Download the best cameras for Android. The best cameras for Android

Not satisfied with the standard camera for Android? Read which application to choose to get the most out of your smartphone in terms of photo quality. The best photography apps for Android in our review.

As you may know, for operating system Android has created a large number of applications designed for photo and video shooting. But is it worth installing them? Is it really possible that the program preinstalled by the manufacturer is not capable of getting everything out of the camera? Let's figure it out.

Today we will talk about third-party applications "", tailored for smartphones and tablets on Android based. We will try to find out why they are better than pre-installed utilities. And are they even better? At the same time, we will talk about the most popular programs of this kind, mentioning their main features. After reading our article, you will conclude whether a non-standard camera for Android is worth downloading.

Pre-installed applications

Now smartphone manufacturers create not only hardware, but also software. No, there is only one operating system used - this or that version. But a proprietary shell created by the device manufacturer is installed on top of it. And at the same time he puts his music player, file manager and, of course, the camera app. So why are there free cameras for Android on Google, if a similar program is already present on the smartphone after its purchase?

It's easy to guess what to collect electronic devices Now it’s easier than writing software. In theory, you can create a smartphone yourself under your own name - no knowledge is required for this, you only need millions of dollars. This is the case with many companies - often they only assemble devices from existing components, without creating anything new. And some of them do it even simpler, ordering a finished product from an OEM manufacturer, then selling it under their own brand. This method is not suitable for creating an application; it must be written from scratch. And this is where the following problems begin:

Personnel shortage- Finding talented programmers is quite difficult, but they still need to be provided with a decent salary.
Lack of time- many manufacturers try to release new smartphones every few months. And writing a good program takes a lot of time - that’s why some devices are equipped with “Camera” applications with reduced functionality. That is, the manufacturer could have squeezed more out of the camera, but he did not have enough time.
Laziness- any company consists of people, and some of them do not want to work hard. Therefore, pre-installed applications may receive reduced functionality - in the thoughts of the programmer or his management there was a phrase: “And so it will do!”

Now you understand that applications that are far from ideal can be pre-installed on your smartphone. This is especially true for budget devices from Chinese companies.

Don't expect miracles

You need to understand that when taking photographs, not everything depends on the software used.

Even the best camera for Android will not provide you with perfect pictures if the smartphone has a useless module built into it. Of course, third-party applications use their own image compression algorithms. But even if these algorithms are better than those used according to the standard, this improves the picture quality by only 10-15%.

Why then do you need a third-party Camera app for Android? It's very simple. This program will give you additional functionality. For example, some similar utilities provide the ability to shoot time lapse. They also have a built-in save function. RAW images, which can be processed in a photo editor without loss of quality.

I think you get the point. Third-party applications are designed to provide the user with new capabilities, but do not seriously improve the quality of shooting. After all, installing such a program will not change your optics, aperture and matrix - the main elements of the camera module.

Manual settings

Some applications allow you to use absolutely all camera settings, as is implemented in some SLR cameras. In this case, you need to first familiarize yourself with . Then you will learn about the essence of all the opened parameters. Here we will only mention that it is imperative to pay attention to ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Here is what is meant by these concepts:

ISO- photosensitivity of the matrix. Increasing the parameter inevitably leads to an increase in the number digital noise- it is especially noticeable at 100% viewing scale of the final image.
Excerpt- this is the time that the shutter is held in the open position. If the time is too long, the matrix will receive a lot of light, which is why the photo will turn out overexposed.
Diaphragm- the size of the hole through which light enters the matrix. The larger it is, the shorter the shutter speed should be - this will lead to greater clarity and less blurriness of the image. And values at the f/1.8 level allow you to beautifully blur the background (although this is not very noticeable on smartphones, since they have a too small matrix, which imposes certain restrictions). The physical capabilities of the aperture are limited by the characteristics of the camera module.

You should be aware that the capabilities of the Camera application depend on the smartphone model and operating system version. For example, on Android 4.4 all manual camera settings were blocked for third party programs- it was impossible to control them. On modern versions For the “green robot”, everything is much simpler with this - almost all parameters are unlocked.

Best Camera apps for Android

Let's look at those third-party applications that do their jobs best. You can download the camera for Android for free - the corresponding links will be attached to each program discussed here.

Open Camera

A fairly recent project, the purpose of which is to provide the user with all possible camera settings. There is geotagging (which even includes displaying the direction, which is determined using a digital compass), and white balance, and ISO, and exposure compensation, and many different shooting modes, saving the date in the form of subtitles... In a word, the functionality of the program is very rich .

Why did Open Camera get such a name? It's just that this application has an open source code. If you yourself are an Android program developer, you can change the utility to suit your needs. The application is also surprising in that it is distributed free of charge and has no advertising. It is also one of the few programs with automatic image stabilization.

Manual Camera

Another application with a wide range of settings. But it was created quite a long time ago - its functionality was appreciated by millions of users. This program has an interface in the style Android Lollipop. Here you can change exposure, white balance, shutter speed (shutter speed), focus and other parameters. But the most important thing is that you can save the image in RAW format. This allows you to then open it in some Adobe Camera Raw, manually adjusting light and dark areas, sharpness and many other parameters of the photo, making it a masterpiece.

