AI Assist Best camera app for Android?

aidunno said:
Best camera app for android?
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“Best” depends heavily on what you want (point-and-shoot quality vs manual controls vs pro video). On many Android phones, the “best camera app” for pure image quality is still the manufacturer’s stock camera app, because it has access to the phone’s proprietary HDR/night processing that third-party apps often can’t fully use. ([riseupgames.com](https://www.riseupgames.com/proshot/android?utm_source=openai))

Best picks (by use-case)
  • Best overall for most people (quality + reliability): Your phone’s built-in camera app (Pixel Camera / Samsung Camera / etc.). Third-party apps can be limited by what the manufacturer exposes to apps via the camera API. ([riseupgames.com](https://www.riseupgames.com/proshot/android?utm_source=openai))
  • Best free “pro/manual” camera: Open Camera (free, open-source). Good for manual controls, RAW (on supported devices), HDR, timers, etc. ([f-droid.org](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.sourceforge.opencamera/?utm_source=openai))
  • Best paid “pro/manual” camera (DSLR-like controls): ProShot. Strong manual control set and a UI many people like, but features can still vary by phone due to manufacturer restrictions. ([riseupgames.com](https://www.riseupgames.com/proshot?utm_source=openai))
  • Best “shoot + edit RAW” workflow in one app: Adobe Lightroom (it’s primarily an editor, but includes an in-app camera with RAW/HDR/manual options). ([androidauthority.com](https://www.androidauthority.com/best-camera-apps-for-android-188148/?utm_source=openai))
  • Best for serious video capture on Android: mcpro24fps (geared toward filmmakers; lots of control if your device supports it). ([mcpro24fps.com](https://www.mcpro24fps.com/?utm_source=openai))

Practical tip
A common setup is: use the stock camera for quick shots (best computational HDR/night), and use Open Camera/ProShot for manual shots or RAW when you want more control. Limits you see in third-party apps (missing resolutions, frame rates, modes) are often due to device/vendor restrictions rather than the app itself. ([riseupgames.com](https://www.riseupgames.com/proshot/android?utm_source=openai))
 
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Marko :) said:
The one that came with your phone. I tired Gcam mods for my Xiaomi phone, but I never managed to get them working correctly, even the recommended versions for my model.
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Your advice is generally sound: for most Android phones, the stock/OEM camera app is usually the best “default” choice because it’s tuned for that specific hardware and has full access to the vendor’s image processing pipeline (HDR, night mode, portrait, proper lens switching, etc.). Third‑party apps often can’t use all of that reliably, even when they “work.”

About GCam mods (why they can be flaky)
GCam ports rely on device-specific camera HAL/Camera2 behavior plus the right config. On Xiaomi in particular, it’s common to see issues like:
  • Crashes or freezes on launch
  • Broken HDR+/Night Sight
  • Wrong colors/over-sharpening
  • Aux lenses not working (ultrawide/tele)
  • Video instability or focus/exposure glitches
So your experience (“recommended version” still not right) is very believable.

If someone still wants to try alternatives
Keeping it practical and low-risk:
  • Use the OEM camera for everyday photos.
  • If they want manual controls/RAW, try Open Camera (stable, straightforward), but don’t expect it to beat the OEM app’s computational HDR/night processing on many phones.
  • If they want to try GCam anyway, stick to well-known maintainers/communities for that exact Xiaomi model and be prepared for trial-and-error.

Bottom line: “Use the one that came with your phone” is usually the most accurate, least frustrating answer—GCam mods can improve some devices, but they’re not a reliable recommendation across models.
 
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Bot said:
Your advice is generally sound: for most Android phones, the stock/OEM camera app is usually the best “default” choice because it’s tuned for that specific hardware and has full access to the vendor’s image processing pipeline (HDR, night mode, portrait, proper lens switching, etc.). Third‑party apps often can’t use all of that reliably, even when they “work.”

About GCam mods (why they can be flaky)
GCam ports rely on device-specific camera HAL/Camera2 behavior plus the right config. On Xiaomi in particular, it’s common to see issues like:
  • Crashes or freezes on launch
  • Broken HDR+/Night Sight
  • Wrong colors/over-sharpening
  • Aux lenses not working (ultrawide/tele)
  • Video instability or focus/exposure glitches
So your experience (“recommended version” still not right) is very believable.

If someone still wants to try alternatives
Keeping it practical and low-risk:
  • Use the OEM camera for everyday photos.
  • If they want manual controls/RAW, try Open Camera (stable, straightforward), but don’t expect it to beat the OEM app’s computational HDR/night processing on many phones.
  • If they want to try GCam anyway, stick to well-known maintainers/communities for that exact Xiaomi model and be prepared for trial-and-error.

Bottom line: “Use the one that came with your phone” is usually the most accurate, least frustrating answer—GCam mods can improve some devices, but they’re not a reliable recommendation across models.
Click to expand...
The issues I encounter were camera app wasn't full screen like the app was designed for smaller phone. Then, there was huge difference in "viewfinder" and picture taken, with images having darkish tint. It also took the app few seconds to take the picture like I was using night mode. And the night photos were plainly terrible. I mean, not that the Xiaomi app does a great job, but hell the images coming out of Gcam were the worst. And I don't know how the reviewers got them so good on through the same app version and on the same phone.
 
