Apps like VSCO, Snapseed, have made mobile editing quite powerful and simple to achieve any kind of effect. Whether it’s the retro film camera effect or glitchy old VHS tape feel, you can have all of them. But, clicking a picture and then editing is quite a task. So, if you want a camera app that readily clicks a picture with a vintage filter, here are the best vintage camera apps for Android.
Table of Contents
9 Best Vintage Camera Apps for Android
1. Huji
Light leaks were old camera flaws that occurred due to improper sealing. Now, they give you the feel of the late ’90s and if you are one of those who really love the look, Huji is the app. It helps you recreate this raw effect on your phone. The camera app has limited controls which only allows you to click a picture or enable the flash.
The interface looks like a knock-off of an old camera and gives a vintage feel with the small view-finder. If you want a better field of view, you can maximize the viewfinder by tapping on it. You can also choose photo quality and countdown settings from this page. Huji camera is already a cult with names like Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian extensively using it to give their pictures a 90s look. The next time you click a picture and post it on Instagram don’t forget to use #huji.Â
Although the app is free to use, you’ve to spend $1 to enable importing pictures, auto-save pictures to the gallery and preserving original captures.
What’s cool?
- Gives random light leak filters
- 1998 and current date stamp option
- Minimal and non-intrusive ads
What’s not?
- More filter options rather than at random
Download Huji CameraÂ
2. InstaMini
Instant cameras are never going out of fashion. Personally, for me, it’s a point-and-shoot camera with instant printing capability. The only drawback is the nostalgia-to-cost ratio comes quite heavy on the pocket. InstaMini is the right app if you want the polaroid effect but don’t plan to get them printed. The UI controls are identical to the Fujifilm’s InstaMini. You can change the camera theme as well. There is an array of camera models to choose from. You can even swap the boring white film frame with peppy and colorful frame styles.
Like the original Fujifilm instant cameras, you only get ten sheets a day with the remaining sheet count displayed at the top. You can buy sheets at a cost and also choose multiple cameras with exclusive filter effects. It’s all about satisfying the nostalgia by not only animating the print and sound effects but making you shake the phone to mimic the traditional way to develop the film.
What’s cool?
- Multiple frames options
- Vintage Camera UI
- Printing animation and sound effects
- Every camera has exclusive effects
What’s not?
- Ten film limitation
- Just one free camera theme
Download InstaMini
3. FIMO Analog Camera
Like me, if you’ve grown up with analog cameras, it is easy to differentiate between pictures. All film rolls have their individual property in terms of color, light, and texture. To mimic all of these, you’ve FIMO Analog Camera. The most distinct feature of this camera is multiple film roll options.
Unlike other apps, FIMO also has a community where you can post your work and see outstanding work done by artists. Out of the few film options that you have, you can use more from the store free of cost. Unlike Huji, FIMO auto-saves pictures to your gallery and even allows you to import pictures from the gallery. Not just that, you can export and share the picture as a vertical collage file with film details which makes it look authentic.
Read: 6 Best RAW Camera App For iPhone and iPad
What’s cool?
- Free film rolls
- No limit on the picture
- Saves images to the gallery
What’s not?
- No frame options while exporting
Download FIMO Analog CameraÂ
4. Gudak Lite
With a tagline “Preview Kills the Moment” the Gudak Lite app takes things pretty seriously. You realize this when you click a picture in the app. Gudak provides you with a virtual roll of 24 pictures and you can’t see them for three days. This is the so-called “time” required for the virtual rolls to be fully exposed. Also, once you’ve exhausted the 24-roll limit, it takes an hour to recharge the roll again so that you’re able to click pictures. It has the tiniest viewfinder and the roll count is displayed at the bottom.
In case you don’t have the patience to wait for 3-days, you can enable and disable the time stamp within the app. However, it doesn’t let you change the camera skin until you exhaust the 24-picture limit.
What’s cool?
- Exactly as a Kodak camera and similar sound effects
- The idea of 24-picture daily limit
What’s not?
