Alexis Kestler
Hey there! As a fellow iPhone photography enthusiast, I know you‘re always looking to take your mobile photos to the next level. The iPhone‘s default camera app is great, but specialized third-party apps give you more creative control.
I‘ve tested over 50 different iPhone camera apps as a hobbyist photographer. In this guide, I‘ll share my 13 favorite apps that help me capture stunning, pro-level shots. I‘ll give you an in-depth look at each app so you can decide which ones fit your needs.
Let‘s dive in!
1. Halide Mark II – When You Want Complete Control
My number one camera app is Halide Mark II. As an avid photographer, I love having granular control over focus, exposure, and color. Halide Mark II gives me all the advanced manual settings I need to truly master iPhone photography.
Some of my favorite features include:
Focus Peaking – Nailing manual focus is key, and the focus peaking highlights make it easy. I can dial in tack sharp focus every time.
Histograms – I heavily rely on histograms to judge perfect exposures. Halide provides detailed histograms right on the screen so I can adjust settings until the exposure looks just right.
Depth Mode – The depth mode creates stunning portrait shots with creamy, professional bokeh backgrounds. I‘ve gotten compliments on portrait shots that rival my DSLR.
Gesture Controls – With simple swipe gestures, I can quickly adjust exposure on the fly without fiddling with controls. Useful for rapidly changing lighting conditions.
Halide Mark II does have a learning curve due to its many features. But if you take the time to learn it, you‘ll be able to capture incredible pro-level images with your iPhone. And since Halide has no trackers, your privacy is protected.
Best For: Photographers wanting DSLR-like controls to master manual photography
2. Adobe Lightroom – When You Already Use Lightroom
As a Lightroom user myself, Adobe Lightroom is a no-brainer for me. It complements the desktop app perfectly. I can access all my Lightroom collections on mobile and have my iPhone pics automatically sync into Lightroom on my computer.
The mobile Lightroom app also has robust camera capabilities, including:
RAW Capture – Being able to shoot RAW images on my iPhone is huge. RAW gives me more flexibility for big exposure and color adjustments during editing.
Manual Shooting Modes – Just like my DSLR, I can tweak exposure, shutter speed, focus, and more. Useful when I‘m shooting fast-moving subjects.
Presets – Lightroom has awesome presets that instantly apply custom looks as you shoot – everything from black and white to vibrant, poppy colors. Very handy.
Editing Tools – I can make quick exposure and color tweaks right in the app. The heal/clone tools let me remove blemishes and objects too.
If you already use Adobe Lightroom, definitely give the mobile app a look to bring new life to your iPhone photography.
Best For: Existing Adobe Lightroom users
3. Camera+ 2 – When You Want An All-in-One Camera App
For a full-featured camera and editor rolled into one app, Camera+ 2 is fantastic. I can shoot specialized portraits, macros, landscapes, and more using the different camera modes.
Here are some key features I love:
"Ultimar" Mode – This boosts resolution for ultra detailed shots, beyond what the iPhone hardware can normally capture. Useful when I need to heavily crop images later.
Advanced Timer Options – The variable self timer lets me dial in a precise timer delay down to 1/10th of a second. Very handy for long exposure night shots.
Horizon Level – Camera+ uses the gyroscope to ensure my shots have perfectly straight, level horizons. Super helpful for landscapes and architecture photography.
Portrait Relighting – During editing, I can completely change the direction and intensity of lighting on faces. It makes my portrait shots really pop.
Camera+ is great for hobbyists who want powerful capture tools and editing capabilities in a user-friendly package. It has become my daily driver camera app.
Best For: All-around mobile photography use
4. VSCO – When You Love Film Looks
If you want to make digital photos look like they were shot on vintage film, VSCO nails it. I‘ve tried many film emulation apps, and VSCO has the best quality.
VSCO‘s film looks range from klassic black and white to vibrant, punchy colors. Some of my favorites are:
Kodak Portra 800 (for portraits) – This adds soft, pleasing skin tones. Perfect for flattering portraits.
Fuji Pro 400H (for landscapes) – This lends an airy warmth that looks amazing on nature shots. One of my go-to landscape presets.
Agfa Scala 200x (for black and white) – This provides ultra-fine grain and high contrast for bold B&W shots. Stunning on architectural details.
Beyond its filters, VSCO also provides granular manual camera controls similar to my DSLR. I can adjust shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more. VSCO brings out the best in my iPhone photography.