Marko :) said:
The issues I encounter was camera app wasn't full screen like the app was designed for smaller phone. Then, there was huge difference in "viewfinder" and picture taken, with images having darkish tint. It also took the app few seconds to take the picture like I was using night mode. And the night photos were plainly terrible. I mean, not that the Xiaomi app does a great job, but hell the images coming out of Gcam were the worst. And I don't know how the reviewers got them so good on through the same app version and on the same phone.
Click to expand...
What you describe is very typical of a “not quite compatible” GCam port/config rather than you doing anything wrong. With GCam mods, the same APK version can behave very differently depending on the exact build (maintainer), XML config, MIUI/HyperOS version, Camera HAL behavior, and even which lens ID mapping the phone exposes.

Why the preview (“viewfinder”) doesn’t match the final photo
GCam preview is often a simplified/fast stream, while the saved photo gets heavy processing (HDR+/noise reduction/tonemapping). On some Xiaomi devices the preview stream metadata (exposure, black level, color correction) doesn’t line up perfectly with what the capture pipeline applies, so the final image can come out darker and/or with a tint even if the preview looked fine.

Common causes for the “darkish tint” specifically:
  • Wrong “AWB” (auto white balance) choice in the mod (some “Pixel AWB” options look great on one sensor and awful on another).
  • Incorrect “black level” handling (black level offsets not applied correctly = muddy/dark output).
  • A custom “lib” (library) or lib patcher setting that reviewers used differently than your setup.

Why it takes seconds to take a photo (like night mode)
That’s usually HDR+ doing long multi-frame stacking. Some ports default to aggressive settings such as HDR+ Enhanced, high frame count, or strong noise reduction. On some Xiaomi phones that ends up behaving like a mini Night Sight for every shot, which explains both the delay and the dark/over-processed look.

Why Night Sight can look terrible
Night Sight quality is extremely device- and tuning-dependent. If the port/config isn’t tuned for your sensor (or the exposure/denoise settings are off), you can get:
  • Over-smoothed “oil painting” look
  • Weird color casts
  • Underexposure (dark output)
  • Motion blur/ghosting due to long stacking time

Why reviewers get great results on “the same phone”
In practice it’s often not truly the same setup:
  • Different GCam maintainer build (same “version number,” different patches)
  • Different XML config (this is a huge factor)
  • Different MIUI/HyperOS version, camera driver behavior, or ROM
  • Different lighting scenes (GCam can look amazing in some conditions and terrible in others)
  • Some reviewers also edit/select best shots, so you only see the winners

Low-risk things that often fix (or quickly confirm) it’s not worth it
Without guessing exact menu names (they vary by port), the usual “sanity reset” path is:
  • Clear the app’s data and start from defaults (many issues come from mismatched configs).
  • Try a different port/maintainer build for your exact Xiaomi model (ports are not equal even at the same base version).
  • Try a known-good XML config specifically made for your device/sensor.
  • If you see options for AWB / “Pixel AWB”: switch to a different AWB choice or disable the special AWB.
  • If you see black level fixes: toggle the black level correction option (wrong black level is a classic “dark output” cause).
  • If HDR+ Enhanced is forced: switch to plain HDR+ / reduce HDR frame count (this often removes the “night mode delay” effect).

Practical takeaway
If the OEM Xiaomi camera is “okay” and GCam is giving fullscreen/UI issues, slow capture, and worse output (especially at night), then for that device/setup the OEM app is the most reliable choice. GCam can be excellent, but only when the port + config + device camera stack happen to align; otherwise it’s exactly the kind of frustrating experience you described.
 
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Divine_Barakah said:
Im using GCam as the integrated camera app in my Nothing Phone 2 does not support using the external mic.
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You’re using GCam for a valid reason: Nothing’s stock camera app has (for a long time) lacked external mic selection/support, and Nothing community members have repeatedly confirmed that external mics don’t work in the default camera app. That matches what you’re seeing.

Best workaround: use a video app that can explicitly use an external mic
  • Blackmagic Camera (Android) – Designed for video work and has proper audio controls on supported devices. Recent updates also added support for using paired Bluetooth microphones (where the phone/Android stack allows it).
  • mcpro24fps (paid) – Specifically lists sound recording via external mics and Bluetooth devices, plus audio monitoring and pro video controls.
  • Open Camera (free) – In settings you can choose an Audio source; on devices that support it, selecting “External mic” can route audio correctly.

Quick checklist (common gotchas on Android/Nothing)
  • USB audio routing setting: In Developer options, make sure “Disable USB audio routing” is NOT enabled, otherwise Android may refuse to route audio to a USB-C mic/receiver.
  • App permissions: Ensure the camera app you’re using has Microphone permission allowed (Settings -> Apps -> (app) -> Permissions).
  • Bluetooth mic expectations: Even when supported, Bluetooth mic quality/latency can be inconsistent vs a USB-C receiver. For best reliability/quality, a USB-C receiver/dongle mic is usually preferable.

If you want the “best quality + external mic” combo
In practice, many people end up using:
  • Nothing stock camera for photos (best device-specific processing), and
  • Blackmagic Camera or mcpro24fps for video when external mic input matters.

Last resort (still reliable): record audio separately
If you ever hit a wall with Android mic routing, the most dependable workaround is recording audio in a dedicated recorder app (that definitely uses the external mic) and syncing it in post. It’s not as convenient, but it avoids the “which mic did Android pick?” problem entirely.

Sources
 

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