What is it? A camera app designed to delight
Who is it for? iPhone photographers looking for something new
How much does it cost? Free with optional upgrade for customizations ($15/month, $60 lifetime)
What makes it special? Satisfying tactile controls and tons of pro-level features
Another playful app reinvention from the Not Boring suite, !Camera takes Apple’s stock Camera app and turns it into something bold and tactile. The interface looks and behaves like a physical gadget, with chunky toggles, vibrant colors, real-time shadows, custom haptics and sounds – and it’s a delight to use.
The unapologetic vibrancy might not be everyone’s cup of tea for daily use, but it’s definitely got that cool factor.
Under the playful shell sits a serious toolset. You get full manual controls (see below) plus pro readouts like histogram and zebra stripes so you can expose without crushing shadows or clipping highlights. There’s a clever focus ring you can activate with a swipe and focus peaking to help dial in perfect sharpness every time.
Power users will respect the option to capture Raw (or Apple ProRAW) formats, while !Camera also offers its own “SuperRaw” processing for a filmic tone with natural grain, quite a change from Apple’s AI-powered auto-adjustments and something the photography boffins at Halide have spoken about before. You can also apply built-in LUT styles or craft your own so every shot comes out with your preferred look.
There are some other features I liked: the optional photo review between shots, which encourages you to slow down as if you’re waiting for a polaroid to develop. The deep customization of colors to make the app your own. The complete dedication to privacy. Oh, and it works on iPad too.
Some of those features are locked behind a subscription tier, but !Camera strikes a good balance. It feels like a toy, but behaves like a pro tool. Lovely stuff.