As smartphone Best Camera Apps for Android continue to advance, people are increasingly using their phones as their primary cameras. The default camera apps on Android phones have improved over the years, but often lack certain advanced controls and features that photography enthusiasts want.

This is where third-party camera apps come in. There are many excellent camera apps on the Google Play Store that offer extra functionalities not found in stock Best Camera Apps for Android.

The Best Camera Apps for Android Phones

In this comprehensive guide, we dive deep into the top camera apps for Android phones in 2024. We’ll look at the standout features of each app and showcase why they are among the best for mobile photography.

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Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is arguably the most powerful Best Camera Apps for Android and photo editing app for mobile photography. It provides advanced manual controls, RAW image capture, and a wealth of post-processing tools.

Some of the key camera features include:

• Manual DSLR-style controls: Precisely adjust exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows and more.
• RAW support: Capture uncompressed RAW files for maximum editing flexibility.
• Presets: Use pre-made presets for instant photo effects and enhancements.
• HDR Capture: Take beautiful high dynamic range photos.
• Noise Reduction: Reduce noise and grain in low light shots.
• Adobe Sensei: Automatically applies adjustments thanks to Adobe’s AI technology.

The robust editing features make Adobe Lightroom stand out:

• Broad editing tools: Fine tune white balance, tones, saturation, colors and details.
• Adjustment brushes: Locally edit specific parts of your photo.
• Radial and gradient filters: Apply effects to focal points or gradients.
• Lens correction: Fix lens distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration.
• watermarks: Easily apply custom watermarks and signatures.
• Versatility: Seamlessly edit RAW, JPEG, HEIF and other formats.

For serious mobile photographers who want pro-level control over capturing and editing images, Adobe Lightroom is hard to beat with its combination of advanced camera and editing tools.

ProCam X

ProCam X lives up to its name and is arguably the most advanced manual Best Camera Apps for Android. It resembles a DSLR interface with incredibly deep controls.

Standout camera features include:

• Full manual controls: Dial in ISO, shutter speed, white balance, focus and exposure compensation.
• 4K video: Record smooth, stabilized 4K video at 30fps with bit rates up to 100Mbps depending on your device.
• RAW support: Capture RAW images in DNG format for more editing options.
• Focus peaking: Highlights areas of sharp focus while using manual focus mode. Very useful for macro shots.
• Histogram: See a live histogram preview your exposure levels.
• Horizon level: Ensure perfect horizontal alignment.
• Macro mode: Switch to macro mode for extreme closeups.

ProCam X shines for photographers who want DSLR-like manual control in a mobile Best Camera Apps for Android. The highly customizable interface makes adjusting settings a breeze. Extensive controls like focus peaking, horizon level, and histograms generally require expensive standalone camera apps, but ProCam X provides them in one app.

Open Camera

Open Camera is a free, open source Best Camera Apps for Android with an impressive feature set considering its non-existent price tag. It gives you many advanced controls, extensive features, and great image quality.

Key features that make Open Camera special:

• Manual focus, exposure, ISO, white balance, and more
• RAW capture in DNG format
• Burst mode and timelapse
• HDR and exposure bracketing
• Dynamic range optimization
• Place markers on photos with GPS
• Horizontal level indicator
• Front and rear camera options
• Completely customizable interface

As an open source app, new features are continually added by the open source community. And being free, you have nothing to lose by giving Open Camera a try if you want pro-level control without spending a dime.

VSCO

VSCO has grown into one of the most popular camera and editing apps for mobile creators. While its filters and presets receive the most attention, it also offers refined camera controls and capture tools.

VSCO’s key camera features:

• Minimal manual settings: Adjust focus, exposure, and white balance.
• Depth editing: Change the focus and fade the background after capturing a photo.
• Grain tool: Add film-inspired grain effects.
• Borders: Apply colored borders or vignettes.
• Collage maker: Create collages in a range of custom layouts.
• Share photos directly to VSCO’s curated social network.

VSCO’s real power comes from its editing capabilities. The app provides one of the largest collections of high-quality filters and presets to achieve nearly any look or aesthetic. For social media mavens, VSCO is a go-to for spicing up mobile photos.

Camera FV-5

Camera FV-5 brands itself as a professional-grade Best Camera Apps for Android for prosumers and enthusiasts. It offers full control over all parameters just like a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The interface resembles a high end digital camera.

Some of the many standout features include:

• Full independent aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focus controls
• Light metering modes like spot, center-weighted, and matrix
• Auto focus modes like continuous focus and touch-to-focus
• Focus assist tools like focus peaking and magnification
• 30 different color effects like cross processing
• Real-time histogram
• Exposure bracketing
• Timelapse and long exposure modes
• Save in JPEG and RAW DNG formats

Camera FV-5 also features seamless social sharing integration and geotagging abilities. The “Lite” version is free but limits resolution. Overall, Camera FV-5 replicates the manual photography experience of a high-end camera on a mobile device.

Camera MX

Camera MX is a longstanding app that continues to be updated with new features. It offers an easy-to-use interface, helpful guides for newbies, and controls for experienced users – making it great for all skill levels.

Some useful tools in Camera MX:

• Live previews of photos and effects before capturing
• Gesture and scene modes
• Timer and burst modes
• Basic manual adjustments
• Horizons and grids for composition
• RAW shooting
• Real-time filters
• Drawing on photos
• Basic editing like crop, rotate, color fix
• GIF creation

Camera MX excels at providing an all-in-one shooting and editing experience. While more limited than advanced manual Best Camera Apps for Android, its simplicity and cleanly designed interface make Camera MX appealing for quick snapshots and casual mobile photography.

