Google launches standalone Camera app in Play Store

[ETRJ]

Google has just launched its own Camera app in the Play Store. Simply called Google Camera, the app looks a bit different from the camera software currently shipping in Android 4.4 KitKat. Google has made a number of improvements and refinements here, introducing a much cleaner interface "that gets out of your way" with a prominent shutter button. A brand new Lens Blur mode promises to achieve "SLR-like photos" offering a shallow depth of field.

"Lens Blur replaces the need for a large optical system with computer vision algorithms and optimization techniques that are run entirely on the mobile device, simulating a larger lens and aperture in order to creating a 3D model of the world," Google said. (The company has published a blog post offering more details on exactly how the Lens Blur effect was created.) Google Camera packs in signature Mountain View features like Photo Sphere, and also brings the viewfinder back to 100 percent, meaning what you see will always be what you get in your final shot.

Accessing those options will be familiar to anyone that's used a Moto X; you simply swipe in from the left to toggle between Google Camera's different modes. Unfortunately, there are also some omissions when comparing Google Camera with the stock Android camera: expert settings like white balance are nowhere to be found here. Google is clearly going for simplicity, but to the company's credit, it's at least trying to prevent users from shooting video in portrait orientation.

Google Camera is available right now and is supported on all Android smartphones and tablets running version 4.4 (KitKat) and above. There's not much to complain about when looking at the latest camera apps from HTC and Samsung, but choice is always a good thing.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/16/5621230/google-camera-now-available-play-store

[antoainb]

Good lord this thing is all over the G+ Nexus community.

[StingBull]

I have a Note 3 with KitKat and it says the app is incompatible.

 

Edit: It's region restricted... Fuck you, Google.

[TopWargamer]

The "take picture" button takes up so much of the screen. Immediately uninstalled.

[Xorbot]

The "take picture" button takes up so much of the screen. Immediately uninstalled.

 

[MatheusSanzo]

I tried.

It's good.

[CoffeeBlack]

The only thing I've disliked about it so far is that the button to take pictures along with the home bar take up almost half of the screen.

[alepodj]

its making my camera better and faster too,,, i love the blur thingy not perfect but fun

[jezza39]

its making my camera better and faster too,,, i love the blur thingy not perfect but fun

 

Is it like HTC's dual camera thingy?

[Misanthrope]

its making my camera better and faster too,,, i love the blur thingy not perfect but fun

-pics-

 

Meh, the out of focus stuff just gets ever so slightly less out of focus, it's literally the difference between foreground and background and background/worst background.

[alepodj]

Is it like HTC's dual camera thingy?

yeah i think is like that, havent used the HTC one though not sure :unsure:

 

Meh, the out of focus stuff just gets ever so slightly less out of focus, it's literally the difference between foreground and background and background/worst background.

well like is said not perfect at all, but fun, and its free so i take it 

[alepodj]

i totally forgot to mention pictures where taken  on NEXUS 5

is well known that nexus 5 is not a great camera phone and this is making slightly better,,,its funny people saying is an app but for me it was forced update no choice

im sure google is holding back on some software upgrade for the camera to make is better hope it comes with 4.4.3

[Misanthrope]

well like is said not perfect at all, but fun, and its free so i take it 

 

Region lock =/= free.

[alepodj]

Region lock =/= free.

wasnt aware of region locks, sad by Google Who knows maybe for now

[beebskadoo]

i totally forgot to mention pictures where taken on NEXUS 5

is well known that nexus 5 is not a great camera phone and this is making slightly better,,,its funny people saying is an app but for me it was forced update no choice

im sure google is holding back on some software upgrade for the camera to make is better hope it comes with 4.4.3

nexus 5 has a fantastic camera. Just keep HDR+ on our else it's just alright.

I installed the app on my nexus 5...I love it. They do need to work out some of the UI quirks but other than that it's great. What a great way to fix nexus 5 camera issues than with a play store app. They did this with the keyboard and the Google experience launcher as well.

BTW, this app wasn't a forced update. At least for me.

[thexzenon]

Still no tap to focus in video mode, seriously Google?

[Mincygrape]

My Nexus 5 just updated my camera to this, and it seems alright, but the take picture button takes up too much of the screen, it just makes it look weird and unappealing.

[alepodj]

nexus 5 has a fantastic camera. Just keep HDR+ on our else it's just alright.

I installed the app on my nexus 5...I love it. They do need to work out some of the UI quirks but other than that it's great. What a great way to fix nexus 5 camera issues than with a play store app. They did this with the keyboard and the Google experience launcher as well.

BTW, this app wasn't a forced update. At least for me.

maybe i didnt express myself correctly, what i meant to say is that the app showed up all of the sudden i didnt install, clicked or updated anything at all, one day i have the old camera next i see the new icon  so thats why i called it forced cause most people report it as an app they install for me it was just there,,, at first i was confused wondering what happened to the camera icon..

