Candela Camera: Retro & Film

In-app purchases
97 reviews
Content rating
Everyone
10K+
Downloads
Content rating
Everyone
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About this app

Welcome to Candela Camera!

The Story Behind Candela
Candela Camera was born out of a desire to fix the "fun" Android camera experience. For too long, users have dealt with camera apps that cut corners, bombard you with ads, and focus on quantity of features rather than overall quality.

Why Candela?
Candela is built to satisfy those of us who love stylistic photos, whether that means utilizing film simulation, digicam aesthetic, or just nostalgia looking images. Candela moves beyond the typical, safe features phone in copycat, low-effort apps; Candela has a separate process built in for most major manufacturers, tailoring the experience, features and output based on the device you are using. Candela also features a double exposure mode which mimics the behavior of real film; Highlights "burn in" from the first exposure while the shadows become windows for the second exposure to appear.

Support the Project
Enjoy Candela for free with my favorite 'Nordic Negative' preset. While completely optional, Candela Premium unlocks additional film-inspired presets and features, helping support the continued development of this project.

Features:
• Film-inspired Presets: Capture photos with a timeless aesthetic inspired by classic film stock and digicams..
• High Performance: Built for speed and reliability across various Android devices.
• Ad-Free Experience: No intrusive ads.
• Free options - Use "Natural" and "Nordic Negative" presets for free.
• Retro Frame, Half Frame, and Dual Exposure modes.
• Candela Premium - Access additional camera presets carefully crafted to emulate classic film looks. Find a film simulation preset for every situation!

* New! Both shader based and LUT based presets are available. With Candela Premium, import and use your own LUTs to create limitless preset potential!
A pro-grade, retro & film inspired camera application now with LUT import!
Updated on
Aug 28, 2026

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region, and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
  • No data shared with third parties
    Learn more about how developers declare sharing
  • No data collected
    Learn more about how developers declare collection

Ratings and reviews

96 reviews
Ben Taylor
September 9, 2026
not impressed, can change settings but can't see it live so no idea what they are doing unless your a professional photographer in which case you wouldn't use this app
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Candela Camera Labs
September 9, 2026
I'm sorry about your experience. The effects are all displayed in the live preview so I'm not sure what you mean. Is it possible you had the effect intensity at zero?
Voltaire Capellan
June 17, 2026
I love this app! I've messed with a few other film-simulation camera apps but they're all low-quality and sketchy. But you can tell Candela Camera is lovingly developed. The interface is intuitive, attractive, and easy to use. The resulting photos look BEAUTIFUL. I especially love the more subtle and natural looking filters. Every time I share a photo I've shot with this app, people remark on how great it looks. The $5 lifetime license is very generously priced. Highly recommend!
4 people found this review helpful
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Candela Camera Labs
June 18, 2026
I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Candela is a side project of mine that I've poured hours upon hours into because I wasn't satisfied with other options. I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying it as much as I am! You are appreciated!
Oliver James
May 28, 2026
"A must-have for mobile photography enthusiasts! The controls are smooth, and the image processing is top-notch. It captures details beautifully, even in challenging lighting conditions. Gives your photos a very professional and cinematic look."
4 people found this review helpful
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Candela Camera Labs
May 30, 2026
Thanks for the feedback! The app uses single frame capture, so it should be used in instances of good lighting. Challenging lighting sometimes requires multi-frame capture which you'll find in your stock app more often. You are appreciated!

What’s new

Enabled all lenses for Nothing Phone 3. Fixed tap to focus behavior.