Comparison

Manual Focus VideoCam vs PastCam

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Manual Focus VideoCam

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The simplest focus-pulling tool on iPhone. Set focus mark A on your foreground, mark B on your background, and tap once. Manual Focus VideoCam glides the lens between them with a smooth, cinematic ease – the shot filmmakers use to guide the viewer's eye, now in your pocket. No autofocus hunting. No guesswork. You decide what's sharp, and when. RACK FOCUS IN ONE TAP • Store two focus marks, A and B, and pull between them with the ⇄ button • Set how long a pull takes, from a fast snap to a slow reveal • Pull while recording for real cinematic shots • Exposure holds steady during the pull, so brightness doesn't jump FULL MANUAL FOCUS • A large focus slider from closest focus to infinity • Focus presets: tap to glide to a saved distance, double-tap to update it • Tap the screen to autofocus, and the slider follows the lens MADE FOR SHOOTING • Record up to 4K on supported iPhones, with frame rate control • HEVC for smaller files, or H.264 for older editing software • Choose the ultra-wide, wide or telephoto lens • Framing guides for 2.39:1 cinemascope, 16:9, 4:3 and 1:1 • Start and stop recording with the volume buttons • Exposure lock, exposure bias, torch and pinch to zoom • Clips save straight to your Photos library GREAT FOR Product videos • Macro and close-ups • B-roll • Short films • Interviews • Food and tabletop shots • Music videos PRO – ONE PURCHASE, YOURS FOREVER The free version is fully functional and adds a small "Shot with Manual Focus VideoCam Free" watermark to recordings. Upgrade once to unlock: • No watermark • Focus peaking: see exactly what's sharp, highlighted in yellow • Unlimited focus presets • iCloud sync of your presets across your devices No subscription. No account. No ads. No data collected. Already bought "Remove Video Watermark"? Tap Restore Purchase and you get every Pro feature at no extra cost.

About

PastCam

Transform your photos and videos with authentic 2000s-era camera effects. This app uses real codecs for a genuine retro look, offering unique color, texture, and resolution for each camera profile. Convert existing media or capture new memories with an optional date stamp.

Highlights
  • Authentic 2000s camera codecs
  • Unique color, texture, and resolution per profile
  • Real H.263/MPEG-4 video encoding
  • Real AMR-NB audio encoding
  • Front and rear camera support
  • Optional date stamps
  • On-device processing
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New memories. That old feeling. Turn everyday moments into photos and videos that feel like they belong in your old phone. PastCam brings back the picture, motion and sound of the 2000s with three distinctive retro cameras. A PastCam Pro subscription is required to take photos, record videos and use the Converter. FIND YOUR ERA V3 FLIP — crunchy pixels, blocky video and lo-fi flip-phone sound. GS TOUCH — the color and motion of the early touchscreen years. Q-BOLD — the distinctive mobile-camera character of the late 2000s. REAL CODECS. NOT JUST ANOTHER FILTER APP. PastCam does more than put a retro filter over your footage. V3 FLIP uses real H.263 video processing; Q-BOLD uses MPEG-4 Part 2. Both pair their video with AMR-NB sound when audio is present. GS TOUCH uses H.264 video and AAC audio. Each profile combines its codec with its own resolution, color, texture and motion. SHOOT NOW. REWIND LATER. Capture with the front or rear camera, or give an existing photo or video the PastCam treatment. Your original stays untouched. Compare the result, create a Before / After reel, then save or share your memories. YOUR PASTCAM PRO • All three retro cameras • Unlimited photo and video creation • Photo and video Converter • Before / After reels • Watermark-free exports • Optional date stamps Photo and video processing happens on your device. Your PastCam Gallery is stored locally. SUBSCRIPTION & FREE TRIAL PastCam Pro is available as an auto-renewable weekly subscription. Eligible users can receive a 3-day free trial where offered. After the trial, your subscription renews weekly at the price shown before purchase unless canceled. If you are not eligible for a trial, payment begins when you subscribe. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Existing active PastCam Pro subscriptions remain supported and can be restored. Memories already saved in your local PastCam Gallery remain available to view, save and share without an active subscription. Privacy Policy: https://pastcams.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Manual Focus VideoCam1 screens
PastCam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PastCam at none against Manual Focus VideoCam's 1. PastCam also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Manual Focus VideoCam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PastCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Manual Focus VideoCam ships an update every 2 months, PastCam every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 6 level
Manual Focus VideoCam versus PastCam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterManual Focus VideoCamPastCam
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSuperAktiv ASMichil Khabarov

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Manual Focus VideoCam

One-time1
  • Remove watermark$6.99
None

PastCam

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Manual Focus VideoCam free?
Manual Focus VideoCam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PastCam free?
PastCam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Manual Focus VideoCam or PastCam have ads?
Neither Manual Focus VideoCam nor PastCam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Manual Focus VideoCam or PastCam?
Manual Focus VideoCam ships an update every 2 months, and PastCam every 3 days. Most recently, Manual Focus VideoCam was updated on October 24, 2026 and PastCam on October 29, 2026.

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