focus.
The Depth Peaking tool is my favourite. So, how it works is that the subject of a picture is looked at based on how its depth structure looks in three dimensions. Of course, to use this function, you need an Apple phone with two lenses. When you go to the advanced settings, you can choose how your RAW pictures are saved and processed. You can also tell this best camera app for iPhone when to use TIF and JPG files.
15. Snapseed
Another app from Google, Snapseed, is primarily a photo editing app that includes basic camera functionality. It’s user-friendly and offers a variety of filters and editing tools.
Remember to check the App Store for the latest reviews and updates on these apps, as the app landscape is dynamic, and new apps may have emerged since my last update. Additionally, app features and availability can change over time.