Take better photos with a great third-party camera app on Android!
Shooting with your Android camera is usually great, but third-party apps can pack a punch in places you didn't even know you needed! From manual controls to real-time filters, to creative extras and so much more, you can achieve a lot more than you think you can with your phone photography by shooting with a third-party camera app.
Best overall
Open Camera
Free
Effortless to shoot with and packed with plenty of useful features, Open Camera is a free app that helps you take your phone photography snapshots to the next level.
With features like automatically taking photos with voice commands like 'CHEESE!', shooting RAW files, overlaying grids, locking orientation, volume key configuration, and so much more, Open Camera turns your Android into an even more powerful camera.
You can even use Open Camera to make shooting your videos smoother and simpler, as it supports some external microphones, helps with manual exposure time, and effortlessly focuses to get the perfect video clip every time.
Bottom line: If you're looking for an app that makes your photos and videos look great without confusing the pants off of you, Open Camera is a great call.
One more thing: You can add the date and timestamp along with location coordinates and text to your pictures.
Why the Open Camera is the best
Free, functional, and fun – the way phone photography should be.
Being able to take complete creative control of your Android phone's camera is a rare and sometimes challenging thing to do. There are plenty of third-party apps that exist out there competing to take the place of your standard camera, but very few make things so straight-forward while still allotting the user ample room for creative photographic expression.
The features Open Camera has are pretty vast depending on what you want to shoot, how you want to shoot, and your particular shooting style and taste. You have the option to record your videos in HD while simultaneously zooming with a single-touch control, or shoot RAW (DNG) files along with manual distance focus (if your phone supports it), manual exposure timing, and manual ISO.
Open Camera isn't just for people who know and understand all the bells and whistles of professional photography: it also has some extremely fun and quirky features that make shooting with your Android phone a creative adventure.
Set up remote photo taking with a voice command or a noise – all you have to do is whistle, and your Android device captures the perfect photo! The app also has optional geotagging so you can keep track of when and where you took your photos, while basic, yet practical, features like overlaying a grid disabling the shutter sound makes your entire camera experience smoother and more customized to what you're comfortable with.
At the end of the day, Open Camera does a good, straightforward job of getting users to be more creative with their shots, try out more professional-grade settings, and experiment with their phone photography. What else can you ask for with a camera app?
Best for fun
Prisma
Free
In the last few months, you've probably noticed more and more photos of people, places, and food (what else is social media for?) being uploaded to Instagram and Facebook with hints of different art styles.
Some photos may look like vivid watercolor paintings, while others resemble rough, charcoal sketches. Some are reminiscent of a specific artist's look and feel, while others mesh mediums like anime to cartoon-ify your photos.
Prisma is an app that works by turning your photos into modern works of art using art style filters. Just shoot your photo with the app – your image will be shot as a square – and then pick and choose the filter you think will look best on your photo! There are dozens of different options to choose from, so try a couple.
Bottom-line: If you want a camera app that mixes creativity and art with simple shooting, then Prisma is your gal.
One more thing: Prisma is an awesome app for social media — spice up your selfie a bit and slap a Heisenberg on that baby.
Best for Manual Controls
Manual Camera
$2.99
Manual Camera gives whoever is behind the screen complete control of almost all settings. It's almost like having a little DSLR in your pocket, which is perfect for pro phone photographers or people looking to get better versed in photography!
While the standard camera app for Android allows you to control a few settings, Manual Camera takes the basics up a notch with complete manual control of shutter speed, focus distance, exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance.
Unfortunately, this is the only app on the list that costs something, but it's worth noting that you'll be using several different professional settings to capture the clearest photos.
Bottom-line: If you're looking for a professional camera app that lets you adjust your settings and add more than just a few colored filters to your photos, check out Manual Camera.
One more thing: The app runs quickly, so you won't have to worry about waiting for it to load as you miss your perfect shot.
Best for Social Media
Candy Camera
Free
Fun, straight-forward, and super filter friendly, the Candy Camera is a great tool for shooting the perfect selfie or snapping the ideal social media post!
Candy Camera is a third-party tool that works by overlaying flattering filters overtop of your photos in real-time. That means you can test out what filters look best, and if need be, layer them with other filters before posting.
With the Candy Camera, you also get a couple of insta-makeup editing tools: you can slim your face, whiten your teeth, add concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and more!
Bottom-line: Candy Camera is the perfect partner for social media posts and popularity.
One more thing: You can also decorate your photos with stickers in the app. New stickers are even added every update!
Conclusion
Shooting with third-party cameras is important for several reasons: they help you get creative, they help expand your photography horizons, and they help turn your Android phone into the powerful little photography tool it really is.
Best overall
Open Camera
Free
Effortless to shoot with and packed with plenty of useful features, Open Camera is a free app that helps you take your phone photography snapshots to the next level.
With features like automatically taking photos with voice commands like 'CHEESE!', shooting RAW files, overlaying grids, locking orientation, volume key configuration, and so much more, Open Camera turns your Android into an even more powerful camera.
You can even use Open Camera to make shooting your videos smoother and simpler, as it supports some external microphones, helps with manual exposure time, and effortlessly focuses to get the perfect video clip every time.
Bottom line: If you're looking for an app that makes your photos and videos look great without confusing the pants off of you, Open Camera is a great call.
One more thing: You can add the date and timestamp along with location coordinates and text to your pictures.