 

Loving it so far

[alepodj]

My Nexus 5 just updated my camera to this, and it seems alright, but the take picture button takes up too much of the screen, it just makes it look weird and unappealing.

yeah is very weird but im sure they will fix this 

[kamaltmo]

I have a Note 3 with KitKat and it says the app is incompatible.

 

Edit: It's region restricted... Fuck you, Google.

Just install the apk, its free so your not pirating 

[LAwLz]

Just tired it on my Galaxy S 4 and it's awful. It seems like Samsung and Nokia are the only phone manufacturers that has half a brain when it comes to camera apps. Samsung's is not that great but it at least have decent functionality. It's nice that Google fixed the hilariously broken viewfinder that cropped anything other than 16:9 (compared to their old camera app) but it still lacks a lot of stuff.

 

Why do I have to change between "video" and "camera" mode? Why not have one button for recording and one button for taking pictures?

Why can't I take pictures while recording?

Why can't I use the front and back camera at the same time?

Where is the option for longer exposure time?

No ISO control? Seriously?

Why can't I save to my memory card?

Where is the burst mode?

No control over the white balance, at all!? Not even the option to configure how to measure it? (Like "measure only in the center", or "take an average of the entire picture").

No software stabilization?

I couldn't find a timer in the app. That's an extremely basic thing.

No filters? I don't use them but they are pretty popular so why not include some?

 

There are just the things it lacks when comparing it Samsung's app, which is far from perfect. The new photo mode seems pretty cool though.

Here are two test picture I took and it's pretty damn impressive.

[kamaltmo]

Just tired it on my Galaxy S 4 and it's awful. It seems like Samsung and Nokia are the only phone manufacturers that has half a brain when it comes to camera apps. Samsung's is not that great but it at least have decent functionality. It's nice that Google fixed the hilariously broken viewfinder that cropped anything other than 16:9 (compared to their old camera app) but it still lacks a lot of stuff.

 

Why do I have to change between "video" and "camera" mode? Why not have one button for recording and one button for taking pictures?

Why can't I take pictures while recording?

Why can't I use the front and back camera at the same time?

Where is the option for longer exposure time?

No ISO control? Seriously?

Why can't I save to my memory card?

Where is the burst mode?

No control over the white balance, at all!? Not even the option to configure how to measure it? (Like "measure only in the center", or "take an average of the entire picture").

No software stabilization?

I couldn't find a timer in the app. That's an extremely basic thing.

No filters? I don't use them but they are pretty popular so why not include some?

 

There are just the things it lacks when comparing it Samsung's app, which is far from perfect. The new photo mode seems pretty cool though.

Your right its missing alot of stuff but i feel like this is just an early version of the camera app that will be in the next version of android, kind of like a preview... I Hope

 

btw their are filters its just under the gallery part of the app, they are applied after the photo is taken

[LukeTim]

Just gave it a little test...

With Nexus 4:

With Sony A57 SLT:

It looks pretty terrible up against a proper camera, but standing alone on social media it'll probably look pretty decent. This might help improve the overall average quality of photos across social media.

Nexus 4 isn't known for having a particularly good camera, either...

[beebskadoo]

Just tired it on my Galaxy S 4 and it's awful. It seems like Samsung and Nokia are the only phone manufacturers that has half a brain when it comes to camera apps. Samsung's is not that great but it at least have decent functionality. It's nice that Google fixed the hilariously broken viewfinder that cropped anything other than 16:9 (compared to their old camera app) but it still lacks a lot of stuff.

Why do I have to change between "video" and "camera" mode? Why not have one button for recording and one button for taking pictures?

Why can't I take pictures while recording?

Why can't I use the front and back camera at the same time?

Where is the option for longer exposure time?

No ISO control? Seriously?

Why can't I save to my memory card?

Where is the burst mode?

No control over the white balance, at all!? Not even the option to configure how to measure it? (Like "measure only in the center", or "take an average of the entire picture").

No software stabilization?

I couldn't find a timer in the app. That's an extremely basic thing.

No filters? I don't use them but they are pretty popular so why not include some?

There are just the things it lacks when comparing it Samsung's app, which is far from perfect. The new photo mode seems pretty cool though.

Here are two test picture I took and it's pretty damn impressive.

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2014-04-17 18.39.50.jpg

{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif 2014-04-17 18.40.19.jpg

Jesus Christ! The app just launched! They will probably add those features soon. Chill

[LAwLz]

Jesus Christ! The app just launched! They will probably add those features soon. Chill

I doubt it. I've had the same complains with the stock Android camera for ages and it hasn't been fixed yet.

It's the only reason why I still run TouchWiz, because every single camera app in the Play store sucks. As soon as I find a good one I'll stop using TouchWiz and move over to Cyanogenmod.