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Features like slow-motion video might seem commonplace or even trivial these days, but the excitement for 720p120 footage back then was very real. Of course, it wasn't perfect, and the 30 FPS output files had room for improvement, but it was an appreciated moment of feature parity for Windows 10 Mobile.

The article below was first published by Marc Guim on Friday, Nov 6, 2015 — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor

To enable slow motion capture, go into video mode and tap the turtle icon. Tap the video icon or click the camera button to start recording. That's it! The video is captured at 720p (1280 x 720) at 120 frames per second. When played back, it's four times slower than normal speed.

You can edit the slow motion video from the camera as well. During the preview, tap the Edit slow motion option. You'll be able to trim and change the speed on parts of the clip. While this is a great feature to have, we found that the video quality of our saved edited clips is noticeably worse than the original files.

Another interesting thing we noticed is that even though the clips are shot at 120 fps, the files imported into our computer are 30 fps. This is great for most users because the clips are already slowed down, ready for sharing. Advanced editors would prefer to have the 120 fps files that give them more control when editing the videos.

Sample slow motion video

Overall, we're happy with the new feature. Sure, we would like to have slow motion on 1080p clips instead of 720p, but the current Lumias are probably not capable of that. We wouldn't be surprised if that's featured in the upcoming Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

Have you tried slow motion video on your Lumia 1520, 930, or Icon? Share your experiences so far in the comments!

Microsoft this week is giving Windows Insiders a fresh set of features to check out in the Windows 10 Camera app. First noted by Aggiornamenti Lumia, the latest Camera update for Insiders borrows a bit from Microsoft's Office Lens app, adding document and whiteboard scanning modes.

If you're familiar with Office Lens, then the features should feel familiar in the Camera app. The different modes will allow you to easily scan documents and drawings or writing on a whiteboard, converting it to a digital image that keeps the focus on the content.

It's not clear how widespread these new features are yet, but they should prove to be handy additions to an app that doesn't often see much in the way of new capabilities. According to Aggiornamenti Lumia, the document and whiteboard scanning modes are available to Insiders with Camera version 2019.222.10.0.

See at Microsoft

Windows Insiders are getting another taste of Fluent Design with the latest update to the Camera app. As spotted by Aggiornamenti Lumia (via MSPU), a fresh update to the Camera app is rolling out to Insiders on the Release Preview ring, bringing along additional aspects of Fluent Design, along with a handful of other tweaks.

Specifically, the added Fluent Design elements can be found in the settings menu, which now features sports a blurred transparency effect that Microsoft refers to as "Acrylic." In terms of settings, you can now also select multiple resolutions for your photos. And, perhaps solving one of Windows Camera's more annoying issues, the app will now remember the last camera you were using when you open it back up. In other words, if you close out of Windows Camera while using your device's rear camera, it will default to the rear camera when you open it back up.

Here's a look at what's new, according to Aggiornamenti Lumia (translated):

• Proportions: It is now possible to select multiple resolutions (and more details are now shown for resolution)
• Manual focus: In the function bar you can now find the new item "Manual focus" to adjust the focus of your cameras to your liking
• The last used camera will always be remembered: If you close the app with "open" the front camera, once restarted will open the latter (or vice versa)
• Improvements with the brightness slider: It is now much smoother and shows the real brightness value selected to the user
• It is no longer possible to rotate the capture button between scenes (photos, videos) with the touch
• It is now possible to use all their cameras connected in parallel (if the operating system allows) on different windows of apps. Example: I'm recording video on my camera right and I can attach a photo to my email on my camera left.
• Removed support for older devices: Needless to say, the update is not available for mobile

Insiders on the Release Preview ring should be able to check out all of what's new by grabbing Windows Camera version 2017.1223.10.0 on the Microsoft Store now.

See at Microsoft Store

Microsoft has pushed out a small update to Windows Camera for Fast Ring Insiders. Included in this latest update is a small tweak for HDR photos, allowing you to take 3 HDR photos in a row before saving. Aside from the lone HDR improvement, this update simply contains a smattering of bug fixes.

