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Pop Camera is a fun toy camera app for your iPhone

Pop Camera is a fun toy camera app for your iPhone

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Choose from different multi-shot cameras and different film effects

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Pop Camera is an app that turns your camera into an old-school toy camera without the clunkiness of buying said camera or fussing with film. The app has been around for a few years, but I’ve just started discovering how fun it can be to shoot with. The app lets you take photos using different modes that replicate effects from cheap cameras that produce random imperfections like light leaks, vignettes, and oversaturation in photographs.

This app simulates those and lets you have access to a variety of shot sequences, including a two-shot, four-shot, 12-shot, and 16-shot camera (which take sequential photos and combine them into one image) along with around 20 films, with more available for purchase. You can also choose from square or rectangle formats and double exposure options.

When you take a photo, the camera comes up with two dots or however many shots on the camera you’ve chosen, and they light up to indicate the shots as they’re taken. Once you tap the shutter button, the camera starts taking the photos. Depending on whether you select a single shot or multiple-shot camera, you might get a variety of results since you can’t control the shutters once you start it. For multiple shots, the photos produced from the app are placed sequentially. It’s an offbeat way to shoot live events, or other creative shots like outfits of the day.

The filters and sequence shots are applied after you take the photo, so you don’t know what the final image will look like when you take it, which makes you think about framing and other aspects before you tap the shutter button. It’s a nice contrast to traditionally taking a photo on a digital camera or a regular camera app. The app also gives you further customization options like adding a time stamp, photo frames, and buying additional film filters and cameras.

The base pack is pretty comprehensive, so it’s worth the $1.99 if you enjoy toy-like effects. The app is available now from the iTunes App store.