- Video-ad every time you open the app
- No option to maximize the view-finder
Download Gudak Lite
5. Glitch Lab
Art is often absurd and if you haven’t already heard the term Glitch Art, you should catch up. The app essentially has just one job to fulfill, to make your pictures look glitchy in an aesthetically appealing way. It comes with over 100 effects where you can change the color, pixel density, angle and intensity of the effect.
Apps like these need time to get used to but you can tap on the tutorial section for some quick lessons. It’s a complete app in itself if you’re just looking for Glitch effects but if you need more presets packs and effects, you can choose to buy them as well.
What’s cool
- Highly Customizable
- Multiple Glitch packs
What not
- Hard to learn
- Might not always render what is desired
Download Glitch Lab
6. 8Bit Photo Lab Retro
I remember playing arcade games on my TV and I simply loved the graphics. Although the 8-bit res was quite low even back then, they had a distinct look. Mimicking these 8-bit graphics as pictures on the phone is now easy with the 8Bit Photo Lab Retro app.
You can click pictures using the app or choose an image from the gallery. There are plenty of customization to choose from but you can alternatively use pre-defined filters to get the effect with a single tap. The app isn’t hard to toggle but I think it’ll take some time to get used to provided there are so many options that you can use to tweak the picture. With so many parameters like choosing a color palette, dithering options, text, and glitches, it gets overwhelming. But if you keep playing around you surely will find your favorite combination.
What’s cool
- Plenty of customization options
- Presets to help you start
What’s not
- Hard to understand
Download 8Bit Photo Lab Retro
7. Hypocam
Monochrome is considered the essence of photography for many. The list will be incomplete without the Hypocam app that lets you capture stunning black and white images. It doesn’t have a completely revamped UI but looks similar to the camera app. You can set the brightness, contrast and choose from the many presets available.
The app also has an in-built editor that is capable of handling most of the basic edits like adding shadows, vignette, grain, etc. In case you’re a social media freak, the app also has a news feed with a huge gallery of stunning black and white pictures in addition to curated filters that you can buy.
What’s cool
- Can capture, edit and share
- Inbuilt news feed
What’s not
- More filter options could’ve been better
- No themes
Download Hypocam
8. Vintage 8mm Video – VHS
I got introduced to VHS tapes on my first birthday. I frankly don’t remember how it looked but watching it after years still makes me dig it. VHS camcorders are hard to find now, but you can surprise your family and get the same look with the Vintage 8mm VHS app. The interface is simple and lets you either capture a picture or make a video from the home screen.
Apart from the 5 retro presets, you can also tweak shadows and highlights individually. If you want more customization, the manual mode also lets you add a vignette, grain, edge fade, and light leak effects. Lastly, you can use the app as it is, but if ads are too intrusive for you get the pro version for $2.
What’s cool
- Can record video
- Manual Option adds more customization
What’s not
- Intrusive Ads
Download Vintage 8mm Video
9. B612
If there is an app to trump it all with the number of filter options, B612 will be it. Plus if you’re into the selfie game, nothing can’t beat it. It’s easy to use and if you already use Snapchat or Instagram, starting out with the app wouldn’t be difficult. It has over 1,500 stickers that adjust automatically using facial recognition. Additionally, you have a beauty feature where you can tweak your face and make changes. It can do anything from making your face slim to having an elongated chin. Although I don’t suggest distorting your face, it’s a fun feature to have.
Real-time filter options are divided into categories like trending, food, trip, basic, etc. Besides generic filters like snowy, milky and sunny tinge you also get three film filters as well, but these aren’t as great as dedicated apps that we’ve discussed. So, if you’re looking for a one-stop solution for selfies and you also love to add stickers to your pictures, B612 wouldn’t let you down.
What’s cool
- Facial Recognition stickers
- Huge Filter Options
What’s not
- Fewer vintage filters
- Focused on Selfies
Download B612
Closing Remarks
There are plenty of cool effects from glitch to retro you can choose from these apps. You also have the option to buy an instant camera like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 or picking a vintage camera and a traditional film roll would be awesome. I hope you have a happy trip down the memory lane and you find the camera you’re looking for you. Here were the best camera filter apps for Android and if you have more that I can add to the list, do leave a comment!
Also Read: Best Camera Apps for Android