Best For: Vintage, film-inspired looks
5. Darkroom – When You Want AI-Powered Editing
For quick editing with smart AI-powered tools, Darkroom is fantastic. It makes easy edits that normally take me a long time in other apps.
Here are a few features that save me hours of editing:
Portrait Relighting – Darkroom uses AI to realistically adjust lighting direction and intensity on faces with a few taps. It‘s almost magical how well it works.
Content-Aware Frames – This feature copies adjacent image content to fill in extended edges when adjusting aspect ratios. In other editors, I‘d have to do this manually.
Adjustable Granularity – I can make ultra-targeted adjustments with customizable brushes and radial/linear gradients. Useful for enhancing specific parts of a photo.
Selective Color Grading – Color grading just the sky or foliage makes my nature shots pop without affecting skin tones. Much better than applying global color casts.
Darkroom is beginner-friendly, but also gives experienced editors like myself the advanced tools I need. If you value your time and want amazing results fast, Darkroom is for you.
Best For: Efficient editing with AI magic
6. RAW+ – When You Demand Full Control Over Image Quality
If you want full creative control over your image quality, RAW+ is specially designed for you. It provides complete manual control over focus, exposure, white balance, and more.
I especially love these pro-level features:
RAW/ProRAW Capture – Being able to natively shoot RAW on my iPhone unlocks higher image quality potential. RAWs provide more latitude for big exposure and color adjustments later.
Full Manual Controls – I can fine tune settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Useful in tricky lighting where the standard camera app falls short.
Focus Peaking – Perfect for shooting fully manual. The focus peaking highlights make it easy to nail critical focus when needed.
Composition Grids – Grid overlays are hugely helpful for aligning architectural/landscape shots based on the rule of thirds. Removes guesswork.
If you demand the highest possible still image quality from your iPhone, RAW+ is a go-to choice. The app keeps things simple by focusing only on pro-caliber controls and output.
Best For: Maximum still image quality
7. Focos – When You Want Portrait Magic
For truly magical portrait shots, Focos is an amazing app. Using computational photography, it creates stunning background blurs and bokeh normally only possible on expensive DSLR lenses.
Here‘s why I love Focos for portraits:
Beautiful Bokeh Effects – That creamy, blurred background makes my subjects really stand out. It adds a professional "wow" factor to otherwise normal portraits.
AI Depth Mapping – Focos uses AI to separate the subject from background. The depth mapping results are insanely accurate, even for complex subjects like hair.
Virtual Lighting – Adding virtual lights and glows makes my portraits look professionally lit. I can create amazing studio lighting effects right from my phone.
Import Existing Photos – Focos can add depth effects to pics already in my camera roll. I have gives some old photos a new lease on life with portrait effects.
Focos brings DSLR-quality portraits right to your iPhone. If you want your portraits to look extra magical, this app is a game changer!
Best For: Portrait shots with pro background blur
8. FiLMiC Firstlight – When You Want Cinema-Worthy Images
For next-level image quality that looks like actual film footage, FiLMiC Firstlight is incredible. The app replicates the color science and exposure characteristics of real cinema cameras.
Here are some standout features it offers:
Adaptive Film Grain – Adds lifelike grain that mimics real cinema cameras. It looks far more pleasing than the ugly digital noise you typically get.
Waveforms & Zebras – These gauges help me nail perfect exposures when shooting high contrast scenes. I can see exactly where highlights are clipping or shadows are crushing.
Custom Film Presets – The film presets emulate classic cinema stocks like Kodak 5213 and Fuji Provia. More authentic and colorful than typical photo filters.
Focus Peaking – The color-coded focus highlights make manual focus easy. Critical focus is essential for ultra sharp images.
If you admire the look of real cinema cameras, FiLMiC Firstlight will make your iPhone images pop like no other camera app. It brings Hollywood-level quality right to your phone!
Best For: A true cinematic look
9. ProCamera – When You Need Photoshop-Level Controls
ProCamera provides advanced capabilities that rival premium mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The depth of manual controls and focus tools available are astounding for a phone app.
Here are some of my favorite pro-level features:
RAW Plus Format – ProCamera has its own RAW format with extended highlight and shadow detail. Excellent for high contrast scenes that normally challenge iPhone‘s camera.
Focus Stacking – This combines multiple exposures focused at different depths to create images fully in focus from foreground to background. Useful for macro shots.
Exposure Bracketing – Automatically snaps multiple exposures from dark to light. I can later combine the exposures for perfectly balanced HDR photos in Photoshop.