The only drawback of the Manual Camera is its cost. For the application in at the moment They ask for 179 rubles. But this is justified - free analogues have less functionality.

Camera MX

This application can be called a photo editor that works in real time. The fact is that many image parameters change here both before the frame is taken and immediately after pressing the shutter button. In particular, this camera for Android allows you to change brightness, contrast, saturation, color temperature and much more. There are also a variety of filters that are so loved by Instagram fans.

Another important feature of the program is the ability to create GIF videos. This will allow you not to have to convert such animation from video. It should also be noted that it extends this application completely free. However, inside it you can find some paid content.

Google Camera

For a long time Google company developed own application"Camera". But only owners of devices from the Nexus series could try it out. And only a few years ago, a giant corporation decided to place this program V Google Play, providing the opportunity to download it to owners of almost any smartphone. This application will appeal to anyone who loves simplicity. There are no manual settings or confusing interface. But there are modes for shooting panoramas (including spherical), HDR and slow-motion video. However, the maximum functionality of the application is still available only on Nexuses and Pixels.

Cardboard Camera

Have you bought yourself a VR headset that works using a smartphone? Then you should definitely try out the Cardboard Camera app. It is designed for taking 3D photographs. In this case, a full panorama is taken. In the future, you can move your head to see the space that was previously around you. Also, sound is recorded while taking photos - you can also hear it while viewing the image.

The program only works on smartphones with a gyroscope - it is this that recognizes the movements of your head. However, using a VR helmet with devices without a gyroscope is, if not impossible, then extremely inconvenient.

Camera FV-5

Another application that can save images in RAW and PNG formats. Such pictures are characterized by the least loss and excellent predisposition to serious editing in a photo editor. The application also has a fairly large number of settings. Here, right during shooting, you can change the shutter speed, ISO, white balance, exposure and many other parameters. As we said above, some settings may still be blocked - it all depends on the version of the installed operating system and the camera module itself. But the histogram will be displayed on all devices - this is also very useful option, with which many photography connoisseurs are familiar.

What is important is that the application is distributed free of charge. Moreover, it does not have advertising inside that could bother you. It is not without reason that many mobile photography lovers have chosen this particular program.

Camera JB+

There are many people in the world who once fell in love with the interface of the Android Jelly Bean operating system. That version featured a special camera with a unique way of selecting basic settings. If you want to get back exactly that application, then pay attention to Camera JB+. It almost exactly repeats that program. But in this regard, you will have to put up with not the richest functionality. In particular, you shouldn't expect to save images in RAW format or shoot panoramas - such things were only a dream in the days of Jelly Bean.

ProShot

Do professional photographers use smartphones specifically for photography? Sometimes. And they usually install on a ProShot device. This program is supposedly intended specifically for professionals. In this regard, it is distributed for money - and not for the conventional 1 dollar. The application can save a photo in RAW. It allows you to take photographs Burst mode. This is also one of the few programs that does a good job of shooting time lapses (interval video).

In general, ProShot has approximately the same settings that can be found in DSLR cameras. This is truly a very worthy product. But if you do not consider yourself a professional, then it is better to try free analogs first - it is possible that their capabilities will be enough for you.

Summing up

Of course, you can find many more third-party photography apps on Google Play. We tried to mention the best of them. But we understand that you may like some other programs of this kind. Therefore, share your opinion in the comments: which application do you use and why did you choose it?

Do you often take pictures with your smartphone camera? Are you passionate about selfies and like to apply various effects to your photos? This guide, first of all, will be of interest to Android users who are dissatisfied for a number of reasons system camera Android. By installing camera apps from Google Play (the best ones are here), you will definitely kill several birds with one stone:

you can significantly improve the camera on your phone or smartphone
add dozens of colorful eye-catching photo effects, nice filters
add a number of functions useful when shooting with your phone and when controlling the camera manually
improve camera control by adding new gestures (by the way, owners of monopods will be interested in things like Selfishop Camera)
if the camera does not work on Android - you can fix this common error on your smartphone and tablet

Review participants

How to improve the camera on your phone or smartphone?

Since most Android phones and smartphones have a camera installed, it’s a sin not to use it: actively take selfies, take pictures to record information, photograph friends, family, etc. But often the power of the standard Android camera is not enough to fully appreciate all the possibilities: there are no effects, filters, or flexible settings. Of course, you cannot improve the physical characteristics of the camera on an Android smartphone: to radically change the situation, it is better to find a phone/smartphone/tablet with good camera technical characteristics.

However, you can make the camera on your smartphone noticeably better - using software. The user needs to download and install free applications that replace the regular Android camera with something more interesting. It is these applications that will be discussed in this review. We will look first at the top cameras for Android, according to Google statistics Play, as well as user favorites that have earned more than 4 stars in reviews.

