Do Camera Apps Take Better Pictures

Cameras on smartphones are a much bigger deal than they used to exist. Companies are chomping at the chip to brand their cameras more than reliable, work meliorate in low light, and add features that people want. Many will base their purchase decisions on the force of the camera. The point is that cameras are important on mobile devices these days.

Usually, that makes stock camera apps meliorate than third political party apps. OEMs simply know their photographic camera setups improve and optimize more appropriately. This is especially true for Google, Samsung, and Huawei phones that utilize AI and other software optimizations in conjunction with the photographic camera hardware. All the same, a third political party app may be useful in some scenarios. Here are the all-time camera apps for Android!

Finally, go on in heed that newer versions of Android may force use of the stock camera app anyhow. Information technology's simply something to go on in mind. We besides recommend Motion Cam (Google Play link) and A Better Camera (Google Play link) as honorable mentions. Motility Cam just has some keen ideas. A Ameliorate Camera is actually pretty proficient but it doesn't get updates anymore.

Adobe Lightroom is technically a photograph editor and non a photographic camera app. All the same, it also comes with a camera app built-in. The photographic camera is reasonably decent and includes large keyword features like HDR, RAW support, and various modes and presets. Plus information technology has the usual assortment of manual camera controls if you need that too. The skilful news is Adobe Lightroom is 1 of the best photo editor apps for mobile right now so yous can utilise the camera app and immediately bounce it right into editing. Adobe too launched Adobe Photoshop Camera (Google Play link) in 2020 with a variety of features, including diverse filters, real-fourth dimension Photoshop effects, auto-tone, portrait mode controls, and more than. It'south more often than not a camera for social media types, but it'southward still a decent pick overall.

Bacon Photographic camera

Price: Complimentary / $1.99

Nosotros'll be honest. Nosotros thought Bacon Photographic camera was a joke app when nosotros first saw the proper noun. However, this is a legitimately decent camera app. It boasts manual controls such as focus, white residue, exposure compensation, ISO, and more. You also get support for RAW and DNG along with the traditional JPEG. It boasts support for transmission controls on devices that don't support Google's Camera2 API. Nosotros didn't have any examination devices that didn't support that, so we'll accept their give-and-take on it for at present. Some other features include GIF support, a panorama mode, and timed shots. This is surprisingly practiced and the pro version is surprisingly cheap. The only issue is update support. This 1 hasn't seen an update since 2019 (equally of the time of this writing), then it may not be supported anymore.

Bacon Camera - best camera apps for android

Camera FV-5 was removed from the list a while back due to lack of updates. All the same, it seems FGAE wasn't washed with this one nevertheless. The current version of Camera FV-5 is actually pretty expert. It has a swatch of manual controls, exposure bracketing, and even more specialized stuff similar a congenital-in intervalometer. The list of features is simply besides long for a simple listing similar this to comprehend. The app runs for $three.95 and gets regular updates as of the time of this writing. The just downside is some phones seem to behave poorly with this i and so make certain to requite it a proper test inside the refund time in case your telephone is ane of them.

Photographic camera MX

Price: Gratis / Up to $1.99

Photographic camera MX is ane of the oldest and well-nigh pop camera apps. Developers update the app regularly and that keeps information technology current. Information technology works best for simple stuff. The app has a diverseness of shooting modes. You lot can also use information technology to shoot photos or videos. There is even a GIF mode to make your own GIFs. The born photo editor can do the basics equally well. It'southward a decent all-in-one solution. Serious photographers may want to look elsewhere. Yous can also use the pro version of this equally office of the Google Play Pass if y'all accept it.

Cymera

Price: Complimentary / Up to $3.49

Cymera is another one of the older and popular camera apps. It focuses more on mainstream features. That ways you'll get a bunch of filters, stickers, special effects, and similar features. It also has a beauty camera mode. It can add or take abroad features from your face and body. We're not big fans of such dramatic alterations, but to each their own. It also includes a photo editor for minor edits. Information technology's free to download. You can buy additional stuff as in-app purchases.

Joe Hindy / Android Say-so

Filmic Pro is ane of the newer camera apps on Android. It'southward also the almost expensive camera app on this list. Information technology has some unique features equally well. That includes some extremely specific manual controls. For example, it has a dual slider for exposure and focus, a white balance adjustment matrix, and a gamma curve control. In addition, it comes with some added analytics, a live RGB control, and a lot more than. This one had a very shaky showtime. Notwithstanding, the developers seem to be actively taking user feedback and updating the app to set bugs. It will hopefully exist skilful someday. Be sure to test this one thoroughly inside of the refund menstruation if you desire to try it out.

