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Cameras on smartphones are a much bigger deal than they used to be. Companies are chomping at the bit to make their cameras more reliable, work better in low light, and add features that people want. Many will base their purchase decisions on the strength of the camera. Here are the best camera apps for Android!
Google Camera
For a long time, Google Camera was seen as the barebones camera. It was a good replacement for over complicated OEM camera apps. However, Google Camera has gotten more features in the last few years. Auto-HDR mode, slow motion video, burst mode, and of course panorama. It’s great if you want something a little better but still on the simple end.
Pros
- Free to use
- No In-app purchases
- Excellent Photo Results
- Extremely Popular
Cons
- Not available for all devices
Open Camera
Our favorite 3rd-party camera app is the free and open sourced Open Camera. This camera app has everything you could possibly need. It features auto-stabilization and manual controls for everything from white balance, ISO, and exposure. If you’re looking for a camera with more controls, it’s hard to get better than this.
Pros
- Free
- No In-app purchases
- Lightweight
Cons
- UI is outdated
Camera FV-5
Camera FV-5 is another app that’s known for great manual controls. It has everything you’d expect: focus, white balance, exposure, shutter speed, and more. FV-5 supports RAW, lossless PNG, JPEG, and RGB histogram so you can do whatever you want with the photos after they’re taken.
Pros
- RAW support
- Great features
- 30 languages support
Cons
- Paid Only
Camera Zoom FX
Camera Zoom FX is another one of the camera apps that have been around for a long time. It was good back then, but has improved over time by adding things like manual camera controls (ISO, focus, shutter speed, etc) and RAW capture support. On top of that, it has HDR, time lapse, 360-degree panorama photos, live effects, and a variety of post processing effects to make your photos really pop. It’s a good mix of “pro” and “Instagram” and should be good enough for people who want manual camera stuff, but also want filters too.
Pros
- Free/Paid
- No In-app purchases
Cons
- Some features are available in paid version
ProShot
ProShot is a rare app that made its claim to fame on Windows Phone before Android. It’s here now and it’s one of the best camera apps for pro users. You can customize aspect ratios, compression levels, save RAW files, take group shots on a timer, burst shots, or time-lapse videos. All these pro features cost a pro price tag.
Cons
- Paid only
Candy Camera
Candy Camera wasn’t around a couple of years ago, but it’s already one of the most popular camera apps ever with over 100 million installs. Feature-wise, it’s pretty decent and includes a ton of filters with simple swipe gestures to switch between them, various editing tools (including unusual stuff like concealer and lipstick options), stickers, collage mode, and more. It could definitely use some manual camera controls and RAW support, but it’s still pretty decent without them.
Pros
- Free
- No In-app purchases
Cons
- Less Features
Camera MX
Camera MX is an older app, sir, but it checks out. It still receives steady updates. The app features scene modes, support for 16:9 aspect ration, Live Shot mode, and a ton of tools to adjust photos after they’ve been taken. It doesn’t have manual controls like a lot of the other apps in this list, but it makes up for it with editing tools.
Pros
- Free
- Live photography
Cons
- No RAW mode
DSLR Camera Pro
With a name like “DSLR Camera Pro” you would expect some pretty hardcore camera features. It has all the manual controls you would expect, including ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, and a live RGB histogram. One of the coolest features is a two-stage shutter button, which allows you to focus before taking the photo. Just like a physical shutter button on a real camera.
Cons
- Mainly for Xiaomi devices
A Better Camera
As the name implies, this app aims to be “A Better Camera.” It does this with a variety of “modes,” including burst, best shot, single shot, night mode, preshot, HDR, and many more. It’s very easy to quickly switch the mode before taking a photo. You don’t have to fiddle with sliders and dials.
Pros
- A lot of modes
- Best results
- Built-in editor
Cons
- In-app purchases
Cymera
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Cymera has been around for a while and currently boasts over 200 million downloads. Popularity aside, the app has some decent features including a ton of filters, stickers, and you can brush or draw on images that you take. It comes with a photo editor that includes some unique features, including editing tools for skin, hair, eyes, and more to make selfies really pop. It doesn’t have manual camera controls which is bit of a shame, but everything else works very well.
Pros
- Free
- Amazing filters
Cons
- In-app purchases