Camera Zoom FX - a spectacular camera for your smartphone

ZOOM FX – paid camera, which, however, is worth attention Android users along with free apps. With fast performance and exclusive customization options, Camera ZOOM FX reaches an audience of 400,000 users.

This smartphone camera app is one of the feature rich ones. ZOOM FX includes photography functions for the Android platform. All this is under a simple and intuitive interface. Judge for yourself: using the small panel of the ZOOM FX Camera, you can quickly switch the shooting mode, activate the stabilizer, timer, enable sound activation of the shutter, HDR.

Camera Zoom FX Settings

While most of the program's functions can be considered basic, there are plenty of free extension packs for decoration and customization. Particularly interesting is the ability to vignette photos and add captions.

The advantages of the Camera Zoom FX program, thanks to which it has won a number of high ratings in the media, include:

excellent camera performance on Android;
90 > overlay effects, decoration and photo processing;
hardware control of zoom, flash, front camera of a smartphone;
you can bind controls to the device buttons, adjusting the zoom, for example, with the volume control;
automatic adjustment of white balance and lighting level;
shooting by sound, timer, motion, at time intervals;
image stabilization when shooting;
creating collages;
posting photos on social networks with one click of a button;
many effects and filters, including the capabilities of the Photoshop graphic editor.

ZOOM FX works in editor mode - you can easily make your photos truly unique. The price of the program is low, about 5 dollars, and the possibilities are very encouraging.

Resume. In general, Camera Zoom FX is the best camera for Android with photography capabilities and quick processing of the resulting images. The only thing that scares me about Zoom FX is some limitations of the free version. If you have a fairly modern smartphone, then you will have to pay a modest $4 for the ability to work with 0.8 megapixel + photos. If you are not ready to pay $4, look at other similar applications that I have already written about - Camera360 or.

Camera FV 5 is a camera app for serious photographers

Camera FV 5 is designed for serious photographers in the sense that you can get the most out of your Android camera by manually controlling your shooting settings. At the same time, fans of “vanilla photos” and Instagram filters will not be interested in the FV 5 Camera due to the lack of such add-ons (for such purposes we recommend installing ).

The process of shooting with the FV 5 Camera

Camera controls are located on the main panel of the fv 5 application. These are white balance, focus mode, metering mode, ISO and exposure compensation. Camera FV 5's additional tools include an interval timer and exposure bracketing.

Another interesting feature of the Camera application is the setting of camera parameters, simulating the settings of a regular camera. The user of Camera FV 5 pro can set the aperture, sensitivity and exposure time in order to prevent blurry photos when shooting with a phone (which often happens even among experienced amateur photographers).

The FV 5 Camera app supports gestures, especially zooming in when taking photos. Not to mention that shooting modes are quickly switched in a few simple touches, and, accordingly, it is easier for the user to switch settings of the FV 5 - for example, change the focus mode, white balance, turn on the grid, focus, change the viewfinder, etc.

Resume. The Camera FV 5 program for Android is noticeably superior to the standard tablet camera, generously sharing all the options with the user and giving freedom of customization. The main advantage of FV 5 is the program's extreme flexibility when shooting.

Photo and video camera B612 (Selfie from the heart)

Camera B612 will give new pleasant sensations to lovers of selfie photos on the phone: it’s not for nothing that it’s called a “selfie from the heart.” With the help of the B612, taking photos of yourself will not only be fast. In this mobile application, you can literally take perfect photos with your smartphone or tablet camera:

The B612 camera supports not only front but also rear camera on Android, switching is done with one swipe of a finger across the screen. This option will be useful if one of the cameras on Android does not work.
Shooting short selfie videos in the b612 is done by simply pressing a button;
giving your selfie a surprise: a choice of effects is available in random mode;
apply special effects for the Android camera without much effort: the b612 application has vignettes, frames, and blurring the edges is possible using a filter;
shift, tilt, and light defocus modes of the b612 camera to add softness and vibrancy to photographs taken on the phone;
interval shooting, preliminary pause to select the best angle.

V612 camera interface: shooting video and photos

The v612 camera is free, but adds its logo to the resulting photos. This nuisance is not very annoying when shooting and processing photographs, since the set has more than a dozen options, among which there is one that will not spoil the feeling of the photo and will suit the style and location.

Resume. B612 is a good camera for Android, attracting attention with its simple, casual settings and excellent capabilities for taking selfies.

Camera MX is just a good camera for Android

Application Camera MX included in the top cameras for Android. More than 9 million people around the world have already installed it on their phones. The Camera MX program is distributed in more than 100 countries, is constantly being improved and allows you to post your photos and videos in online storage and share them with friends. It even supports working in editor mode if your tablet or other gadget does not have physical device to obtain images.

MX Camera interface on mobile smartphone

The functionality of the MX Camera program includes:

a rich set of effects, including shifting, tilting, texture mapping and artistic filters;
Using the functionality of Camera MX, you can process photos or videos after they have been saved to the smartphone’s memory;
pre-configuration of effects or a set of them is provided, they are applied automatically when shooting;
posting and placement in network storages;
automatic settings, designed to create almost perfect shots in certain genre or mode - for example, “selfie”, “sunset”, “landscape”.

