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

This is a great replacement for the stock camera, no unnecessary permissions, good quality. One thing that could definitely be improved is location to save photos. It took up all my internal storage before I managed to find a flag in the settings with very weird name, to allow it using sd card, for specificOS version. Should detect that all and use by default I think, or at least suggest to.

For several days I was happy with that camera. Then one day I was walking in park making photos and when I watch the result on phone I suddenly found that 6 last photos cannot be opened as files are corrupted(!). I made test photo and it was ok. I watched it several times in gallery. But, when in about 15 minutes I was transferring photos to PC the last "test" was marked as corrupted too(!!) Neither my phone nor my pc cannot open it saying about corrupted file.

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.