Google Camera

While basic in terms of manual controls, Google Camera offers computational photography features powered by AI that you won’t find elsewhere. It’s designed for simple point-and-shoot photography.

Notable features of Google Camera include:

• HDR+ Enhanced: Dramatically improves dynamic range and reduces noise using AI algorithms.
• Night Sight: Captures incredibly bright and detailed nighttime and low light photos by compositing multiple exposures.
• Photobooth: Automatically takes selfies when you smile. Fun for taking group shots without pressing the shutter.
• Lens Blur: Renders gorgeous synthetic depth of field effects.
• Portrait Light: Models how lighting conditions would affect a portrait photo.
• Moving Subjects: Improves focus tracking and sharpness for moving people or objects.

For those who want great results without fiddling with settings, Google Camera is one of the best point-and-shoot Best Camera Apps for Android thanks to Google’s AI in optimizing photos. Just don’t expect much manual control.

Camera ZOOM FX

Camera ZOOM FX strikes a balance between manual controls and creative effects. It provides controls over focus, exposure, and more while still offering social media-friendly features.

Some fun highlights include:

• Voice activation: Tap the shutter, zoom, change modes and more using your voice.
• Gesture activation: Take pictures using hand gestures like making a “V”.
• Burst mode up to 20fps: Capture rapid action shots.
• Timelapse: Create gorgeous timelapses using interval settings.
• 360 Panoramas: Capture super wide panoramas.
• Hardware tweaks: Control ISO, exposure, focus and more.
• Stabilization: Reduce blur from camera shake.
• 100+ effects: Transform photos with effects like tilt-shift, color splash, retro looks and more.

Camera ZOOM FX packs a ton of options into a user-friendly interface. It’s great for casual users who still want to make photos pop using the creative effects and controls.

Cymera

Cymera is a multi-purpose Best Camera Apps for Android geared for beauty and selfie photography. It combines real-time effects with post-capture editing options.

Cymera’s main camera features focus on adding beauty effects:

• Beauty camera: Apply effects to skin including smooth, whiten, and soften.
• Reshape face and body: Slim jawlines, widen eyes, and refine body shapes.
• Makeup camera: Add natural looking makeup including lipstick, blush, eyeshadow.
• Stickers and filters: Enhance selfies with fun overlays.
• Collage maker: Capture and combine multiple photos into collages.
• Photo editor: Fine tune brightness, contrast, saturation and apply touch-up effects after taking a photo.

For casual selfie-takers and social media posters, Cymera is a handy app for enhancing facial features and adding playful embellishments to portraits. The beauty filters definitely lean more fun than realistic.

Footej Camera

Footej Camera differentiates itself through unique specialty features not found in other Best Camera Apps for Android. It aims to recreate the experience of using a DSLR while still retaining a mobile interface.

Some of Footej Camera’s more unique features:

• Traffic light trigger: Automatically take a photo when the traffic light turns green. Fun for street photography.
• Face recognition: Automatically detect and focus on faces while taking pictures.
• Voice commands: Control shooting settings through voice commands.
• Motion shots: Create an action sequence in a single photo.
• Surround shot: Take a 360 panorama photo by rotating the camera.
• Remote control: Control camera from another phone.

Of course, Footej also includes more traditional manual settings for focus, exposure, white balance, ISO and more. But the specialty functions make it more interesting for casual mobile photographers looking to expand their creativity.

Snapseed

Snapseed is a mobile-first photo editing app by Google with some lightweight but useful camera features built-in as well.

Notable camera tools:

• Selective filter brush: Apply filters to specific parts of an image.
• Lens blur: Artificially add depth of field blur effects.
• Frames: Add stylish borders to photos.
• Double Exposure: Blend two photos into one surreal image.
• Perspective tool: Adjust the perspective of buildings or landscapes.

While more limited in scope compared to dedicated Best Camera Apps for Android, Snapseed’s real advantage is in its extremely powerful editing capabilities thanks to Google’s Nik Software technology. The robust filters, healing tools, brushes, and precision tuning controls are easier to use in Snapseed versus full desktop photo editing programs.

Overall, Snapseed is a great choice if you want an all-in-one camera and editor optimized for mobile. The default camera features focus more on applying effects rather than manual controls.

Making the Most of Android Camera Apps

With so many top-notch Best Camera Apps for Android to elevate your mobile photography, choosing the right one can be tricky. Consider your skill level and photography style. The best app for an enthusiastic hobbyist may differ from a casual snap shooter.

Here are some final tips to take your photos to the next level after you’ve chosen a camera app:

• Take time learning the manual controls like ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus.
• Use RAW capture for photos you will process or edit later.
• Enable gridlines and use the rule of thirds for balanced compositions.
• Use the level indicator to ensure your horizons are straight.
• Play with macro modes and external lenses for abstract close-up shots.
• Take advantage of presets and effects, but don’t overdo it.
• Use a tripod mount or phone gimbal to stabilize your camera for long exposures and motion shots.
• Clean your lens regularly and watch your lighting to maximize image quality.

The right Android camera app paired with photographic know-how can transform your phone into a powerful imaging device in your pocket. We hope this guide to the top Best Camera Apps for Android for 2024 helps you find your perfect match!