The MX Camera interface is simple and intuitive. The developers managed not only to implement many possibilities for various image processing, but also to simplify camera control as much as possible. In Camera MX, everything is done literally with one finger - selecting scenery, effects, a shooting template, switching the flash mode and other useful functions. The program is in beta testing, free and available for download to your smartphone.

Snap Camera - the best HDR camera on Android with effects

Snap Camera is one of the few HDR cameras that, moreover, is constantly updated and acquires interesting shooting functions.

Briefly about what HDR is. This feature makes it possible to take photos in dark and illuminated spaces. Two photos are taken, after which they are mixed, and as a result you get a full-fledged HDR photo. The final result (an image in HDR format) can be edited in the built-in Snap Camera editor.

The design of the Snap Camera HDR could not be simpler: all control is carried out thanks to two buttons and a wheel that allows you to quickly change photography modes. Naturally, gestures are supported: zoom, photo preview, photo settings. The volume buttons can be used to focus or zoom.

Other camera features:

Resume. Thus, if you are primarily interested in a good camera with effects on Android, then the Snap Camera app is the best choice among other mobile cameras. You can download the application via Google Play or 4pda.

Candy Camera – camera for selfies and Instagram photos

Just looking at the icon of this application, you can guess that girls will like it. Why? Candy Camera delights with a whole scattering of vanilla effects that change the image in real time, making the color scheme warmer.

Appearance and settings of the Candy camera for Android

Not surprisingly, Candy Camera greets its user with a front camera mode and shows a panel with filters. Most photographic filters are nothing more than changing the color scheme so that the photos look vanilla (like on Instagram). Some will like it, others will be put off by the relatively small number of Candy Camera settings that you can use to regulate the shooting process on your phone or smartphone. On the other hand, if your Android camera is not very good, this can be compensated for by filters and effects - and, as already mentioned, there are more than enough of them in the Candy Camera application.

Thus, we recommend downloading Candy Camera if you need a selfie app with nice filters. As the developers write, “your skin will look amazing” (even if you are a pimply teenager or a brutal and battered type).

Selfishop Camera - selfie app for Android

If you have a selfie stick, a tablet with a good camera and you just need a camera for your phone with support for monopods, Selfishop Camera is an excellent solution for the Android OS. The application is optimal for taking selfie photos on wired and wireless (bluetooth) monopods.

Selfishop Camera is a great app for taking selfies

There are no decorations (effects, presets) in the Selfishhop mobile application - everything is strict. On the other hand, most selfie apps have a different focus, the main emphasis is shifted towards control: you can significantly improve and expand the capabilities of the Android camera by using the potential of monopods to their fullest. You can configure certain actions on the selfie remote buttons (taking a picture, zooming in, changing the device’s camera), etc.

In addition to its selfie focus, the Selfishop application is valuable for its flexible shooting settings, including: autofocus, rotation photo, white balance lock, exposure, burst shooting, customizing the actions of the selfie buttons.

Finally, two interesting selfie shooting modes should be noted: incognito (without attracting the attention of others) and normal shooting mode, in which Selfishop Camera is convenient to shoot without a monopod.

Thanks to all this, Selfishop Camera is considered one of the best selfie cameras for Android. We recommend this program to all happy owners of selfie sticks and tablets with a good camera.

VSCO Cam

Shell VSCO Cam– not the most convenient Android camera on our list. Despite the minimal user interface, search desired menu takes some time. But this is one of the best cameras for Android - thanks to the number of settings it offers and the quality of adjustments and other camera settings when shooting.

The VSCO Cam app combines the camera itself with editing tools. Sharing features provides an experience similar to Instagram, only more powerful. The option to “decorate a photo in one click” is present here; you can also adjust the temperature, hue, contrast, and sharpness of the photo.

The application provides free integration into a unique social environment where many photographers are already registered. You can subscribe to profiles, view images, enjoy best selections and host your own collections. Benefits of VSCO Cam include:

many professional-level effects;
precise adjustment of work with photography;
careful use of tools, allowing you to make minimal changes to the picture;
the ability to compare the original and the result;
proprietary set of effects;
convenient library, with navigation, the ability to operate vsco cam filters;
creating your own albums and collections;
connection with the VSCO community, access to the work of thousands of people; the ability to post images on other social networks.

The VSCO Cam will be best choice for those who prefer to take meaningful, high-quality and interesting photos. Clear, precise and neat operation of the instruments, professional level of filters, high quality image processing - all this will help make your photo perfect on Android.

A Better Camera

Better Camera– in fact, exactly what is included in the name of the application: an excellent photo camera for Android as an alternative to the standard built-in “Camera” application. Better Camera brings a number of interesting features, including the Bestshot function - taking a series of photos and then selecting best photo– the clearest, sharpest and highest quality in general. It's a simple idea but works very well.

A Better Camera app interface on Android

A Better Camera also includes immediate post-processing, something missing from the camera apps in Sony and Samsung. You can record real-time HDR videos. Unfortunately, many of the app's best features are only available using In-App Purchase. This means that most of the application's functions will be available only in trial mode.