Here's the full, official breakdown of what's new:

• Now you can take 3 HDR photos consecutively before saving shots.
• Bug fixes for reliability and performance
• User experience improvements

If version numbers are your thing, this update brings Windows Camera up to version 2016.1101.11.0. It's also worth noting that the update appears to break HDR for the HP Elite x3, which now gets stuck while taking HDR photos. In any case, if you're an Insider, you can grab the latest update on the Windows Store now to check out the changes.

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

Two weeks ago, Microsoft ushered in a new and improved Camera app for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, but only for Insiders in the Fast Ring. The app featured a revised UI along with a new time-lapse feature. A few days later, the app trickled down to Slow and Release Preview Rings and today it is now available to non-Insiders (Production).

Build 1021.11 is now available to all on PC and Mobile, which is a bump from 816.91. The update brings with it quite a few new things including faster start time.

Here is the full changelog:

• Enjoy taking photos, videos, and panoramas with our higher-contrast capture buttons.
• Set a photo timer right from the camera dashboard with our new toggle control.
• Get to Settings faster! Now, launch into Settings directly from the camera UI.
• Access your camera roll with one hand from its new spot on the screen.
• Zoom more easily with the new zoom slider.
• Make sure you nailed the shot, with a more noticeable capture animation.
• Change between front- and rear-facing cameras with a more prominent button control.
• On PC, use the spacebar as a shortcut to take pictures

Overall, the update seems to be a big improvement over the previous milestone. As always, users are encouraged to use the Windows Feedback app should they have problems or feature requests for the development team.

Note: Some features may vary from device to device

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

Thanks, Lokesh K., for the tip!

It looks like some aspects of Windows 10 Redstone 2 are starting to pick up. Tonight, Microsoft has pushed an update to the Camera app for Windows 10 Mobile to Fast Ring Insiders and with it arrives a new UI layout and even a time lapse feature.

Windows Camera build 1016.11 is now live in the Store, and there are some noteworthy changes to this version. Here is what we spotted so far:

• Icons are more visible (solid white)
• Timer button (2s, 5s, 10s, off) is now on the main camera UI (instead of a menu)
• Camera toggle (front, rear) is pushed to the upper left
• Ellipsis is replaced with a Settings toggle
• Settings are now direct instead of being within a menu
• Time Lapse – "When the time is on, keep taking photos until I press the camera button again."
• Image review icon is moved from the upper left to lower right corner
• Image review icon is now square instead of a circle

It's not clear if there are other under the hood improvements or changes to camera behavior. Image processing seems the same from our limited exposure to the new build.

Update: We can now say that this update also fixes the OS crash on the Elite x3 when using the camera from lock screen.

Assuming the build is not reliant on other changes in the OS we could see this Fast Ring app build pushed to Slow Ring and Release Preview in the new couple of weeks. For now, those on Production will have to sit tight.

Have you tried the new camera app? If so, let us know what you think and don't forget to use the Feedback Hub to tell Microsoft.

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

Windows Camera is typically designed to work with tablets and phones, but it appears to function just as well on the Xbox One Preview.

Appearing first on Reddit (via ICXM), we've been able to verify that it works utilizing Kinect — you just can't save images and videos as of yet. Windows Camera uses a joystick-controlled cursor at present and retains the same functionality as the app on other Windows 10 devices.

Here's a gallery of how Windows Camera functions with Kinect on Xbox One, just to give you an idea:

Currently, there's no way to save photos and videos recorded with the Windows Camera, doing so just gives you an error. This functionality could arrive with Microsoft Photos, which is presently unavailable in the Xbox One Preview store. Presumably, if Windows Camera is coming to Xbox One, it seems likely that the UWP apps for OneDrive and Microsoft Photos will arrive as methods for storing photographs taken with the Windows Camera. There's also the chance that Windows Camera appearing in the store is either a mistake or simply a test to see how well UWP functions line-up across Xbox One and other Windows 10 devices.

If this is intended, you have to begin to wonder how much additional functionality the Xbox One will receive as a result of the Universal Windows Platform. With mouse support, Microsoft Edge, Skype, Cortana, and the UWP Office apps, the Xbox One could get closer and closer to becoming a casual PC albeit with a heavy gaming slant.

The Xbox One Summer Update is set to launch in the very near future, bringing Cortana, background audio, Universal Windows Platform apps, a revamped Games & Apps section and many more new features to the console.

As more and more Universal Windows Platform apps show up on the console, the old joke of spreadsheets on your Xbox is looking less and less like a fantasy.

