Keitaro Kobayashi's MARS App Brings Film-Like Monochrome to iPhone

Japanese photographer Keitaro Kobayashi is developing MARS, a black-and-white camera app for iPhone that reproduces the bloom of light characteristic of film. The interface mimics a camera viewfinder, complete with a frosted glass border, and limits users to three adjustments: Glow, Exposure, and Grain. Kobayashi describes Glow as the degree to which light overflows, while Exposure governs brightness and Grain controls texture. Each frame is processed live from the camera's HDR signal, so the preview matches the final photograph or video. Shooters can pick from aspect ratios of 1:1, 5:4, 4:3 (native), 3:2, and 16:9, and both landscape and portrait orientations are supported. Kobayashi has released sample images made inside MARS that show a look distinct from standard iPhone output. The app differentiates itself from film-emulation rivals through its monochrome-only approach and its emphasis on glow and grain, positioning itself against feature-rich tools such as Halide and Lightroom, and against Hipstamatic, which received a major update and new analog-inspired apps and features in the same week. MARS costs $6.99 with no ads, no subscription, and no data collection, and it launches on the Apple App Store on November 1, 2026.