ChobialChobial vs Huji Cam: 1998 forever, or any film you like?
Huji Cam does one thing, and the whole internet knows what it is: the look of a cheap camera in 1998, with light leaks, dust and a date stamp on the edge. It's free, the extras cost $0.99, and you don't have to learn a single thing. Chobial is the other end of the shelf: a RAW camera with 46 films, any number of your own, and every photo kept as a negative.
| Chobial | Huji Cam | |
|---|---|---|
| How many looks | 46 films built in, plus any you make | One: 1998 |
| Viewfinder | The whole screen, with the film live | A small one, like a 1998 point-and-shoot; hold the phone close to see it bigger |
| Light leaks and dust | No | Yes, a chance of them on every photo |
| Date stamp | On frames and collage captions, not on the photo | Yes, on the photo; the date can be set to 1998 |
| Shoots RAW | Yes: ProRAW or RAW, or HEIF and JPEG | Not mentioned |
| Change the look after the shot | Yes, any film, any time | Not described |
| Make your own look | Yes: curves, 8-band colour mixer, split toning, grain, halation | No |
Import / export .cube LUTs | Yes / Yes | No / No |
| Masks and heal | Yes | Not described |
| Manual controls | ISO and shutter by hand, manual focus, peaking, zebras | Not described |
| Devices | iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad | iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs |
| Last update | In beta, updated often | December 2024 |
| How you pay | Free to shoot, develop, edit and make films, and to save in 22 films. Pro saves in every film, with masks and heal: $29.99 once, $14.99 a year or $1.99 a month | Free; Extra Options $0.99 once, which reviews say adds importing photos |
Where Huji Cam is ahead
- It's done before you've thought about it. One camera, one look, no choices. That's the charm, and the reason it's on so many phones.
- Light leaks and the date stamp. The two things that say "disposable camera" at a glance. Chobial makes neither on the photo.
- Price. Free, or $0.99 for the extras, once. Hard to beat with a stick.
- Around for ages. About 12,000 ratings in the US App Store, and on it since 2017.
Where Chobial is ahead
- More than one year. Gold, Chrome, Portrait, Mono and 42 more films, each a starting point you can open and change. Or make your own.
- You see it first. The film shows live, on the whole screen, before you press the shutter.
- The RAW stays. Every photo keeps its original, so you can develop it again with another film without a 1998 hangover.
- Grown-up tools: manual exposure and focus, masks, heal and clone, and
.cubeLUTs in and out.
Pick Huji Cam
You want the 1998 look, light leaks and a date in the corner, with nothing to learn.
Pick Chobial
You want lots of films, your own among them, and a negative you can develop again. Join the beta.
Sources, opened on 26 October 2026: Huji Cam's App Store listing (its description, in-app purchase, devices, ratings and version history), reviews in Rubicon (2018) and SCAD Connector (2018) for the light leaks, date stamp and import, and the comparison on Hipstamatic's film camera page. Huji Cam has no website of its own. See all apps on the comparison page. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Questions
Is Huji Cam made by Fujifilm?
No. Huji Cam is made by Manhole, Inc., and its App Store listing says plainly that it isn't an official app of Fujifilm or anyone else. Chobial isn't affiliated with Fujifilm either; its films are its own, made from the looks of film simulations, camera recipes and Kodak and Fujifilm datasheets.
Does Chobial put a date stamp on photos?
Not on the photo itself. Chobial's frames and collage captions can carry the date, if you want that disposable-camera feeling on the edge. Huji Cam stamps the date onto the picture, and can make it 1998 for good.
Can I get the Huji look in Chobial?
Not the light leaks, which Chobial doesn't make. But you can build a warm, grainy, slightly faded film with Chobial's curves, colour mixer and grain, and see it live while you shoot. Our post on the disposable camera look shows how.