My Pixel 8 Pro takes rich, accurate photos with great color space and depth, and with the help of AI, it does most of the heavy lifting for me without me having to adjust any settings.
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But sometimes you want control over the camera settings. Maybe you want to be more artistic or create something with a specific look, and to do that you need control over certain camera settings that the default app doesn't offer. You want to be able to adjust the ISO, the white balance, the shutter speed, etc.
So what do we do? Turn to third-party apps.
I used to use an app called “Manual Camera,” but it hasn't improved much in years. If you look in the Google Play Store, you'll find a variety of options ranging from free to nearly $20. Some of the paid apps are good, but some are prone to crashing or other issues.
My Favorite Android Camera App
One of the great apps available on the Play Store is an amazing app called ProShot that can be purchased for just $6.99. This app gives you access to a variety of camera modes (Auto, Program, Manual, Custom 1, Custom 2), drive modes (Photo, Video, Slow-Mo, Light Painting, Timelapse), flash, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, focus changes, media format options, one-finger zoom, and more.
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ProShot automatically optimizes for your hardware and also has a separate evaluation tool so you know if the app will work with your hardware (we highly recommend using the evaluation tool before purchasing ProShot).
When it comes to ProShot, you really need to understand what the app does before you buy it. Why? Because to get the most out of the app, you need to understand concepts like ISO, white balance, shutter speed, fps, etc. If you don't have a solid understanding of how these things work, you'll just be wasting your money on an app that's not going to benefit you.
I'd even go so far as to say that apps like ProShot are aimed at photographers (or anyone looking to get more out of their phone's hardware) – if you just want to point and shoot and let your phone do the rest, leave it on the defaults.
Otherwise, the ProShot is a great choice.
What can you do with ProShot?
There's a lot to like about this app.
Aside from having control over the hardware settings, one of my favorite features is the one-finger zoom. In most camera apps, you have to pinch in or out to zoom. In ProShot, you can use one finger to swipe up or down (slowly) to zoom in or out. Hold the phone with both hands and zoom in or out with your thumbs, while the camera remains stable. This is great for video, otherwise pinching to zoom in would result in shaky footage.
Also, the camera I would recommend for a beginner photographer is not a Nikon or Sony.
Similarly, changing settings can usually be done with just one finger – for example, to change the ISO, you tap the current ISO setting and then the setting you want, meaning you can keep framing your shot while you change settings.
Another feature I really like is manual focus. Auto focus is incredibly accurate, but it doesn't always know what to focus on in the shot and you may find yourself jumping back and forth between subjects. Manual focus gives you complete control, which is really convenient.
The bottom line is that ProShot takes great photos. With a little understanding, the app can take significantly better photos than your phone's default camera app. Even with the Pixel 8 Pro's impressive AI, ProShot still took better photos than the Google Camera app.
Is this app right for you?
This is an important question because if you don't understand the basics of photography, you'll end up spending money and being dissatisfied with the results. On the other hand, if you understand the basics, you'll get better results from this app.
Plus, the cameras on Pixel phones were already the best, but these new features make them even better.
To determine if the ProShot app is right for you, you need to ask yourself: 1) do you understand the basics of photography, and if not, 2) are you willing to learn? If the answer to these two questions is no, then you don't need to buy it. However, if the answer to one or both questions is yes, then I would say you should go ahead and buy it. I've tried many camera apps and this app has the best feature to price ratio of any app you'll find on the Google Play Store.
And the results speak for themselves.
Unfortunately, there is no free version (or trial version) of ProShot. However, as mentioned above, there is an Evaluator. Install it to evaluate your hardware and see if the app is a good fit. If your hardware is a good fit for the app, buy it and start taking great photos.