Open Camera

Mark Harman

Contains ads

About this app

Open Camera has the following features:
* Option to auto-level so your pictures are perfectly level no matter what.
* Expose your camera's functionality: support for scene modes, color effects, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation/lock, selfie with "screen flash", HD video and more.
* Handy remote controls: timer (with optional voice countdown), auto-repeat mode (with configurable delay), Bluetooth LE remote control (for specifically supported smartphone housing).
* Option to take photo remotely by making a noise.
* Configurable volume keys and user interface.
* Upside-down preview option for use with attachable lenses.
* Overlay a choice of grids and crop guides.
* Optional GPS location tagging (geotagging) of photos and videos; for photos this includes compass direction (GPSImgDirection, GPSImgDirectionRef).
* Apply date and timestamp, location coordinates, and custom text to photos; store date/time and location as video subtitles (.SRT).
* Option to remove device exif metadata from photos.
* Panorama, including for front camera.
* Support for HDR (with auto-alignment and ghost removal) and Exposure Bracketing.
* Support for Camera2 API: manual controls (with optional focus assist); burst mode; RAW (DNG) files; camera vendor extensions; slow motion video; log profile video.
* Noise reduction (including low light night mode) and Dynamic range optimisation modes.
* Options for on-screen histogram, zebra stripes, focus peaking.
* Focus bracketing mode.
* No third party ads in the app (I only run third party ads on the website). Open Source.

(Some features may not be available on all devices, as they may depend on hardware or camera features, the Android version, etc.)

Website (and links to source code): http://opencamera.org.uk/

Note that it's not possible for me to test Open Camera on every Android device out there, so please test before using Open Camera to photo/video your wedding etc :)

App icon by Adam Lapinski. Open Camera also uses content under third party licences, see https://opencamera.org.uk/#licence

Ratings and reviews

Excellent except the zoom control is hard to use. There is the ability to change zoom very finely either with the volume buttons or via a small zoom bar. There is a menu of preset zoom levels but this is difficult to access. I'd like to predefine and label certain fixed zoom levels. The camera would choose the best sensor based on the user selection. The fixed zoom levels would optionally be available as GUI buttons or steps using the volume buttons.

It's a very good camera app that gives control over many options that the preinstalled Android and many other camera apps don't have. It worked great on my previous phone that had 1 camera on the back and 1 on the front, but now on my new phone with 3 cameras on the back and 2 on the front this app doesn't recognise the cameras and the zoom doesn't work. It's a pity.

Really cool app. Has pretty much everything you need for maximising your camera usage at a free cost. However, my only two gripes I have with this app: 1. There is no (or clear) option to enable OIS, which is a huge con when using this app, as any OEM camera app on a phone with OIS obviously utilises it, and it is essential for smooth footage. 2. Less of a problem, but more of a QOL feature - enabling flash in ULTRAWIDE/0.5 photos or videos. If you can do both of these, instant 5 stars.

What’s new

New optional on-screen icons for locking orientation to portrait/landscape, and preview shots. Grids now rotate when auto-level is enabled. Exif tags now supported for WebP and PNG image formats. Panorama photos now store XMP metadata to mark these as panorama images (JPEG formats only).

Photos no longer save on UI thread when using "Pause after taking photo" option.

Various other improvements and bug fixes.