If you're in search of a versatile and completely free camera app for your Android device, look no further than Open Camera. This open-source app is packed with features that can elevate your photography game to the next level.
One of the standout features of Open Camera is the auto-level option, ensuring your pictures are always perfectly level, no matter how you hold your device. The app also exposes a wide range of your camera's functionality, including scene modes, color effects, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation and lock, selfie mode with "screen flash," and HD video recording capabilities, to name just a few.
For added convenience, Open Camera offers handy remote controls such as a timer with an optional voice countdown and an auto-repeat mode with configurable delays. You can even take photos remotely by making a noise, adding a fun element to your photography sessions.
Customization is at the heart of Open Camera, with configurable volume keys and a user-friendly interface. The app also includes an upside-down preview option, which is perfect for those using attachable lenses. To aid in composition, you can overlay various grids and crop guides on your screen.
For those who love to geotag their media, Open Camera supports optional GPS location tagging for both photos and videos, including compass direction for photos. You can also apply date and timestamp, location coordinates, and custom text to your photos, as well as store date/time and location as video subtitles in .SRT format.
Privacy-conscious users will appreciate the option to remove device exif metadata from photos. The app also supports panorama mode, including for the front camera, and HDR with auto-alignment and ghost removal, as well as exposure bracketing.
Open Camera leverages the advanced Camera2 API for manual controls with optional focus assist, burst mode, RAW (DNG) file support, camera vendor extensions, slow motion video, and log profile video. It also features noise reduction, including a low light night mode, and dynamic range optimization modes.
Photography enthusiasts will find additional tools like on-screen histograms, zebra stripes, and focus peaking invaluable. The focus bracketing mode adds yet another dimension to your creative toolkit.
What's even better? Open Camera is completely free, with no third-party ads within the app, though you'll find them on the website. Keep in mind that some features may not be available on all devices due to hardware, camera features, or Android version dependencies.
For more information and to access the source code, visit the Open Camera website at http://opencamera.org.uk/. Please note that while Open Camera is a robust app, it's not possible to test it on every Android device, so it's recommended to test it before using it for critical events like a wedding.
The app icon is designed by Adam Lapinski, and Open Camera also uses content under third-party licenses. For more details, see https://opencamera.org.uk/#licence.