However, if you take a lot of photos and have a small investment, A Better Camera certainly lives up to its name as a decent Android camera.

Camera 360 Ultimate

Camera360- Very popular app on Google Play, which can serve as a replacement for the standard camera when shooting for Android. Camera 360 Ultimate is installed on devices of more than 400 million users.

The 360 Camera app offers a complete set of android camera app tools. When taking a photo, a lens filter is applied, and these filters can be applied before the photo is taken. That is, you do not have to wait for the result to appear when applying a filter - it is available in preview mode. Besides, Camera app 360 offers a solid set of options and presets that are useful in various shooting modes, including selfies. Even if not all functions are uniquely useful, it is interesting to “play around” with them.

Camera360 app installed on Android

Camera360 is easy to use, represents the most important parameters shooting on one screen and you can adjust multiple settings at the same time. Actually, this is something that other cameras clearly lack.

What other features does Camera 360 offer to Android OS users:

Additional features of the Manual Camera mobile application:

Adding geo-tagging
Photo timer
Guides for composition control
Sound control
Adjusting screen brightness

Also, the Manual Camera on Android will allow you to save pictures in uncompressed RAW format, which gives new perspectives for further post-processing of the image.

If you seriously intend to take photographs with your phone or smartphone camera, mobile application Manual Camera will be an excellent camera for Android OS. Please note that the phone camera only works stably starting from Android 5.0 Lollipop.

ICS Camera

Mobile application Camera ICS– an expanded version of the official Android camera, which is included in Ice Cream Sandwich. This camera will appeal to owners of both smartphones and tablets, since the interface here adapts to the size of the screen, as well as to the needs of the user.

The application has 3 operating modes:

Camera
Panorama
Video recording

It should be noted that Camera ICS is a free application and free of advertising. You can download the apk distribution from the link below.

Google Camera

Application Google Camera offers a simple and intuitive interface with several manual settings(no ISO, white balance or filters, for example). Google's camera also has photosphere and panorama modes. Google Camera for Android has something called Lens Blur, a filter that creates a depth effect. First, you take a photo, then slowly lift the device - the application creates a blurred background for the subject in focus, highlighting it in the frame.

The results of the photosphere range from interesting to very impressive. In fact, with the camera of an inexpensive tablet you get a 360-degree panoramic interactive photo that can be freely rotated.

Google's Android camera has some problems various devices. However, we recommend installing Google Camera on mobile device– if this works, then everything will be OK and you can safely take interesting photographs with excellent quality.

Paper Camera - a “cartoon” camera for Android

If you've never heard of a “paper camera,” here's your chance to download the app Paper Camera from our website. This camera gives you the opportunity to see hand-drawn effects live. For example. you can place your subject on a piece of cardboard or a pencil line. While Paper Camera can be resource-intensive, the results are well worth the expense. Additionally, this camera takes both photos and videos.

Paper Camera - paper camera for android Paper Camera app settings

Answers to questions

1. I click “take photo”, and the phone not only does not save the photo, but also goes to the main menu. Telephone Samsung Galaxy A3. Please help, I’m nowhere without a camera on Android.

2. The camera on the phone has disappeared. It's not in the app. Is it possible to restore the camera? When I turn on the application, it shows only the front camera in the settings (there is no “switch to main” option). I tried to reboot - it was the same again. And the camera shows an inverted image.

Answer. It is likely that this is a software conflict. The simplest solution to the problem is to download an alternative camera for Android on Google Play: Google Camera, Manual Camera, Candy Camera and others. There are many options, choose according to your taste and color. Many applications outperform the standard camera. What's the best way to improve the camera on your phone?

The second way to fix the camera (if a standard one is really necessary) is to change the Android firmware.

When I turn on the camera on my phone (Android OS), the system tells me that the “Camera” application is not available. What to do?

Answer. There are several options for correcting the error: radical and softer. The problem may be related to the firmware of your phone - it may be problematic. In this case, it is best to reflash your mobile device if you know how to do it.

A milder fix Android cameras(if the “Camera” application does not start) – install one of the alternative cameras from the list. In addition to the bug fix, you get an app with more interesting settings, effects, and photo modes.

Such a problem. From the phone, or rather from the memory card, the photo application for the camera on Android, from the Camera section, disappeared. The size of the remaining memory on the flash drive has not changed, but the photo is not visible, the phone itself does not take photos either, the sound of the camera is heard, etc., but it is not in the gallery. If you unplug the flash drive, internal memory everything is going well.

Answer. In the settings of any software camera, you can specify the location for saving photos. If this method does not work, instead of the standard one, try downloading the camera for Android from the list.

Check if there are problems with saving data to the memory card in other applications. If they are observed, format the SD card.

Nowadays it is not difficult to give a particular photo a certain filter or effect. But sometimes you don’t want to spend extra time on this, but apply a filter right during shooting. It is for these purposes that they serve special applications, which we will talk about now.

