Review: Hipstamatic Is The Most Retro Of iPhone Retro Photography Apps
9:53 am, January 5th, 2010, Giles Turnbull

You’ve probably noticed that I tend to get a little overexcited about iPhone photography apps. I got so excited about the Lego Photo app that Pete mentioned the other day, I went and made a Flickr group for it. But this post is about another little gem I’ve found, under the name Hipstamatic.

It’s a toy camera app, and that in itself isn’t a new idea. There’s a dozen or more toy camera apps on the App Store, and dozens more that apply toy camera style effects to your photos. Lots of them are great. But none of them has yet styled itself to actually look like a toy camera. Not until Hipstamatic came along.
Like a proper camera, Hipstamatic has a “back” and a “front”. You take photos while looking at the back, through a virtual viewfinder. Little red and green lights show up while your image is saved and manipulated in the background. It’s all really nicely done.

Flip to the front, and here you find more fun stuff that you’d expect. Swipe sideways from the lens and you can change to other lenses. Touch the film icon and you can swipe between different films, each of which delivers a new image result.

You get a handful of films and lenses when you buy the app; new ones can be added as in-app purchases (very smart).
Even without those extras, Hipstamatic is a fun little camera app and good value at two dollars. There’s an inevitable Flickr group which gives you an idea of the kind of image you can create with it. Recommended.
Posted by Giles Turnbull in Reviews, Software, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S, iPhone Apps | Comment on this article
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i love this app too. i just discovered it today.
really beautiful effects.
Sam Egarr, on January 5th, 2010 at 11:17 am
I’m completely addicted to hipstamatic! I’m having so much fun with the my iPhone camera now.
ana luiza, on January 5th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I am obsessed with it. Most fun thing ever! Photos: http://charlottakratz.smugmug.com/Hipstamatic
Lotta K, on January 6th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Wow! These pictures are amazing. Now I want to get hipstamatic!
ethanr316, on January 8th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I moved the galleries around, they are here now if anyone’s interested: http://charlottakratz.smugmug.com/Iphone/hip
Lotta K, on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:56 pm
These are some of the best Hipstamatic shots I’ve seen and I’ve seen hundreds over the last few days!
Can’t get enough as this great little App.
Chick+1, on February 25th, 2010 at 1:58 pm