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Open Camera is a FOSS camera app for Android

opencamera.org.uk

11–20 of 116 posts

Re: Open Camera is a FOSS camera app for Android

#12

It's usable but that's all I can say for it. Changing settings for simply adjusting ISO makes the processing of images take forever. I tried to use it so I could capture poorly-illuminating LEDs in a strip at work and ended up just using a DSLR in manual mode, it was much faster.

Well of course a DSLR will be better than a phone camera for most things, since you can control more features. That's also the point of OpenCamera; get as much controls as you can back, compared to the stock app that might be lacking. It wont do miracles if your phone camera is not good to begin with.

I've found OpenCam to be useful because of the various optional features ( onionskin, levelmeter, locking settings ). You can also set the bitrate/size/duration of videos, etc. Lots of useful stuff.

Re: Open Camera is a FOSS camera app for Android

#14

I'm gonna give this a try. I have a samsung and the camera app has glitchy slow motion for years. I would never buy another one again, but if i can get functioning slow motion then i can still use it at least for side projects

It depends on the phone camera API. Some allow up to some fps and the highest option is available through some vendor API that's not public. At least on mine.

Re: Open Camera is a FOSS camera app for Android

#17
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What phone do you have? I havent tried Open Camera in a while, but my conclusion is that the phone's camera app is best.

Unable to afford a Google-free phone, I strictly use Moto, which with a bit of adb work and a lot of disabling shitware, gets close to actual Android. They also have excellent glass, aside from doing all I require of them. I see criticism of Open Cam already, but I recommend trying it, with patience, and seeing what it can do. All my art images, all my videos, are all taken with open camera. Edit: for the macro setti…

Dismissing the stock apps as "shitware" without bothering to try them or offer specific examples of areas where Opencam is better does not inspire confidence in your opinions.

Full manual controls does not mean "better". I've been a photographer for more than 20 years using everything from fully-manual (no battery) film setups through modern mirrorless bodies. I know the tradeoffs between shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, I know how to manual focus.

....and most of the time I don't want any of those, especially on a phone, where I want a clear photo of a stationary object and the phone's automatic settings get it right the first time.

If something allows full manual controls but takes two seconds longer to be ready to shoot it is significantly worse as a camera for most of my use cases.

Re: Open Camera is a FOSS camera app for Android

#19
post #2

I've been using open camera on android since 2019. It's far superior to anything I've seen natively installed on any device. It has a lot of options, which I suspect can be confusing to some, but they're worth familiarizing with. My favorite feature is the macro, which when coupled with the right UI settings produces photos that when I have printed, result in the person saying "wow! You took that with a phone!?". And…

Is it really as good as Google Camera at computational photography; noise reduction, night mode, deblurring, stacking, etc.? That would be very impressive.
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