IN lately We publish ordinary photos on social networks less and less often. Much more often we endow them with certain effects. Usually these actions are performed using some kind of photo editor. But in fact, it is much easier to download a camera with effects on Android. Especially if you only shoot using a smartphone. This way you will save a lot of time, since filters will be applied right during shooting. Below we will take a look at the five best applications of this kind.

Price: Free

This application was created strictly for selfie lovers. With this program you can apply a variety of effects to your face. The most common special effect is known to everyone - these are the ears of a dog with a very long tongue. But the list of available pictures is not limited to this option. Face Swap contains parts of the heads of other animals - for example, a raccoon and a cat. Also, using this application, you can put a full-fledged mask on your face, thanks to which no one will recognize you.

Why should you use Face Swap? After all, it would seem easier to apply dog ears in a photo editor - it can be done there with much better quality. However, the essence of this program is video shooting. The same ears are located strictly on the head, no matter in what part of the frame it is located. Moreover, the ears, nose, tongue, mustache - all this is animated, which decorates the video even more.

By the way, Face Swap contains a built-in photo editor. In this section, all sorts of filters, stickers, frames and other elements are available that can decorate any image.

The application is distributed free of charge, but some stickers and effects are offered for money.

Advantages:

Free distribution;
Easy to learn interface;
A rich number of effects for video shooting;
Built-in photo editor with stickers and other bonuses.

Flaws:

Some effects are distributed for money;
There is advertising.

Grade: 6/10

Cartoon Camera

This application is trying its best to turn our life into a cartoon. The developers managed to endow their creation with an extraordinary opportunity. The utility turns the frame into a drawn image. And this is done in real time!

As expected, this is a camera with many effects for Android. Some do not allow you to distinguish a photograph from a real drawing. Others do not have the greatest processing - it seems that the artist painted directly on top of the photograph. In short, you can choose the effect to suit any request. Moreover, the application is distributed free of charge, which is good news.

Like other programs of this kind, Cartoon Camera allows you to work on ready-made photographs. You can also send the result to social networks or send it via email.

Advantages:

Unique hand-drawn effects;
Stable operation on most devices;
Distributed free of charge;
Ability to add frames;
High application performance;
The presence of sepia and other standard effects.

Flaws:

At some point you may get bored;
Lack of serious editing capabilities.

Grade: 7/10

Price: Free

Now absolutely anyone has the ability to shoot in this mode. pre-installed application"Camera". However, the device will deal with this matter in automatic mode, which will not suit all users. Some people would like to adjust the strength of the HDR effect, brightness level, color saturation, and other parameters. All this is provided by the Ultimate HDR Camera application.

This program is able to squeeze out of the HDR mode all the beauty that is available to the camera built into the smartphone. The application can work in automatic mode, taking a couple of pictures at its own discretion with one or another exposure, and then stitching them into one image. But most of all, the utility will appeal to those who prefer to keep the photography process under complete control. In manual mode, four types of settings become available. Using the appropriate sliders, the user will be able to select specific exposure parameters, as well as change the level of shadows. The result is not worse than that, what can be achieved with long-term image processing in Adobe Photoshop!

Both advanced photographers and beginners can use the application. The interface used here is as simplified as possible. The utility is distributed free of charge, and developers earn money by displaying advertisements.

Advantages:

Easy to use;
Fast work;
Distributed free of charge;
Maximum number of HDR settings available;
High quality of the final result.

Flaws:

Shoots only in 4:3 aspect ratio;
The weight of the photographs is too heavy;
Ads can be annoying.

Grade: 8/10

Price: Free

There is no doubt that you have heard about the possibility of changing your face through the use of a smartphone. This is done using appropriate applications. One of them is Camera Fun Pro.

This program allows you to mock landscapes, but first of all it is still a camera that changes the face of the person being photographed. She does this, as you might guess, in real time. There are several artistic filters here. But the greatest emphasis is placed on the special effects section. For example, the utility can distort your head beyond recognition. Each effect here is marked with a corresponding lens (lens). One thing we can only regret a little is the lack of localization here, which is why remembering the names of effects can cause certain problems.

The application is distributed on a paid basis. But they literally ask for pennies for it (as of May 2016 - 30 rubles), so it won’t be difficult to pay the required amount. There is also a free version of Camera Fun, but it is not worth considering, since it is limited in the number of filters and is disappointing because of the presence of advertising. It's a pity that even paid option programs can get boring quite quickly. The reason for this is that the number of effects and filters here is still not the maximum. And you shouldn’t hope for the appearance of new effects - the developers stopped updating their creation a long time ago.

Advantages:

A large number of funny effects;
A very simple, albeit not localized, interface;
Good performance;
Works even on old and budget smartphones.

Flaws:

Distributed for money;
The number of effects and filters could be greater.

Grade: 9/10

PIP Camera

In a word, PIP Camera is a good application that every owner of a smartphone with a good built-in camera should definitely try.

Advantages:

Unique effects;
Placing a photograph on the cover of a magazine;
Good editing capabilities;
Creating collages;
Availability of sepia and other standard filters;
Distributed free of charge.

