Best Camera Apps
Last week, we asked you to tell us about the camera apps – for iOS or Android, that you can’t live without. Our hunt for the Hive Five was triggered by my work on the Lifehacker packages for iOS and Android , when I noticed that there are many different third-party camera apps that you can install on your device. I thought I found some great ones, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything that a lot of people love to use.
Here’s the good news (for me): I didn’t. The main suggested apps by readers are all the great apps we’ve reviewed (or highlighted) previously on Lifehacker.
Bad news? Most of the people who responded to the Hive Five’s call to arms have recommended different apps. While this proves my initial hypothesis that there are too many camera apps, it doesn’t help us narrow it down to great. Without further ado, here are some of your favorites:
Focos
Focos is one of the best camera apps that you can download to your iPhone if you don’t have a fancy new iPhone XS or XS Max. While the Focus has tons of options for you to play with, its “cool factor” – if people still use that phrase – is that you can edit the depth of field of a portrait photo after the fact. Better yet, you can do it for free. There are premium paid features in the app ($ 11), but adjusting the blur of the photo background is not one of them.
Lifehacker Reader Mr. Damage writes:
“… with an iPhone with two lenses. Focos made the Lytro Camera dream come true without the need for additional hardware. The new version allows you to add light sources anywhere in the Pseudo 3D editing field. Selectively add HDR, focus points, blur, bokeh, and more. Who needs a DSLR with this app? “
And Lifehacker reader MeanKirby gets to the point with his praise:
“Gives you complete control and many of the features found in the new iPhone XS. Allows you to adjust the depth of field / aperture, which often gives your photos a more professional look. “
Halide
Good ol ‘Halide, one of the cameras we’ve picked for the Lifehacker Pack for iOS, is another great option if you’re looking for finer control over your iPhone’s many settings when shooting. The app isn’t free, but its $ 5 price tag is well worth the incredible feature set. It’s easy to control settings – you can adjust the exposure and focus of your iPhone camera with a flick of your finger across the screen – and the built-in histogram can show you if you’re going to blow out any parts of your shot.
Halide doesn’t have any editing features, but that’s not really the point of the app. This will help you take better quality photos, which can then be edited in any application.
As THagler, a reader of Lifehacker writes:
“Halide is simple, minimalistic design, yet powerful. It offers full control and support for RAW shooting. “
Lifehacker reader, Jason Luong , is just as short-lived in his praises, but still loves the app:
“For the iPhone, the Moment Camera or Halide app is fantastic. They give you complete control over your camera and can shoot in RAW format. “
All the rest
Every other Lifehacker commenter mentions a unique camera app, which is surprising but not surprising given the wide range of apps you can choose from on Android and IOS. These include, in no particular order:
Open Camera (Android)
JoshTheBat: “It’s lightweight but has many features such as manual controls, burst mode, focus and exposure locks, mesh overlays, HDR support and more. It’s also open source, free and no ads. “
Google Camera NX (Android)
James Doyle: “For Android and select phones only. This is an odd choice because it is not available in the store, but via a post on the xda-developers forum. But if you’ve ever been jealous of the Pixel 2’s camera features, this app gives you all of those features: industry-leading HDR +, Motion Photos, 120fps and 240fps slow-motion video, and portrait mode with background blur.
The best way to find it is to simply Google “Camera NX” and your phone model. Inevitably, you will find people on forums or on Reddit who share links to the APK being installed or are trying to figure out how to make it work. ”
Pocketbooth (iOS)
Playjouer: “This is a cool cheap app that creates stripes for photos. Very easy to use. You set up the camera, it flashes in front of each new photo, so you can change your pose and you are left with four fun exposures on the strip of photos. Great for kids, parties or hanging out with friends. “
TheDrummer: “It’s simple, has RAW options and gives me (IMHO) the best filters. Sure, it costs you a yearly fee, but you can also use it for free if you only want to use a few (great) filters.
Check it out. Your photos will look very professional with it. “