The Best in Mobile Film Cameras and Templates

By Anna Valdez
Web Content Contributor

If you’ve scrolled through Instagram lately, you’ve probably noticed a trend in people’s photographs. I’m talking cool retro filters, date stamps, light streaks, grain and more. It seemed like more people were hopping on the film camera trend, and I wanted in. However, film cameras aren’t cheap, and I wanted something feasible to begin experimenting with this newfound interest. Nowadays it seems like there is an app for everything, so I turned to the app store in hopes of finding a film camera app that fit the aesthetic I was looking for. Luckily, I came across several apps that were worth the download and price so you too can join in on the hype.

Unfold – Create Stories
App Store Rating: 4.9 ★

Unfold is a minimal layouts and templates app developed by Unfold Creative. Its features include 25 free templates and 75 premium templates catered to a specific style (they even have a collection for those raised by the internet!) Fonts are another cool feature within the app, with five fonts and advanced text tools to play around with. Unfold also offers photo and video support and best of all, you don’t need to make an account to start creating! What I also love about Unfold is how clean and beautiful my collages and stories come out. It’s the perfect app to get creative with your photos and design skills, and the film templates are a lovely addition to an already exquisite app.

RNI Films
App Store Rating: 4.8 ★

RNI Films is a real film emulation app developed by RNI. According to its description, RNI Films is a great mobile companion for those who appreciate the beauty of analogue photography. RNI prides itself on the app’s ability to recreate subtle aspects of real film with great attention to general accuracy, color separation, skin tones and grain texture. RNI Film’s filters are recreated from real film stocks and broken down into categories that include negative, slide, instant, black & white and vintage. Like other film camera apps, RNI Films consists of adjustment tools such as brightness, contrast, clarity and more so you have the option to adjust your photographs the way you want. The app offers free film filters, but other film packs will have to be purchased. One film pack, for instance, is $3.99 (plus tax). By sharing RNI Films on Facebook, however, you can unlock the Slide Films Pack, which unlocks several rich and vibrant slide films. While you can’t take a photo from the app itself, RNI Films’ gorgeous filters can make your photos look as if they were shot from an actual film camera.

Dazz – Vintage Camera
App Store Rating: 4.7 ★

Dazz – Vintage Camera is a film camera and photo presets app developed by haiyan wang. Dazz is inspired by 80s retro film cameras, and its ability to 100 percent restore the color, texture and noise of the camera in use sets it apart from other film camera apps. At the click of a button, the app produces unique and stunning photographs, so there’s really no need for post-editing. Other app functions include double exposure effects, a self-timer, a camera assistant grid, fisheye lenses, flash colors and more. With this, Dazz has become number one on my list of film camera apps. Plus, I’m in love with the app’s polaroid camera and how realistic my shots come out. While Dazz does offer select cameras for free, the Dazz Pro Subscription gives the user access to all cameras and accessories, with new cameras launching every now and then. For a 1-year subscription, I paid $3.99 (plus tax) which I find totally worth it, especially from how much this app has grown on me.

InstaLab – Instant Editor
App Store Rating: 4.7 ★

InstaLab – Instant Editor is a camera app developed by EASYBLUECODE S.L that offers the luxury of creating polaroid photos without the actual polaroid camera. You can take or import a photo for an instant polaroid. The app features classic polaroid borders, aged textures, exclusive filters, handwritten fonts and photo adjustment tools to make your photographs stand out. While the app does offer free filters and borders, you must pay $8.99 in order to unlock all content (which includes exclusive borders, textures, filters and collages).

Kamon – Classic Film Camera
App Store Rating: 4.7 ★

Kamon is an “analog feeling” camera app developed by XIUMEI XUAN. Like Huji Cam, Kamon allows the user to point and shoot at the click of a button with a similar layout (only this camera resembles the classic Fujifilm disposable camera). Kamon’s pictures come out warmer than Huji’s, so if you prefer warm-toned photos over cool-toned, this app is the one for you. It is an easy app to navigate and very similar to Huji Cam in terms of the shooting mode. Photographs taken on the app are saved to your phone’s library and should you want to import photos, you will have to purchase the PRO version.

Storyluxe
App Store Rating: 4.7 ★

Storyluxe is a deluxe templates and filters app developed by Brian Delaney. It features over 200 unique photo and video templates plus filters and backdrops. Storyluxe aims to take your Snapchat and Instagram Stories to the next level by creating gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing photo designs and collages. You can create dynamic templates using polaroid film, floral templates and plenty more to choose from. One of my favorite things about this app is that many of the templates, filters and backdrops are free to use but if you wanted to purchase the Storyluxe subscription, you would have to pay $2.99 (plus tax) a month. As a subscriber, you get unlimited access to premium templates, backdrops and filters.

FilmCam
App Store Rating: 4.6 ★

FilmCam – Glitch Art Retouch is an analog film photo app developed by Xiujuan Zheng. FilmCam allows you to take film-style photos with various retro film filters and light-leaking textures. It also features 30 carefully designed retro film filters, 35 light-leaking effects and grain texture in order to imitate the unique and exquisite style of retro cameras and photographs. FilmCam’s upfront yet cute layout makes it easy to capture moments, take selfies or upload your own photos into the app. FilmCam offers free customization options but for $2.99 (plus tax), you can unlock all filters, light leaks, textures, date watermarks and camera skins. If you only wanted to purchase filters, for example, you would have to pay $0.99 (plus tax) and the same goes for all other options. This easy-to-use film camera app is a great option for those wanting to customize their own film shots versus settling with a default filter, light leak, etc.

Nichi
App Store Rating: 4.6 ★

Okay, this app is seriously a dream. Nichi is a photo collage app whose goal is to help its users capture moments in their daily life, cherish the detail and emotion behind them and feel the miracle of time. Some of Nichi’s features include realistic materials such as stickers, filters, fonts and backgrounds so you can make beautifully crafted collages with your photos. What makes Nichi unique is the attention to detail in their templates, making them some of the most beautiful design templates out there. Moreover, Nichi offers free designs as well as two auto-renewing subscription options: $1.49 (plus tax) per month with a free 7-day trial or $9.99 (plus tax) per year (50 percent off the original $19.99), all of which grant the user access to all design elements.

CALLA CAM
App Store Rating: 4.5 ★

CALLA CAM is a film camera app developed by CHUNGNYUNG KANG. CALLA is a random filter camera of film replacement type and features a simple layout that is fun to use. What I like about this app is that each shot is guaranteed to give a subtle, warm feeling without a harsh filter. The A1 Analog film is free to use but for access to the CALLA ALL-PACK, which comes with a variety of films, colors and effects, you must pay $7.99 (30 percent off the original $11.29). While the app can be a little tricky to maneuver, once you get the hang of it, the possibilities are endless. This is the perfect app to try out if you’re looking for a basic film camera app to take some quick shots.

Huji Cam
App Store Rating: 4.2 ★

Huji Cam is an analog film camera app developed by Manhole, Inc. Its display is similar to the Fujifilm disposable cameras you can find at the store. What makes this app neat is that it allows you to peek through a viewfinder on your screen while you hold your phone in a landscape position. While the photos do tend to look a tad oversaturated and blue tinted, it’s still a fun app to toy around with. It’s also easy to navigate and all of your photos save on the app under ‘Lab.’ Huji Cam is perfect for taking spontaneous photos just about anywhere (my personal favorites are the beach or in a big city).

Featured image by Anna Lizette Valdez