Horizon Level – Color indicators on the screen tell me when I‘m holding the phone perfectly level. Ensures straight horizons in architectural photography.
ProCamera has the most comprehensive manual camera controls I‘ve seen in an iPhone app yet. Highly recommended for skilled shooters who need DSLR capabilities.
Best For: Maximum control
10. Mark II Artist‘s Viewfinder – When You Want to Plan Ahead
As a hobbyist photographer, I really enjoy planning my shots in advance. Mark II Artist‘s Viewfinder lets me preview my compositions before I even visit a location.
The app simulates different cameras, lenses, and settings in an augmented reality view. Here are some ways I use it for planning:
Scouting Locations – I can stand in a spot and preview what a location will look like through different lenses. Helps me find the best vantage points.
Previsualizing – I can hold up my phone and frame shots to plan compositions. Ensures I get the images I envisioned later during the actual shoot.
Testing Focal Lengths – For a given scene, I can compare telephoto vs. wide angle lenses to decide which perspective I prefer. Useful for choosing which gear to bring.
Lighting Previews – The sun path tool shows exactly where light will enter the frame during golden hour. Allows me to time my shoots perfectly.
If you love planning your photography in detail, Mark II Artist‘s Viewfinder is an indispensable tool. You‘ll know exactly which shots you want before arriving on location.
Best For: Planning compositions and photography
11. Slow Shutter Cam – When You Want Dreamy Effects
My inner artist loves using Slow Shutter Cam to create ethereal, dream-like photos. The extended shutter speeds produce smoother waterfalls, light trails, star trails, and trippy motion effects.
Here are some of the cool features for capturing different slow shutter effects:
Light Trail Mode – This creates stunning light trails from cars at night. One of my favorite techniques to use.
Steady Photo – This takes several exposures and combines them for a sharp subject with blurred background. Makes for magical people portraits.
Extended Shutter Speeds – You can capture exposures up to 30 seconds. Perfect for star trails and light paintings at night.
Realtime Preview – See the extended exposure live as it happens. Helpful for finessing different effects in camera.
Slow Shutter Cam unlocks creativity and abstract photographic possibilities you never thought possible right from your phone. If you like dreamy effects, this app is a must-try.
Best For: Long exposure light effects
12. The Photographer‘s Ephemeris – When You Want to Master Natural Light
As a budding outdoor and landscape photographer, I found The Photographer‘s Ephemeris invaluable for learning to leverage natural light. It shows the exact position of the sun, moon, and Milky Way relative to your map location.
I mainly use it for:
Finding the Best Light – The sun and moon overlays help me plan shots during golden hour glows and compelling moon phases
Predicting Shadows – The length and direction of cast shadows indicate how light will look on location. Helps me position subjects in flattering light.
Tracking Celestial Events – You can track the Milky Way, meteor showers, eclipses, and more. Very helpful for astrophotography planning.
Augmented Reality Overlays – You can visualize light angles by holding your phone camera up to the sky. Makes it click how to actually compose the shot.
Mastering natural light takes experience. TPE gives you data to understand sunlight and moonlight so you can intentionally craft your outdoor shots.
Best For: Outdoor and landscape photography
13. Obscura 3 – When You Want a Streamlined Workflow
After testing many apps, Obscura 3 has become my favorite for quick, streamlined shooting and editing. The gestures and shortcuts speed up my entire workflow.
Here are some ways Obscura 3 saves me time:
Filters While Framing – I can swipe through filter previews as I‘m framing a shot to preview different looks. Much faster than adding filters later.
One-Handed Gesture Controls – Simple swipe gestures adjust exposure, change modes, and more without obstructing the viewfinder.
If This Then That (IFTTT) Triggers – I have mine set to auto-send shots I favor to my Photoshop CC library for editing. Super convenient.
Siri Shortcuts – I can start recording video or take a selfie timer shot completely hands-free using Siri voice commands. Fun to use!
Obscura 3 removes all friction from the shooting process. If quick shots and streamlined editing are your goals, this app delivers.
Best For: Fast, efficient photography workflows
Transform Your Mobile Photography
Trying out new camera apps is an endlessly fun way to take your iPhone photography to the next level and make it more personalized. I hope these 13 app recommendations give you some fresh inspiration!
Don‘t be afraid to experiment and find the apps that click with your unique style. Mix and match them. The possibilities are endless once you have full control over focus, exposure, and editing right from your phone screen.
Let me know if you have any other favorite camera apps I should check out! I‘m always looking to improve my collection.
Happy shooting!