Flaws:

Does not display effects directly during shooting.

Grade: 9/10

Summing up

If you want to forget about standard photos, then be sure to download at least one of the proposed utilities. Which one exactly? It all depends on whether you want to see this or that effect right during framing. If not, then your choice is PIP Camera. If you want, then consider the other four options. Two of them ( Cartoon Camera And Paper Camera) create a real drawing from a photograph. It should be noted that the second application does its job better, but it asks for money.

If you want to have fun, then at your service - in fact, this is an analogue of a distorting mirror. Well Camera HDR Studio is the least interesting program. It creates HDR images, which the vast majority of standard Camera apps are already capable of. modern smartphones.

We've reviewed the most popular, best camera apps on Android that can make your photos better, clearer, and richer. Which program to choose is up to you! Some of them are available completely free, while others contain restrictions that can only be removed after purchasing a license.

Camera ZOOM FX FREE- An excellent application for both outdated and modern smartphones. It surpasses its competitors with an abundance of useful features, harmoniously built into a pleasant user interface. Can be controlled using voice commands or gestures.

Programs Camera FV-5 Lite, Open Camera And Camera MX Experienced photographers will definitely like it, thanks to the availability of professional tools. FV-5 Lite can work with RGB channels and supports RAW format. Peculiarities Open Camera- high-quality panorama mode, photography during video shooting, as well as menu layout for right-handed and left-handed people.

LINE Camera includes its own social network where you can show off your work to other community members, find new friends and rate their creativity. It stands out from its analogues with good tools for creating collages, but cannot compete with the program in this category BestMe Selfie Camera, providing the widest selection of collage grids and frames.

Camera360 And VSCO include the most powerful image editors that can significantly improve your photos. note that Camera360 knows how to eliminate various defects on the face. In the program Retrica you will find many interesting features, with which you can change any photo parameters. Also in Retrike You can add a huge number of special effects, emoticons, stamps and stickers.

If you prefer to capture as much as possible more details in the image (for example, when shooting a landscape), select A Better Camera, the software has a unique DRO technology, which is responsible for fine stabilization of the scene. If you love creating GIF animations and slow motion photography, install the application Footej Camera.

Utilities Candy Camera And HD Camera will appeal to users who have only recently acquired a smartphone. It contains a minimum of options; working with the software is as simple as possible.

Our review did not include several other good applications:

Go Camera;
Google Cardboard Camera;
Cyberlink YouCam;
Manual Camera;
IP Camera Viewer (for web cameras);
Camera JB+;
Camera ICS;
DSLR Camera Pro.

Go Camera- a convenient utility with a pleasant interface. Like most analogues, it can apply filters in real time, contains an HDR mode and an optical blur tool.

Application Google Camera Carboard will give the opportunity to create 360-degree images that can be viewed in helmets virtual reality. There are fisheye and wide-angle lens functions.

DSLR camera Pro, as well as B612 Selfiegenic Camera, allows you to use the function SLR camera. Works with an RGB histogram, can perceive different swipes and taps as given commands, which can be set in the settings.

Cyberlink YouCam allows you to apply bright effects to photos and immediately change the shape of your face and eyes. Manual Camera can adjust shutter speed, focusing distance, exposure and sensitivity to light. Supports Android Lollipop and later versions.

IP Camera Viewer It features a video surveillance option; you can connect to IP cameras from anywhere in the world. The program is compatible with more than 200 IP cameras.

Camera JB+ contains an integrated gallery from Android Jelly Bean and three operating modes: video recording, camera and panorama. The last option works great on gadgets with large screens, for example: Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Motorola Google Nexus 6, and so on. Camera ICS will noticeably improve the quality of your smartphone's camera due to color effects and give it Android interface Ice Cream Sandwich.

Many smartphone owners use smartphones for photography standard application"Camera". They don’t even suspect that they can download a camera for Android, which will have wider functionality. Most often, such programs delight with better quality pictures. In this article we will talk about the best applications of this kind.

If you go to Google Play, you will find a huge number of utilities there designed to improve the quality of pictures or give them some effects. One camera app can turn an image into a drawing on paper, and another can save it in RAW format, something that the standard Camera is often not capable of. If we decided to consider all such utilities in one article, it would turn out to be incredibly voluminous. That's why we divided the material. The rest of its parts can be found at the following links:

Here we will look at those camera applications that improve photos or provide a large number of settings.

Price: Free

Surprisingly, almost every program from Appic Labs Corp. is quickly winning the love of many owners of smartphones and tablets. More than 10 million people have already downloaded Camera MX. The creators of this product tried to simplify the interface. There aren't a lot of interfaces to complicate the framing process. Instead, all the necessary settings are located in top panel. In particular, pressing the corresponding button provides access to exposure, flash, effects and other parameters.

You can download Camera MX if you like to experiment with ready-made photographs. The fact is that this free application is complemented by a powerful image editor that allows you to add all sorts of filters and frames. This product also has a built-in Live Shot function, which creates so-called live images (something similar recently appeared on Apple smartphones).