You can pick up Windows Camera by searching for it in the store on the Xbox One Preview, but some users on Reddit have mentioned that they can't find it. So it may have already been pulled. Stay tuned to Windows Central for further updates.

Likely tying in with today's rather nice Photos app update is the other half with Camera now getting a bump from build 111 to 141 (build 2016.148.xxx.x).

Under the changelog in the Store there are the usual 'bug fixes and reliability improvements' and 'user experience improvements', but nothing pops out as being obvious. However, we do know some of you have had issues with the Camera app crashing on occasion and hopefully, this will alleviate that problem.

Unfortunately, no sign of pause for video recording or those manual controls to force Rich Capture HDR. Indeed, those features along with panorama mode are on top of many people's lists for most wanted options.

The update does not yet appear yet for Windows 10 on PC, but those can lag behind by a few hours or more on occasion.

Let us know if you find anything new or if any bugs have been fixed.

Download Windows Camera for Windows 10 Mobile

Thanks, nvdh2, for the tip!

Microsoft has updated the Windows Camera app on Windows 10 PCs, adding the ability to pause your video recordings. As you record, you can now hit the pause button on the right side of the app's screen.

Posting on Reddit, a Microsoft employee said that the update would come over to mobile users soon.

The employee also said that the company is working on a couple of other feature requests they've received though he didn't offer any details. The Windows Camera team is also making an effort to add support for as many webcams as possible, including older web cameras without up-to-date drivers from their manufacturers.

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

Source: Reddit

Earlier this week, Microsoft updated the Windows Camera app for PC and phone. The version number jumped to 2016.107.11 and at the time we assumed it was just part of the .63 OS updates rolling out as nothing new was noticed.

However, a few members in our forums and on Reddit did notice one change: exposure bracketing had been removed.

Bracketing is an advanced feature often found in high-end cameras. The feature lets a user take at least three photos (and up to five) at different exposure levels e.g. -.5EV to +.5EV, -1EV to +1EV, and -2EV to +2EV. Prosumers often use the function in post-editing to create high-dynamic-range (HDR) images using PC software.

The bracketing feature was first brought to Windows Phone in the summer of 2013 back when it was only part of Pro Cam for the Lumia 1020. Later, the feature expanded to other PureView devices.

As to why it was removed we can only guess that it was a feature rarely used by consumers. Despite it being taken out Tuesday, we have barely heard a peep from users about the missing function, suggesting that most people did not even notice.

Additionally, Rich Capture (HDR mode) does almost the same thing when enabled. Rich Capture quickly snaps three photos and then overlays them to create a single image with high-dynamic-range. A user can then control the range of the exposure within the Photos app and making bracketing slightly redundant. Rich Capture is certainly more consumer friendly and convenient.

However, for real pro-shooters bracketing did save three separate JPG files to the phone that could be uploaded to OneDrive whereas Rich Capture lumps them into a single .nar file. You could save images as DNG (RAW) but this can quickly use up a lot of storage, and it doesn't auto-upload to OneDrive.

All in all, losing a feature is never a good thing and for all we know maybe it is being re-worked. Then again, seeing as how the community barely noticed its absence perhaps Microsoft was just reducing complexity and responding to what people (did not) use.

Did you ever use bracketing in the Windows Camera app and will you miss this feature? Let us know in comments.

Via: Windows Central Forums and Reddit

Now that app updates are resuming in the Store, Microsoft has pushed out a new build of their native camera app for Windows 10. So far, we only see the update on our phones, but it may be coming out for PC users as well. Edit: We now see it for PC too.

We have not noticed any differences yet, but the build shifts from 2015.1215.41 to 2016.107.11 and is likely tied to optimizations in the .63 OS update that went out recently. Likewise, there may also be improvements for those on the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, who have received the new firmware recently.

If you notice any fixes, improvements or oddities let us know in comments.

Download Windows Camera app for Windows 10

The Windows Camera app for Windows 10 Mobile has received an update this evening. And though it wasn't immediately clear what was new, the changes detailed in the Windows Insider Hub note that this update adds a slow-motion video option for select Lumia phones.

