Truly Simple RAW Camera vs Sidecam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Truly Simple RAW Camera
Capture unedited digital negatives directly from your iPhone's sensor. This app bypasses automatic image processing to provide pure RAW DNG files for manual development. It offers DSLR-like controls and essential framing tools.
- Pure RAW capture (.DNG)
- Tap to focus and exposure lock
- Hardware back-facing lens switching
- Optional haptic shutter feedback
- Rule-of-thirds grid overlay
- Quick review of recent photos
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Most modern smartphone cameras automatically process every picture you take. They apply aggressive smoothing, artificial HDR, and automatic sharpening. Sometimes, you just want the actual, unedited digital negative so you can develop it yourself. Truly Simple RAW Camera bypasses automatic processing to give you the exact, unedited light that hit your iPhone’s physical sensor. NOTE: This app only works on devices with hardware capable of capturing Bayer RAW images, which means most iPhones and iPad Pros but not other sorts of iPad, sorry! It does not work with front-facing cameras, either, for the same reason (they lack that capability). Features: • Pure RAW capture: Saves uncompressed 14-bit Bayer .DNG files directly to your camera roll with zero AI processing. • Tap to focus: Tap anywhere on the viewfinder to physically adjust the lens focal plane and lock in your exposure, just like a real DSLR. • Hardware controls: Switch between the physical back-facing lenses and toggle the hardware flash. No digital zoom allowed. • Tactile feedback: An optional haptic shutter toggle lets you physically feel exactly when a photo is captured. • Visual basics: Toggle a rule-of-thirds grid to frame your shot, and switch between light and dark color themes for comfort. • Quick review: Tap the recent photo thumbnail to instantly jump to your native iOS Photos gallery. • Free: Enjoy a completely free app with no recurring fees, intrusive advertisements, or paywalls.
Sidecam
This app provides a dedicated camera for professional use, keeping work-related photos and videos separate from your personal library. It offers advanced camera features, organized storage, and cloud backup options for enhanced privacy and control.
- Dedicated work camera
- Separated photo library
- Advanced camera controls (MP, 4K video, grid)
- Organized sessions and folders
- Cloud backup to iCloud Drive
- Privacy-focused, no data collection
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Sidecam is your separate camera for work: professional photos and videos kept apart from your personal photo library. Sidecam never touches the Photos app and cannot read your camera roll. What you capture at work stays in the app, organized and under your control. A FULL CAMERA • True 24 or 48 MP, with every iPhone lens and zoom that behaves just like the native camera • 4K video with flash, lens selection and a digital-crop warning • Level, grid and exposure lock for consistent shots ORGANIZED ON ITS OWN • Every work session groups itself — no albums to create by hand • Folders per client, site, case or project, plus reusable tags • Import the work photos you already have in Photos or Files and keep everything together in one app. YOUR BACKUP, IN YOUR CLOUD • Your entire work library mirrored to iCloud Drive (or any folder you choose): browsable folders and dates on any device • Optimize storage: originals stay in the cloud to free up space on your iPhone • Nothing is ever deleted from the cloud: removed items go to a trash folder in iCloud REAL PRIVACY • No accounts, no servers, no data collection • Optional Face ID lock for your library Built for healthcare, inspections, construction, real estate, workshops and any professional who takes photos on the job and wants to keep their personal library clean.
Screenshots
Verdict
Truly Simple RAW Camera and Sidecam are too close to call on the numbers: across 8 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Truly Simple RAW Camera against 5.0 for Sidecam. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | Truly Simple RAW Camera | Sidecam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Colin Wright | Francisco Nunes de Abreu |
Customer experience
Truly Simple RAW Camera
Sidecam
In-app purchases
Truly Simple RAW Camera
No in-app purchases
Sidecam
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Truly Simple RAW Camera free?
Is Sidecam free?
Which has better reviews, Truly Simple RAW Camera or Sidecam?
Do Truly Simple RAW Camera or Sidecam have ads?
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