The program can also be used to select the best shots. The fact is that she is able to quickly take six pictures, from which she then selects best photo. However, the quality suffers slightly, so it is better not to rush when making single “shots”. The application is also capable of video recording, including HD resolution.

Advantages:

Built-in photo editor with many filters and frames;
Possibility to download the application for free;
Good quality of photographs;
A large number of settings;
Availability of the function of creating “live” pictures;
Simple and user-friendly interface, which does not interfere with shooting.

Flaws:

Effect icons are too small in edit mode;
Problems with autofocus on some devices;
No panoramic photography.

Camera Zoom FX

Price: Free

Another camera program that focuses on the number of settings. With its help, the smartphone owner can use many parameters familiar only to owners of SLR and system cameras. There is also voice activation, which turns out to be very useful when you want to take a photo of yourself with the rear camera.

The utility boasts a burst mode - the developers claim that Camera Zoom FX creates 10 frames in one second. But really this parameter directly depends on the power of the processor built into the smartphone. The creators did not forget about the timer. However, if you have voice activation, you will only need it in a very noisy place.

The main feature of Camera Zoom FX is the ability to create your own filter. Of course, there are also preset effects - they are used if a person does not want to waste time creating his creation. It should also be noted that the application is able to indicate navigation data in image tags. For some reason, many developers of such programs forget about this function.

This application can be obtained for free. But if you want to get rid of advertising and expand functionality, then you need to purchase paid version. Fortunately, its creators often hold sales, so purchasing the program can literally cost 60-70 rubles.

Advantages:

Ability to save pictures in RAW format (on devices that support this);
Very fast burst mode;
Good picture quality;
Availability of timer and voice activation;
Availability of panoramic shooting mode;
Ability to use hardware keys;
Availability of an advanced photo editor.

Flaws:

Problems with video recording on some smartphones;
Requires purchase of paid version.

LINE Camera

Price: Free

If you want to not only improve the camera on your phone, but also get a wide arsenal of photo editing capabilities, then it is recommended to install LINE Camera. Here you can use traditional photography to make a frame that even the owner of a SLR camera would envy. In addition to ordinary improvements by changing contrast and other parameters, applying all kinds of decorations is available. In particular, these can be stickers, frames and various effects. The creators did not forget about eliminating red eyes.

Japanese developers worked hard on their creation. They've added over 5,000 stickers here, so decorating your photo is only up to your imagination. Interestingly, if you get creative, you can create your own stickers! By the way, the functionality of the camera itself cannot be called limited either. There is a timer, a grid display, and many other auxiliary functions.

The camera application is distributed free of charge. But if you want to get all the stickers and effects, you will have to fork out some money.

Advantages:

Distributed free of charge;
A huge number of stickers and frames;
Availability of almost all popular filters;
Extensive photo editing capabilities;
Well-implemented camera functionality.

Flaws:

All functionality costs decent money;
Lack of video recording capability;
Problems on some devices.

Price: Free

Another camera for Android, which has both paid and free versions. The program is intended only for photography; photo editing functionality is minimal here. The application has a large number of various settings built into it, many of which are familiar to owners of full-fledged cameras. For example, using A Better Camera you can take a good HDR shot. And even better here are panoramic photos.

The screen grid will help you compose your frame more competently, without blocking the horizon and using the golden ratio rule. Shutter speed settings are also available here. The user should also like the burst mode, in which several photos are taken almost instantly - then all that remains is to choose the best one. It should be noted that the application is also capable of video recording.

In the free version, a number of modes will only work for 30 days. After this, you will need to purchase the PRO version. Fortunately, it is quite inexpensive - from 80 to 160 rubles.

Advantages:

High-quality photographs and videos;
The essence of most modes is clear even to a beginner;
Availability of HDR video mode (requires Android 4.3 or a more recent OS version);
User-friendly interface;
Availability of time lapse;
Shoot in RAW format if your device supports it.

Flaws:

Almost complete lack of editing functions;
30-day trial period only;
Freezes on some devices.

Grade: 5/10 its special version, distributed free of charge. As for the main version, they ask for about 200 rubles.

The application's interface is very simple. On the left side are the main parameters - ISO, shutter speed, white balance, exposure and some others. When you click on one or another icon, a special virtual wheel pops up, rotating which changes the selected parameter. Well, the transition to advanced settings is carried out through a separate icon located next to the shutter button. In this section, you can instruct the camera application to geotag images. The program can also save images in uncompressed RAW format.

Advantages:

Selecting shutter speed, ISO and other important parameters;
Convenient interface that hardly interferes;
Saving in RAW format, if the device supports it;
The presence of a timer and the ability to turn off the shutter sound.

Flaws:

The aperture cannot be adjusted;
Manual settings are not available on all smartphones;
The application costs significant money;
Lack of built-in photo editor.

How to improve the camera on Android?

In this collection, we looked at only five camera applications designed for the Android operating system. But believe me, there are many more of them! And almost every week new programs of this kind appear. If Camera Zoom FX is now the leader, then it is possible that tomorrow there will be more high-quality photographs and another application will provide more functionality.