How to Take Photos on Android Without All the Post-Processing Nonsense
Your phone’s camera does so much filtering, processing, and AI adjustments that it can make you question reality itself. In a world where Google can put you in the photos you take , what’s even real? If you don’t want your phone to decide how your photos will look, here’s how to take back control of the camera app.
Because Android is an open platform, the default apps on your phone may differ from those from other manufacturers. The various settings and apps I link to may vary on some phones, and some apps may not be compatible with all devices, but there are usually options that will work for you.
Switch to RAW photos (if available)
Like higher-end cameras, many smartphones can now take photos in RAW format. These are specially encoded versions of photos that store all the data captured by your camera sensor, uncompressed, in an easy-to-edit format. Some phones, like the Google Pixel phones, take a RAW photo and a processed JPEG at the same time, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.
On Google Pixel devices, you can switch to this mode by tapping the Settings icon in the bottom left corner of the camera app, selecting the Pro tab, and toggle RAW/JPEG. The settings may vary on some phones, so dig around in the camera app and see what you can find.
Once you have a photo in RAW format, you can use applications like Adobe Lightroom to edit the photos as you wish. You can adjust exposure levels, adjust highlights and shadows, or change the color tone to achieve a more realistic or more stylized look.
Use ZeroCam for easy one-button control
If your phone doesn’t support RAW photos or you prefer a simpler camera, ZeroCam is a convenient alternative. This app has only one feature: it takes photos without any filtering or post-processing. There are no sliders or adjustments, just a shutter button to take a photo. If you have multiple lenses on your phone, you can tap to switch between them, but there’s not much else in the app.
The only major downside to this app is that it is only free on a trial basis (one week if you choose the annual plan, three days if you choose the monthly plan), after which you will need to pay a subscription. The good news is that this service is very cheap: $1 per month or $7.49 per year, so it’s not a big expense, especially if the simplicity helps you focus more on the moment than on what you’re using to capture it.
Get more control with the FV-5 camera
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Even when you shoot photos in RAW format, your phone manufacturer still makes some decisions about how your photos will look. This is because your camera needs to automatically make decisions about things like ISO level, shutter speed, focus, or even which lens to use. If you want maximum control, you’ll need an app like Camera FV-5 Lite .
In this app, you can adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance and other settings to get exactly the shot you want. It also has some nice advanced features like a burst photo mode and automatic exposure bracketing. Some features, including shooting RAW photos, are only available in the paid version , which requires a one-time fee of $5.
Professional video controls with Blackmagic Camera
Blackmagic is best known for its range of excellent cinema cameras and its free editing suite, Davinci Resolve. The software that runs on Blackmagic cameras is some of the best and most intuitive in the industry, and you can now install it on your phone with the Blackmagic Camera app . Well, several phones. It works on most of the latest flagship phones from Samsung, Google, OnePlus and some other manufacturers; You can check the full list of supported devices here .
The Blackmagic Camera app technically only supports video recording, so if you’re primarily looking for photos, you might want to choose one of the other options on this list. However, this application is incomparable for videographers. In addition to professional camera controls, it includes convenient features like RGB histogram and image stabilization to help you get the perfect shot.