Google Camera

Price: Free

Google Camera is Google's official camera app. It'south the one you'll notice on most Google devices. It has a pocket-sized, but effective set of features. They include a lens blur mode, irksome motility (on supported devices), photograph spheres, video stabilization, and more. The merely downside is compatibility. Y'all can only use this on devices running Android 7.1.ane and upwards (at the time of this writing). Fifty-fifty afterwards on, but devices running the most current Android will likely be able to utilise this. Otherwise, it'southward gratuitous and information technology's really good. However, if you want the best Google Camera features, you may need to sideload a modified version for your device.

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

HedgeCam two

Price: Free / Up to $10.99

HedgeCam 2 is a fork of the open source Open up Camera app. It takes the winning combination of simplicity and features and adds onto them with a few actress features. This version is also open source, past the way, and the link for the code is in the Google Play description. This one includes a bunch of manual controls, HDR and DRO (dynamic range optimization) photo modes, various customization elements (like turning off the shutter sound), and even things similar face detection support. Open Camera is quite good. This one is a little better, but also a little more complex. You can choose the one you similar more.

Open Camera

Price: Complimentary / $1.99

Open Photographic camera is one of the most popular photographic camera apps for serious photographers. Information technology has most of the serious features nosotros've discussed earlier. That includes manual camera controls. It as well includes a timer, back up for some external microphones, HDR, exposure bracketing, and more. Information technology'due south also a keen selection for both photographers and videographers. The app is completely free with no in-app purchases or advertising. It's besides completely open source. That's always a plus. There is an optional (and dissever) donation app if you lot want to support the programmer.

Pixtica

Price: Free / $3.99 per year

Pixtica is one of the newer camera apps on the list. It features a bunch of neat picayune tricks and some decent postal service processing. Some of the features include live filters, manual controls, exposure control, a GIF recorder, a deadening motion mode, RAW file support, QR code scanner and more. It even comes with a very basic gallery and photo editor. We like its broad range of features and its all-in-ane mode. However, it does require a subscription for some of the features and your stock photographic camera app can probably still do post processing better.

Joe Hindy / Android Potency

ProCam X is one of the newer camera apps on the listing and it does a fairly reasonable chore. It focuses more on professional-oriented features rather than filters and social media mode stuff. The app includes a burst mode, facial recognition, support for 4k video recording, and support for RAW. Additionally, there are manual controls (if your device supports it), the option to turn off the shutter sound, and a few camera modes like a scene fashion or a focus mode. It hits a lot of the check boxes for a good 3rd political party app and the postal service processing isn't half bad. Plus, the premium version isn't all that expensive.

SayCheese

Price: Free / Upward to $13.99

SayCheese is a dissimilar kind of camera app. It's a remote photographic camera app with some neat functionality. It lets yous connect to a friend'due south phone and have pictures with their camera on your device. This is an excellent solution for those situations where you want to take a group photograph but don't have someone to practise it for you. The app is in early on access beta at the fourth dimension of this writing so there are some bugs. However, it worked pretty well in our testing and we assume more than updates volition add more stability.

Simple Camera

Price: Free

Simple Camera is, well, a simple camera app. It features a no-frills UI and it isn't bogged downward with a ton of extra features. You can take photos with the front and rear cameras, modify where photos are saved, and limit the resolution if needed. That'southward near it, actually. We don't recommend this for people looking to make their photographs better. Even so, we would recommend it to someone who is consistently confused and irritated with how circuitous newer camera apps are and don't mind a dip in photograph quality for something simple that just works. We would recommend Google Photographic camera earlier this, but this is another decent, super minimal option without a lot of frills.

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Snap Camera HDR

Cost: Free / $1.99

Snap Camera HDR is a good betwixt for serious and amateur photographer types. There is support for manual camera controls, 4K video recording, RAW support, HDR, and file size options. It also includes fun shooting modes, furnishings, borders, colour effects, and vignettes. There are camera apps that do manual controls a little amend and apps that exercise fun filters and such a piddling better. It'south rare to find an app that does both as well as this 1. Make sure to try the gratuitous version before buying the pro version.

VSCO

Price: Complimentary with in-app purchases / $19.99 per year

VSCO is a pop and somewhat powerful camera app and photo editor philharmonic. The camera side is a little uncomplicated and not equally powerful every bit your native phone camera app or some others here. Nevertheless, the photograph editor side is among the all-time in all of mobile. It has a variety of filters, furnishings, and settings. Additionally, it has most of these same videos for video content as well. Mayhap its virtually unique feature is its ability to emulate a host of other cameras. This app does get adequately expensive, though, and many of its most desirable features are backside a $19.99 per year paywall.

Your stock camera app

Toll: Free

Every phone comes with its own camera app. You should definitely requite that app a fair shake. Manufacturers develop these apps specifically for the camera on your device. There are often features these apps have that others practise not. For instance, the manual focus in the LG V50 makes whatever is in focus glow green. Thus, you visually see where the camera is focused. We actually only recommend changing your camera app to expand your feature fix rather than replace information technology. Every app on this list does best when information technology'south used alongside the stock photographic camera app. Yous're unremarkably leaving features at the door if you don't employ these.