At least for now, the feature is limited to Lumia 930, 1520, and Icon phones. Users of these phones will be able to capture video at 120 fps at 720p resolution by selecting the turtle icon on the video screen. You can then view the and edit the video in the Photos app by selecting "Edit slow motion," where you'll have options to play some parts back in normal speed and others in slow-motion, along with an option for super slow motion.

If you happen to be running the Windows 10 Mobile Insider preview on a Lumia 930, 1520, or Icon, you should be able to update and check the slow-motion video out now. There's no telling if this will make it to other phones, but it's highly likely this will make an appearance on the Lumia 950 and 950 XL as well.

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

If you are on Windows 10 desktop, you'll want to check for an app update in the Store. The Windows Camera app is updated version 2015.1078.40.

As usual, there is no changelog. However, early reports suggest it fixes an intermittent problem that some new Surface owners (Book, Pro 4) were experiencing. Some users could not snap a photo with the rear (world-facing) camera. They could tap to focus but not grab the photo. Tonight's update reportedly fixes this issue making it rather significant.

We should also mention that Messaging + Skype is updated as well for those on Windows 10 Insider Preview. That app is now at version 1.10.28004.0, although we have not gone through it for changes yet.

• Download Windows Camera for Windows 10
• Download Messaging + Skype for Windows 10 Preview

Via: Reddit

Windows Camera has been updated on both Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, bringing along a couple of minor tweaks. While there's no changelog included with the update, we have noticed some minor changes of note. Toggling flash now displays text for the flash mode (seen below) rather than the flash icon and there are some performance improvements as well.

Windows Camera on the desktop, however, seems largely the same, and we haven't been able to spot anything of note. But if version numbers are your thing, this one clocks in at version 5.54.2001, up from 5.49.2004. If you happen to notice anything we missed, be sure to let us know in the comments below.

And there you have it. There's nothing major as far as features are concerned, but the update most likely includes some bug fixes and performance improvements under the hood as well. To grab the latest Windows Camera update, you can hit up the Windows Store link below.

Thanks, Ahmed A., for the tip!

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

Continuing the trend of frequent updates to its core apps, Microsoft is pushing out a duo of updates to Windows Camera and Microsoft Photos on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.

As is par for the course with these updates, there aren't any changelogs included, so what's new is up in the air. The updates are most likely being pushed to fix some bugs and polish up performance however, which is never a bad thing. If version numbers are your thing, you're looking at version 15.820.15120 for Microsoft Photos and version 5.49.2004 for Windows Camera.

Update: As noted in comments, the Photos app for Mobile now has a pivot (swipe left or right) to access Albums and Photos versus the old hamburger menu. A huge and welcome change!

To grab the updates, you can hit up the links to the Windows Store below.

• Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store
• Download Microsoft Photos from the Windows Store

If you're a big fan of lenses in the Windows Phone 8.1 Camera app and lamented their absence from Windows 10 Mobile, today is your lucky day. An update pushed out to the Windows Camera app on Windows 10 Mobile has heralded the return of the feature to Microsoft's latest mobile OS. To access lenses, you can tap the ellipses menu in the bottom right of your screen in the Camera app. From there, tap "Lenses" and you're good to go.

For those unfamiliar with the feature, lenses in the Camera app essentially act as plugins for other photo apps. For example, after you take a photo, you can then send it out to a compatible app, such as 6tag or Bing Vision, through the lenses menu. If you're pumped for the return of lenses, you can pick up the update from the Windows Store at the link below.

Download Windows Camera from the Windows Store

The latest incarnation of Windows Camera on the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview has with it a nifty addition for the selfie aficionado. It will now recognize your face when using the front facing camera.

The stock Lumia Camera app in Windows Phone 8.1 doesn't do this but when you fire it up in Windows Camera you'll see a big yellow box outlining your mug.

It's going to be more important to some, than others, but it's another example of how Microsoft is steadily refining its apps, services and its OS. The latest build of the Windows 10 Mobile preview is easily the best yet (we'd hope that newer builds are better than older ones, right?) and little features like this certainly don't hurt.

To try it yourselves you'll need to grab the Windows Camera app from Store (Beta) on your Windows 10 Mobile device. For more on the latest build be sure to check out our hands-on at the link below.

• Hands on with Windows 10 Mobile build 10149 (And should you install?)

This image just isn't suitable for the front page. So it was buried here. We don't take good selfies. Or any selfies, really.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us!