This Android camera app alternative is much better than what you are using

My Pixel 8 Pro takes rich, accurate photos with excellent color space and depth. It uses AI to do a lot of the work for me without me having to make any adjustments to the settings.

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But sometimes I want to have control over the camera settings. Maybe I want to create something more artistic or with a certain look. For that I need control over certain camera settings that the default app doesn’t offer. I want to be able to adjust ISO, white balance, shutter speed, etc.

So what do I do? I use a third-party app.

I used to use an app called Manual Camera, but that app hasn’t seen much development in the past few years. If you look at the Google Play Store, you’ll find several options, some of which are free and others that can cost close to $20. Some of these paid apps are good, while others are prone to crashes or other issues.

My favorite camera app for Android

One of the better apps on the Play Store costs just $6.99 and is a great app called ProShot. With it, you get different camera modes (Auto, Program, Manual, Custom 1, Custom 2), shooting modes (Photo, Video, Slow Motion, Light Painting and Time Lapse), the ability to change flash, white balance, ISO, shutter speed and focus, media format options, one-finger zoom and more.

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ProShot automatically optimizes your hardware and even has a separate evaluator tool so you know if the app will work with your hardware (I highly recommend using the evaluator before purchasing ProShot).

With ProShot, you really should know what you’re doing before you buy the app. Why? Because to get the most out of the app, you need to understand concepts like ISO, white balance, shutter speed, fps, etc. Without a solid understanding of how these things work, you’re just spending money on an app that you’re not getting any use out of.

I’d even go so far as to say that apps like ProShot are aimed at photographers (or those who want to try and get more out of their phone’s hardware). If you just want to point and shoot and let the phone do all the work for you, stick with the default setting.

Otherwise, ProShot is an excellent choice.

What ProShot can do

This app has a lot to offer.

Aside from being able to control hardware settings, one of my favorite features is the one-finger zoom. Most camera apps require you to do the good old finger gesture to zoom. With ProShot, you use one finger and swipe (slowly) up or down to zoom in or out. I can hold the phone with both hands and zoom in or out with my thumb while still keeping the camera steady. This is great for videos where you would otherwise zoom in with a finger gesture and the footage would be shaky.

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Similarly, changing a setting is usually a one-finger affair. For example, to change the ISO, tap the current ISO setting and then tap the setting you want. This lets you maintain the frame while you change the settings.

Another feature I really appreciate is manual focus. While autofocus is incredibly accurate, sometimes it doesn’t know what to focus on in a shot and jumps back and forth between subjects. Manual focus gives you complete control and that can be a blessing.

As for results, you can take some stunning photos with ProShot. With a little understanding, you can get significantly better shots with this app than with the stock camera app on your phone. Even with the excellent Pixel 8 Pro AI, I was able to take better photos with ProShot than with the Google Camera app.

Is this app for you?

This is an important question because if you don’t understand the basics of photography, you will end up spending the money and being unhappy with the results. On the other hand, if you understand the basics, you can get better results with this app.

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To decide if the ProShot app is right for you, you need to ask yourself: 1) Do you understand the basics of photography, or if not, 2) Are you willing to learn them? If the answer to both questions is “no,” then don’t bother. However, if the answer to one or both of those questions is “yes,” trust me when I say you should go ahead and buy it. I’ve tried many camera apps and this one has the best features to cost ratio you’ll find on the Google Play Store.

And the results speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, there is no free version of ProShot (or a trial version). However, as mentioned, there is the Evaluator, which you should install and have your hardware evaluated so you know if the app is a good fit. If your hardware is a good fit for the app, buy it and start taking some incredible photos.