Benshi
The slow retro film camera
A retro film camera for the iPhone era. Benshi turns every photo into a piece of film — portrait mode is your darkroom in your pocket, and turned sideways it becomes a small cinema for video. Named after the benshi who gave voice to Japan’s 1920s silent films.
Download on the App Store For iPhone · iOS 17 or later. Free, with an optional Pro upgrade.
From shutter to silver
Film, made of light and time
A real film camera in your pocket — not a filter slapped on top.
A darkroom, and a small cinema
Portrait mode is the heart of Benshi — a darkroom in your pocket, where every photo becomes a piece of film. Turn the phone sideways and it becomes a small cinema for video, when you want it.
Physically simulated, not filtered
Five Metal shaders simulate silver-halide grain, the H&D characteristic curve, wavelength halation, reciprocity failure and 16-bit color — actual physics, not a filter chain. 70 looks across 7 categories × 32 films × 5 developers × 8 lenses: about 90,000 combinations.
A lens kit, not just film
Eight lens characters layer optics on top of the film: a swirling Helios bokeh, a dreamy Summilux glow, a thoriated amber cast, a flat cine prime. Body × lens × film × developer.
Make a silent film in one take
Story Mode turns three short clips and benshi-tone intertitle cards into a ready-to-share 9:16 silent movie — no editing. A whole reel of memory, told like a 1920s feature.
A darkroom, and a love letter to Japan
Develop by hand with five developers and fourteen aging effects. Then go further: benshi-tone captions, half-frame diptychs, postcard (絵葉書) export, ghost photos (心霊写真), twelve camera bodies and wareki date stamps.
RAW, and a real darkroom
Capture in RAW (DNG) and re-develop any frame, any time — the negative is kept, so the look is never baked in. Export to Cheki, postcard and eight other formats.
Everything, when you want it
22 of the 70 looks, 4 video looks, Story Mode and RAW capture are always free. Pro opens the rest.
- All 70 film looks
- 16 cinematic video looks
- Watermark removed
- Manual darkroom & 14 retro effects
- 8-lens lens kit
- 12 camera skins
- 10 date stamps (wareki, inkan…)
- 8 export ratios (Cheki, postcard…)
- Benshi-tone photo captions
- Doodle & purikura stickers
- Monthly photo-book PDF
- Live Photo film strip
Try Pro free for 7 days, or unlock it forever with Lifetime. Family Sharing supported.
Good to know
Is Benshi free?
Yes. 22 of the 70 looks, 4 video looks, the silent-film Story Mode and RAW capture are all free. Pro unlocks all 70 looks, the manual darkroom, the lens kit and more — with a 7-day free trial or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Family Sharing is supported.
What does “Benshi” mean?
A benshi (弁士) was the live narrator who stood beside the screen and told the story during Japan’s 1920s silent films. Benshi the app brings that storytelling spirit to your own photos and videos.
Is my data private?
Yes. Every photo and video is processed entirely on your device. No account, no tracking, no ads. Benshi-tone captions use on-device Apple Intelligence on supported iPhones.
What are portrait and landscape modes?
Portrait mode is the heart of the app — your pocket darkroom, where every photo becomes film. Landscape mode turns the phone into a small cinema for video: dials, a grip, film-leader countdowns and intertitle cards.
Which devices are supported?
iPhone running iOS 17 or later. RAW capture and some features depend on your device.
On device, by design
Your photos never need to leave your phone.
No account
No sign-up. Your iPhone is all you need.
All on device
Every look, develop and render happens on your iPhone’s GPU.
No tracking, no ads
Captions use on-device Apple Intelligence. Nothing is sold, nothing is tracked.