Skip to content

Review: Base – Film Stock Camera provides subtle live filters

Base takes a more traditional approach to photo filters

Price: $0.99 / £0.79
Version: 1.0
Size: 14.5 MB
Developer: Stay Kids

App Store Download button

Photo filter apps are a pretty big business. Instagram kick-started the trend back in 2010, combining its vintage-transforming photo technology within a solid social media environment. For awhile, seeing filtered images outside of Instagram felt odd, but these days there’s a core audience that wants to bypass the restrictive environment of a social media platform, and make all their images look like they’d hopped in a time machine when they went to the beach.

One of the most recent examples of apps specializing in retro imagery is Base – Film Stock Camera. Base is a simple camera that provides an environment in which users can view images through live filters. Of course, the iOS camera itself can do this – but it’s functionality is far from perfect, and it’s not easy switching between them. With Base, users can swipe right and left to access 14 curated filters, much in the way that users can swipe between photos and video on the iOS camera. However, Base is all about photography.

Live filters allows you to find the perfect filter to bring out, or dampen colors before you shoot

Live filters allows you to find the perfect filter to bring out, or dampen colors before you shoot

This is highlighted by its description and marketing material purely focusing on camera film, rather than the modern colloquial ‘filter’. The idea with Base is to present a user’s photo as a piece of film – there’s no way to remove the filters (though you can view the differences live as there is a ‘none’ option).

Each of the 14 film options are named after actual types of film stock, rather than the more vague ‘afterglow’, ‘chrome’ or ‘Juno’ – all various non-descript names applied to filters across iOS, Instagram, and other apps.

Simply swipe right or left to find suitable filters

Simply swipe right or left to find suitable filters

Base is far more simple, and far better for it. The design isn’t dissimilar to the familiar iOS Camera, though it opts for a more rectangular button, reminiscent again of old-style film cameras. Each film-style is subtler than a user might expect, which matches Base’s overall ethos, and allows users to subtly alter their images without making a huge statement. The results aren’t revolutionary, but they are just as pleasant as any other filter app.

A neat feature that you won’t find on other apps is its ‘expired’ setting. Accessed by a simple tap on an icon in the bottom right, each type of film ages providing a color shift, which the developers say will change the longer Base is used, which could provide some evolving results.

The results are subtle, yet still have the ability to transform photos

The results are subtle, yet still have the ability to transform photos

Photos can be saved directly to the Camera Roll, or opened within further image editors. They can also be easily shared to social networks. Overall, Base is a great little app for those that like to use filters. However, they’re both subtler and more traditional in their approach. If you miss the old-style of film cameras, but not the over-the-top approach employed by many other apps, then give Base a shot.