Knurl Camera vs Filmera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Knurl Camera
Capture unprocessed RAW image data directly from your device's sensor. Offers granular manual controls for ISO, shutter speed, and focus, allowing for complete creative freedom in post-processing.
- Bayer RAW capture
- Full manual controls (ISO, Shutter, Aperture)
- Physical control dials
- Relative focus ring
- Native focal length lenses
- Exposure compensation scale
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Knurl is a camera for people who would rather develop the photo themselves. It captures true Bayer RAW: the sensor's own mosaic, written straight to a DNG with none of the computational photography that normally happens on the way. No multi-frame fusion, no tone curve, no sharpening. What lands in your library is undeveloped data with all of its latitude intact, ready for Lightroom or Photos to interpret however you like. THE CONTROLS ARE THE POINT A mode wheel you turn, with the real designations: P for program, Tv for shutter priority, Sv for ISO priority, M for full manual. Every position clicks. ISO and shutter move in thirds of a stop along the standard photographic ladders, on a dial that detents at every rung. Whole stops click harder than thirds, so you can count them by feel without looking. The ends of each ladder are the sensor's genuine limits rather than round numbers, which means base ISO, the cleanest the sensor gets, is actually reachable. Exposure compensation on its own scale, in thirds, with a firmer detent at zero. In manual it becomes the meter, because compensation has nothing left to act on when both controls are already fixed. An AF/MF switch and a focus ring you turn like a ring: relative, so touching it never jumps focus, and marked near to far rather than in invented distances. Three lenses, each at its native focal length, read from the hardware. HONEST ABOUT ITSELF Bayer RAW is 12 MP and does not permit zoom. The 48 MP path would mean Apple ProRAW, which is demosaiced and partially processed, so Knurl does not offer it. When the exposure you have asked for is not achievable, it says so rather than pretending. Your shots go to a Knurl album you can browse in the app, pinch to zoom, and swipe through. Volume buttons fire the shutter. Add the Control to your Action Button, Lock Screen or Control Center to open it without unlocking.
Filmera
This app emulates the look and feel of analog instant cameras, offering realistic film effects like grain, bloom, and halation. It provides a deliberate shooting experience with limited exposures per roll and authentic development animations.
- Real-time film preview
- Authentic analog film effects
- Limited 24-exposure rolls
- Natural Tone processing
- Tap-to-focus with exposure adjustment
- Instant print ejection animation
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Analog color. Instant ritual. Filmera- Instant Camera brings the character, color, and rhythm of analog photography to your iPhone. Preview each film look in real time, choose your lens, set focus and exposure, and capture a finished instant print—complete with authentic color response, natural grain, bloom, halation, and an elegant white border. Choose from Original, Classic 200, and a K64-inspired film profile. Film texture can be controlled independently, while Natural Tone reduces part of the iPhone’s built-in HDR processing for a softer, more restrained image. Every roll contains 24 exposures. When the roll is finished, load a new one and begin again. Features - Real-time film preview - Great results with flash: Use flash confidently in low light. - Natural Tone for reduced computational HDR processing - Classic 200 and K64-inspired film profiles - Independently controlled grain, bloom, and halation - Tap to focus with exposure adjustment - Automatic focus tracking - Multiple rear-lens and front-camera support - Volume-button shutter control - Instant print ejection and full development animations - 24-exposure film roll with a reload sequence - Optional device and capture-time watermarks - Original EXIF and location metadata preservation - In-app photo browser with swipe navigation - Double-tap and pinch-to-zoom photo viewing - Direct photo deletion from the system library Filmera - Instant Camera is designed for photographers who want fewer distractions, more intentional shooting, and images with a distinct analog character. Load a roll. Frame the moment. Let it develop.
Screenshots
Verdict
Knurl Camera and Filmera 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 Knurl Camera against 5.0 for Filmera. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | Knurl Camera | Filmera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dimitrios Zarkadas | 伟 孟 |
In-app purchases
Knurl Camera
No in-app purchases
Filmera
No in-app purchases









