Many people will buy a new smartphone based on the camera. A good camera helps people take pictures. When it is dark, they can still take pictures with lights that are on the phone. This helps them get better pictures in the dark.
Usually, stock camera apps are better than third-party camera apps. The company that made the phone knows their camera setups better and optimizes them more. This is especially true for Google, Samsung, and Huawei phones that use software optimizations in conjunction with the hardware of the camera. But a third-party app might be useful in some scenarios
Finally, keep in mind that newer versions of Android may force you to use the stock camera app. Something to keep in mind. We also recommend “Motion Cam” and “A Better Camera.” Motion Cam has some neat ideas. A Better Camera is pretty good but it doesn’t get updates anymore.
Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop Camera
Adobe Lightroom is a photo editor and not a camera app. But it also comes with a camera app built-in. The camera is good and has many features like HDR, RAW support, and various modes and presets. It also has all of the usual manual controls if you want them to. You can edit photos on your phone. One of the best apps for this in Adobe Lightroom. It has filters and other things to make your photo look better. Adobe Photoshop Camera was also released in 2020 which you can use if you want to edit photos on social media for Instagram or other things like that.
Bacon Camera
We thought when we saw the name Bacon Camera that it was a joke app. But this is actually a really good camera app. It lets you do things like change the focus, white balance, and exposure compensation. There are also options for things like ISO and RAW or JPEG. You can use this app on devices that don’t support the GoogleThis camera app has many features. GIF support, panorama mode, and timed shots are some of them. It is surprisingly good and the pro version is surprisingly cheap. The only problem is that it doesn’t have updates anymore because it hasn’t had any since 2019 (as of the time I am writing this).
Camera FV-5
Camera FV-5 was removed from the list for a while because it didn’t have updates. But now the current version of Camera FV-5 is good. It has many manual controls, exposure bracketing, and more specialized features like a built-in intervalometer. I can’t list all of these features here because they are app runs for $3.95 and gets regular updates as of the time of this writing. The only downside is some phones seem to behave poorly with this one so make sure to give it a proper test inside the refund time in case your phone is one of them.
Camera MX
Camera MX is one of the oldest and most popular camera apps. Developers update the app regularly and that keeps it current. It works best for simple stuff. The app has a variety of shooting modes. You can also use it to shoot photos or videos. There is even a GIF mode to make your own GIFs. The built-in photo editor can do the basics as well. It’s a decent all-in-one solution. Serious photographers may want to look elsewhere. You can also use the pro version of this as part of the Google Play Pass if you have it.
Cymera
Cymera is another one of the older and popular camera apps. It focuses more on mainstream features. That means 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 away 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. It’s free to download. You can buy additional stuff as in-app purchases.
Filmic Pro
Filmic Pro is one of the newer camera apps on Android. It’s also the most expensive camera app on this list. It has some unique features as well. That includes some extremely specific manual controls. For instance, 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. This one had a very shaky start. However, the developers seem to be actively taking user feedback and updating the app to fix bugs. It will hopefully be good someday. Be sure to test this one thoroughly inside of the refund period if you want to try it out.
Google Camera
Google Camera is Google’s camera app. It has fewer features than other apps, but it includes a lens blur mode and more. It can only be used on certain devices running Android 7.1.1 and up though, so you might need to download another app if you want more features on your device and not just the new ones that Even, later on, only devices running the most current Android will likely be able to use this. Otherwise, it is free and really good. But if you want Google Camera features that are the best, you may need to sideload a modified version for your device.
HedgeCam 2
HedgeCam 2 is a fork of the open-source Open Camera app. It takes the winning combination of simplicity and features and adds onto them with a few extra features. This version is also open-source, by the way, and you can find the link to the code in the Google Play description. Open Camera has many different features like HDR and DRO (dynamic range optimization) photo modes. It also has manual controls to make it easier to take good pictures. Open Camera is very good, but the other camera might be better for you if you are looking for something more complicated.
Open Camera
Open Camera is one of the most popular camera apps. It has all the features a serious photographer needs. It has a timer, support for some external microphones, HDR, and more. It is a good app for both photographers and videographers. You can use it for free with no in-app purchases or advertising. And it is open
Pixtica
Pixtica is a camera app. It comes with a variety of features. It includes live filters, manual controls, exposure control, and more. One feature is the GIF recorder that lets you record short videos and then exports them as animated .gif files or share them on social media sites like Instagram. Another good feature is the RAW file
ProCam X
This camera app has many good features. It is better for professionals than for people who just want filters and social media stuff. The app lets you take many pictures quickly, it can tell if it’s a face, and it does 4k video recording. This app has many features. There are manual controls, the option to turn off the shutter sound, and a few modes for shooting pictures. The post-processing is not so bad. And it’s not too expensive either–the premium version is not crazy expensive.
say cheese
say cheese is a different camera app. It lets you connect to someone else’s phone and take their camera to take pictures on your device. This can help with group photos when you don’t have someone else there to take the picture for you. The app is still in early access beta at this time, so it
Simple Camera
Simple Camera is a camera app. It has a simple interface and doesn’t have too many features. You can take photos with the front and rear cameras, change where photos are saved, and limit the resolution if needed. That’s all you can do with this camera app. We don’t recommend it for people who want their pictures to be This is a good camera app for someone who likes simple things. If you are confused by the newer apps and don’t want to take pictures with low quality, this is a good option. We recommend Google Camera before this one, but it’s still a good one.
Snap Camera HDR
Snap Camera HDR is a good option for both serious and amateur photographers. It has camera controls, 4K video recording, RAW support, HDR, and size options. It also makes it fun to take photos with modes, effects, borders, color effects, and vignettes. Some camera apps let you do manual control and some help with fun filters. This app does both well and it is free to use, but the pro version is worth buying.
VSCO
VSCO is a popular and somewhat powerful camera app and photo editor combo. The camera side is a little simple, but the photo editor side is among the best in all of mobile. It has filters, effects, and settings to make your pictures look good. These are also available for videos too! The app can act like many other cameras. This app is not free. It has some very good features that are behind a paywall for $19.99 per year, though.
Your stock camera app
Every phone has a camera app. You should use this one. It is the right one for your phone’s camera. This app often has features that others don’t have, for example with the LG V50, it makes what it is focused on glow green so you can see where the focus is. We recommend that you use a camera app rather than change to a new one. You might not have as many features with the new camera app if you do not use the stock camera app.
