It’s time for our 2022 roundup of the best camera apps for Android right now. This year there are even more awesome alternatives to the regular built-in camera app on your Android phone or tablet.
These apps have some incredible new features and even more advanced functionality to help you create high quality videos.
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Some of the most popular apps at the moment include Open Camera, HD Camera, Filmic Pro, ProCam X, Manual Camera, ProShot, DSLR Camera, Protake and Cinema FV-5 to name just a few. And that’s nowhere near all of them!
After all the usual research, we’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist of the top Android filming options right now.
Our shortlist for best camera app for Android comes down to:
Stay tuned to find out which app is the best for you!
Let’s get started.
Open Camera
This is one of the most popular camera apps right now. It’s open source and also completely free.
This is one of the best Android camera apps 2022
Open Camera packs in a ton of features with heaps of options and control over your video.
Since there are so many options inside the app, the actual menu system can be a bit overwhelming and confusing. This means it might be a bit trickier for beginners to pick up and use.
The customizable interface is an awesome feature in Open Camera
But the overall interface is still fairly intuitive and it’s also customizable. You can add extra functionalities and remove any that you’re not using.
One setting we do recommend changing is the camera API. If this is supported on your Android device, open the Camera API setting and enable Camera2 API. This will allow you to have more control over manual focusing, exposure and white balance.
Enabling Camera2 API allows for even more professional filming with Android phone or tablet
Some other awesome Open Camera features include:
- Touch to Capture – Tap the screen to start and stop recording
- Voice command – Take a photo on voice command e.g. “cheese”
- Anti-banding – Remove any flickering from a computer screen or lights in your scene
This DSLR camera app for Android packs in a ton of professional tools
Overall, this is one of the most feature-packed apps out there. It’s intuitive enough but definitely not as easy to use as some of the options coming up.
Open Camera Pricing
It’s free!
Now let’s check out the next option.
Manual Camera
This is another app that packs a real punch. It doesn’t have as many features as Open Camera but it is far more intuitive and easier to use!
If you’re looking for an awesome alternative camera app, Manual Camera is a great option
The interface in this app is so much easier navigate. You can access the core functionalities right on the main screen which saves a lot of time!
The interface isn’t as customizable as Open Camera but you can still hide different elements on the main screen which allows you to focus on the shot you’re about to take. This is called Immersive Mode.
You can hide different elements from the main screen for a more immersive filming experience
Personally, we prefer to have access to all main controls at all times. But if you prefer to have less functions on the home screen, it’s cool that you have the option here.
If you’re after more professional tools, you can enable Professional Mode. This will allow you to lock down manual shutter speed, ISO and white balance.
The menu system is super easy to navigate. It provides a neat and streamlined experience. This makes it much more appealing than Open Camera that has menus upon menus of options.
Manual Camera’s professional mode makes it a great DSLR camera app for Android
Another cool feature is that important video settings are automatically displayed at the top of the screen. That means without having to navigate anywhere, you can see settings like:
- Storage space
- Aperture
- Recording resolution
- Exposure
- ISO
- Shutter speed
Having the video settings displayed on-screen is a really powerful feature
One thing that would make this feature even better, is if you could tap on each of the settings to adjust them here. Hopefully that’s something that will be implemented soon!
Overall, this is probably the fastest and easiest to use camera app for Android that still manages to pack in a bunch of advanced features and controls.
Manual Camera Pricing
There is a free lite version available, however it has a few downsides such as:
- There’s a 5 minute recording time limit
- It limits your recording resolution
- There are ads
You can unlock restrictions and remove ads by purchasing the Pro version
So it might be a good idea to play around on this free version to help you decide if Manual Camera is for you. If it is, we’d recommend going for the Pro version.
The Pro version costs $4.99. This will remove all the ads and limitations – definitely worth the price!
Now let’s check out the third shortlisted Android camera app.
Filmic Pro
This app has heaps of customizability and control. Plus it’s also really easy to use with a simple interface. It’s the perfect mix of Open Camera and Manual Camera!
This is a top contender for best DSLR camera app for Android
It might not be as intuitive as Manual Camera but it’s still really quick and easy to access all the core functionalities.
You can lock down your focus point and exposure just by dragging the square and circle on the screen.
This Android camera app has next-level features that make Android filming quick and easy
To dial these in even further, you can bring up the advanced controls. This is where you can quickly access things like:
- Focus peaking
- Zebra lines
- Overlays
- Volume levels with audio bars
Diving into the more advanced settings is still fairly intuitive with the Filmic Pro menu system. Everything is broken down into simple categories meaning you can find what you need quickly.
The menu system is easy to navigate and understand making for a smooth filming process
We love that you can add different overlays – this allows you to see what your video will look like. You can also frame it with different aspect ratios and even crop your video to save it out with those aspect ratios. So if you want to create a 1:1 video, you can do this super easily.
There’s great hardware integrations with gimbals like the DJI OSMO Mobile and Zhiyun Smooth 4 as well as lens adapters and anamorphic lenses. This means you can use this as a professional grade tool.
You can easily adjust the aspect ratio to suit whatever content you’re creating
People have been making movies and documentaries using Filmic Pro for years. That’s how awesome and powerful it is!
If you really want to take things to the next level, there are some additional in-app purchases and additional apps in the Filmic family:
- Cinematographer Kit: An in-app purchase that unlocks different shooting styles such as Native, Natural, Dynamic, Flat and Log V2
- Filmic Remote App: A separate app that’s used on a different device to allow you to remotely monitor and control your primary Filmic Pro device.
Filmic Pro’s Cinematographer Kit makes filming with Android even more professional
Overall, this is an incredible mix of advanced features and an easy to use interface.
Filmic Pro Pricing
You can purchase the app for a one-time fee of $14.99. The Cinematographer Kit add-on is currently an additional $13.99. And the Filmic Remote App is $9.99. You can buy these in a packaged deal in the Play Store.
While it is the more expensive option, we think it’s worth it for everything Filmic Pro offers
Our Top Pick For Best Android Camera App
So, our favorite Android camera apps right now are Open Camera, Manual Camera and Filmic Pro.
But which one takes out first place in our 2022 roundup?
We may have given this away already, but the best all-rounder for us is hands down Filmic Pro!
Filmic Pro is the best camera app for Android in our 2022 roundup
It’s such a great mix of pro level features and advanced controls with an intuitive, easy to use interface. Filmic Pro is an amazing option for anyone who wants to level up from their phone camera app.
It allows you to have full control. You can dial things in super precisely. Plus if you want to add in some extra hardware integration, that’s definitely possible with Filmic. This app will really help you step up your video creation.
If you’d like to see our top recommendations for best camera apps on iPhone, you can check them out here.
For more Android filming tips and tricks, download our free 12 Step Guide To Filming on Android. With the help of this PDF guide and the right camera app, you’ll be filming videos like a pro in no time!
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Recommended Gear & Resources
Check out an up-to-date list of all the gear, software & tools we use and recommend right now at Primal Video on our resources page here!
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