Smartphone cameras have come a long way over the years, with many models now boasting high-quality lenses and advanced features. However, despite these advancements, there are still limitations to what your smartphone camera can do. Luckily, there are many third-party camera apps available that can help take your photos to the next level.
In this article, we will explore six of the best smartphone camera apps that will help you capture stunning photos with your device. From manual controls to editing tools and filters, these apps offer a range of features to enhance your photography skills. So let’s dive in and discover which app is best suited for your photography needs.
1. ProCamera (iOS)
ProCamera is a top-rated camera app for iOS devices that offers an extensive range of features for both photography enthusiasts and professionals. It includes a fully manual mode that allows you to adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed, and focus manually. This feature gives you more control over your photos, allowing you to capture shots exactly how you want them.
Manual Controls
ProCamera’s manual controls are easy to use and give you complete independence over your photos. You can change the ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus by simply dragging the respective sliders on the screen. With this level of control, you can experiment with different settings and see how they affect your photo before snapping the shot.
Another useful feature of ProCamera’s manual mode is the live histogram display. This tool shows the distribution of light in your photo, helping you to achieve a well-exposed shot. By adjusting your settings while keeping an eye on the histogram, you can ensure your photos are perfectly exposed every time.
Editing Tools
Once you’ve captured your photo, ProCamera has a range of editing tools to help you perfect it. The app offers basic adjustments like brightness, saturation, and contrast, as well as more advanced features like curves and color filters. You can also crop, rotate, and apply selective edits to specific areas of your photo.
One unique feature of ProCamera is its LowLight Plus mode. This setting utilizes multiple exposures to capture more light in low-light conditions, resulting in brighter and less noisy photos. The app also offers a long exposure option, allowing you to capture stunning light trails and motion blur shots.
Extra Features
In addition to its manual controls and editing tools, ProCamera also includes some useful extra features. One such feature is the self-timer mode, which lets you delay the shutter release for up to ten seconds. This feature is handy for capturing group shots or selfies without having to rush into position.
ProCamera also has a wide range of shooting modes, including HDR, Night Mode, and Portrait Mode, to help you capture different types of photos. You can even save your own custom presets for quick access to your preferred settings.
2. Camera FV-5 (Android)
Camera FV-5 is a powerful camera app designed for Android devices that gives you full manual control over your photos. It offers an extensive range of settings, making it ideal for professional photographers or anyone looking to improve their photography skills.
Manual Controls
Camera FV-5’s manual mode provides you with complete control over settings like aperture, ISO, focus, and white balance. You can adjust these settings by using the sliders on the screen or by manually entering your desired values. You can also choose between spot metering, center-weighted, or matrix metering to control how your device measures light.
One unique feature of Camera FV-5’s manual controls is the EV and bracketing options. These features allow you to take multiple shots at different exposures, which you can then merge together to create HDR photos. This feature is especially useful for capturing scenes with high contrast.
RAW Shooting
Camera FV-5 also allows you to shoot in RAW format, which captures all of the data from your camera’s sensor. This feature gives you more flexibility when editing your photos as you can make adjustments without losing any detail or quality. You can also save your RAW shots as DNG files, which are compatible with most photo editing software.
Customizable Interface
Camera FV-5 offers a customizable interface, allowing you to arrange and access your preferred settings quickly. You can choose which controls appear on your screen, making it easier to navigate and adjust your settings while taking photos. This feature is especially useful for those who use the app frequently and have specific preferences.
3. Moment Pro Camera (iOS and Android)
Moment Pro Camera is a popular camera app used by both iOS and Android users. It offers a range of advanced features, making it an excellent choice for both photography enthusiasts and professionals.
Manual Controls
Like the other apps mentioned, Moment Pro Camera has a manual mode that gives you complete control over your photos. You can adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus manually, ensuring you capture the perfect shot every time. The app also offers a live histogram display, allowing you to see how your settings affect your photo before snapping the shot.
One unique feature of Moment Pro Camera’s manual mode is the ability to adjust the shutter speed while recording video. This feature is handy for capturing smooth and cinematic footage, and it’s something you won’t find in many other camera apps.
RAW Shooting
Moment Pro Camera also allows you to shoot in RAW format, giving you more control over the editing process. You can choose to save your RAW shots as DNG files or TIFF files, depending on your preference. The app also includes a RAW viewer, allowing you to preview and edit your photos before exporting them.
