Camera Fx8 Free offers iPhone users free camera effects tool

Bored with your iPhone’s camera? Fed up with taking dull, listless shots? Apalon Apps may have something for you, with its new Camera Fx8 Free app.

The app, a cut-down version of the existing Camera Fx8 (currently 99c in the App Store), allows users to apply filters and shapes to both live and previously taken photos. These can then be saved to the camera roll and shared via Twitter or email.

Fire up the app and -- after a short pause (or long pause on our aging iPod touch 4th gen), the main screen will appear. The main viewfinder fills most of the screen, and by tapping Options users can access a number of useful features, including pinch-zoom, on-screen grid and very handy horizontal level to ensure photos aren’t askew.

Users can switch between front and back cameras, plus switch on a shuffle function that randomly applies one of the supplied 15 filter effects (all named after trees and plants, so some experimentation will be required) or seven overlay shapes, which can -- of course -- also be applied manually.

Users can also apply these effects to previously taken photos and images on the camera roll, which they can then save back as a fresh image to the roll, open in selected third-party apps or share with others.

The app is clearly envisaged as a taster of the main Camera Fx8 app, which adds more filters and shapes, plus allows users to implement a range of overlay effects such as paper, dots and love, as well as implement various borders. All four effect types can be mixed and matched.

The paid-for version also adds additional options including location reporting and the option keeping both edited photos and snapped shots within the app itself for future editing.

Camera Fx8 Free 1.0 is available now as a free download for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 6.0 or later is required.