There’s that old, overused saying that the best camera is the one you’ve got with you. But if the one you’ve got in your h comes with the most ineffective camera application, then it’s the worst.

Thankfully, there are plenty of apps in the ay Store that can help you achieve faux-professional smartphone photographer status, or at least give you a little more control over how the shot looks. For instance, I personally like apps where I can adjust the shutter speed for when I’m shooting at dusk, but if you like filters presets, there are plenty of applications that offer those, too.

So, let’s go through some of the better camera applications available for your Android phone. Some are free some require you to pay, but all of them offer a little something for the photographer in you just waiting to bust out.

Android is an open platform, so it’s only natural that there’s an “Open Camera.” This camera app is full of features , unless you decide to donate, it’s totally free to use.

Open Camera’s interface might appear busy at first, but that’s because there are a ton of options to choose from, including several focus scene modes. You can also choose to lock your exposure, or change the white balance filter based on the environment. Open Camera also offers configurable volume keys an option to edit button placement for right- or left-hed users.

If you decide to download this app, be sure to spend some time in the settings panel. There’s even an option to enable ’s Camera2 A for more granular camera settings.

Open Camera (Free)

If your phone’s default camera app is lacking a bit of oomph, you’ll want to check out Camera MX. This app has all the bells whistles of most camera apps in the ay Store, like the ability to add effects filters in real-time, but there’s a few extra novelty features you might find worthwhile.

For instance, Camera MX offers a feature called ve Shot photos. After you snap a photo, the extra footage from a few seconds before the actual photo was taken will be saved. That allows you to go back save a still, in case you missed the moment, or share the photo to social media as an animated GIF or video. 

Camera MX (Free)

Did you really think I wouldn’t make room for a dedicated selfie camera app? I like BestMe’s variety of real-time filters. There are 125 to choose from, or you can skip those altogether just tack on a bunch of emojis stickers after you shoot your photo. You don’t have to shoot a selfie, either, because BestMe supports the rear-facing camera if you want to add in a few friends into the photo. There’s even a collage mode that prompts you with a face to make before it shoots.

By default, BestMe sticks a watermark on your photos, but you can remove that via an option in the settings menu. BestMe has also hinted at Android ar support coming soon, as well as real-time video filters.

BestMe Selfie Camera (Free) 

en Samsung debuted manual camera modes on their respective devices, I was so excited. I love the ability to manually adjust the focus or the shutter speed for long exposure night shots.

Unfortunately, stock Android does not offer its own manual mode, but you can download an app like Camera FV-5 to get access to those particular features. Camera FV-5 enables you to adjust the shutter speed, ISO, metering mode, white balance no matter the megapixels you’ve got on the back of your device. You can also adjust exposure bracketing choose whether to shoot in EG, G, or RA the latter of which will allow you to take those images to the computer adjust them further in an editing app like ghtroom. The best part of the app, however, is all the relevant information displayed on the viewfinder, including a battery meter an aperture gauge.

Camera FV-5 ($3.95)

If you’re into making novice documentaries with your smartphone—or attempting to, anyway—you might want to consider investing in Camera FV-5’s video recording equivalent, Cinema FV-5. The app offers similar manual controls to Camera FV-5, but there are a few extra settings plopped in specifically for video makers.

For instance, Cinema FV-5 offers the ability to plug in a pair of headphones for audio monitoring. The app also offers an on-screen histogram, so you can keep those colors leveled throughout the plot of your video. And if you’re looking to get semi-professional with your video-making, there’s a number of granular controls available in the settings panel.

Cinema FV-5 (On sale for $2.49)

The Manual Camera app employs Android’s Camera2 A that was introduced back in llipop. It’s one of the easiest to use if you’re a camera novice, too, thanks to its helpful introductory walkthrough.

If you’re been thinking of ramping up your smartphone photography up to the next level, Manual Camera is a great place to start. The app offers all the usual features, like the ability to manually adjust the shutter speed, focus distance, ISO, as well as the ability to shoot in RA

Manual Camera ($2.99)

Cameringo+ Effects Camera offers a wide range of both funky practical camera effects. You can choose from the usual number of mography hipster filter effects for your photos videos, as well as a few “faux” HDR effects filtered “o” effects. There’s also an option to shoot a GIF, if you’d rather get a little creative, a fun ttle anet mode. My favorite are the face distortion modes, which you can see here in the photo.

Cameringo+ Effects Camera ($2.99) 

st, but not least, is the exceptionally popular VSCO cam—a worthy consideration if the primary objective of your smartphone photography is to show off to your friends how idyllic your life is. There’s nothing that can’t fix a gloomy day like the right set of photo filters.

VSCO offers a wealth of pre-configured presets to help you achieve the exact look feel you want for your photos. You can also batch edit a few different files at once, which is especially helpful if you’re aiming for the same aesthetic across the board. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can also upload your photos to share with VSCO’s budding online community. But be forewarned that while the application is free, you’ll have to pay for some of the more effective presets.

VSCO (Free)