Anamorphic Lens Support
One standout feature of Moment Pro Camera is its support for anamorphic lenses. These lenses allow you to capture widescreen footage with a unique aspect ratio, giving your videos a more cinematic feel. The app includes a desqueeze option, which stretches the footage back to its original aspect ratio when recording with an anamorphic lens.
4. A Better Camera (Android)
As the name suggests, A Better Camera is a comprehensive camera app designed specifically for Android devices. It offers a range of manual controls and advanced features to help you capture stunning photos with your smartphone.
Manual Controls
A Better Camera’s manual mode provides you with complete control over settings like ISO, white balance, and focus. You can also adjust the exposure compensation by simply sliding your finger up or down on the screen. The app also includes a live histogram display, giving you a visual representation of the light in your photo.
Another useful feature of A Better Camera’s manual mode is the ability to lock focus and exposure separately. This feature allows you to set the focus and exposure for different parts of your photo, making it easier to capture well-exposed shots in tricky lighting situations.
Multiple Shooting Modes
In addition to its manual mode, A Better Camera offers a range of shooting modes, including HDR, night mode, and panorama. The app also has a burst mode that lets you take multiple photos in quick succession, perfect for capturing action shots. You can even choose between various frame rates when shooting video, allowing you to create slow-motion footage.
Face Detection
A Better Camera’s face detection feature automatically detects faces in your photo and adjusts the focus and exposure accordingly. This feature is handy for group shots or portraits as it ensures that your subject is always in focus and correctly exposed. You can also select the number of faces the app should detect, making it suitable for both small and large groups.
5. Adobe Lightroom (iOS and Android)
Adobe Lightroom is an all-in-one photo editing app that also includes a camera feature. It offers a range of advanced tools and features for enhancing your photos, making it a popular choice among photographers.
Shooting Modes
Adobe Lightroom’s camera feature allows you to shoot in different modes, such as Pro, Auto, and HDR. The Pro mode gives you manual control over settings like ISO, shutter speed, and focus, while the Auto mode adjusts these settings automatically. The HDR mode captures multiple exposures of the same shot and merges them to create a well-exposed image.
Editing Tools
One of the main strengths of Adobe Lightroom is its editing tools. It offers a wide range of adjustments and filters to help you enhance your photos, including exposure, contrast, curves, and color grading. You can also crop, rotate, and straighten your photos and apply selective edits to specific areas of your image.
Additionally, Lightroom has a built-in camera roll that saves all of your photos, making it easy to access and edit them at any time. This feature is especially useful for those who like to take a lot of photos and want to keep them organized in one place.
Cloud Storage
Another standout feature of Adobe Lightroom is its integration with Adobe’s Creative Cloud. This service offers cloud storage for all of your photos, allowing you to access and edit them across multiple devices. You can also sync your edited photos back to your device, ensuring you always have the most recent version.
6. Halide (iOS)
Halide is a premium camera app designed exclusively for iOS devices. It offers a range of manual controls and advanced features, making it a popular choice among photography enthusiasts.
Manual Controls
Halide’s manual mode gives you complete control over settings like ISO, shutter speed, and focus. You can adjust these settings by using the sliders on the screen or by manually entering your desired values. The app also includes a live histogram display, allowing you to see how your settings affect your photo before taking the shot.
One unique feature of Halide’s manual controls is the focus peaking option. This feature highlights the areas in your photo that are in focus, making it easier to achieve sharp and crisp shots. The app also offers a depth map feature that shows you the areas of your photo that are in focus and those that are out of focus.
RAW Shooting
Halide allows you to shoot in RAW format, giving you more control over the editing process. You can save your RAW photos as DNG files, making them compatible with most photo editing software. The app also offers a RAW library for managing and editing your photos, ensuring you have everything you need in one place.
Gestures and Shortcuts
One standout feature of Halide is its advanced gestures and shortcuts. These allow you to access and adjust settings quickly, giving you more control over your photos. For example, you can swipe up or down on the screen to change the aperture or swipe left or right to adjust the ISO. You can also customize these gestures to suit your preferences.
Conclusion
With the help of these six smartphone camera apps, you can take your photography skills to the next level. Whether you’re looking for full manual control, RAW shooting, or advanced editing tools, there is an app on this list for everyone. So go ahead and explore these apps to find the perfect fit for your photography needs. With a little practice and experimentation, you’ll be capturing stunning photos with your smartphone in no time.
