Who has the best Windows Phone camera app?

Choosing the best Windows Phone camera app may be as difficult as choosing the best weather app. We are fortunate to have plenty of quality choices in the Windows Phone Store that choosing the best app to satisfy our shutterbug needs can be tough.

Windows Phone Central reader bijak_riyandi has started a Forums discussion debating the merits of three camera app choices. He pits the Nokia Camera, Microsoft Camera and ProShot apps up against each other to see which of these photography apps stands out from the pack. He tested all three on his Nokia Lumia 1020 running Windows Phone 8.1 looking at the speed of the app and the quality of the photos.

As far as the speed tests were concerned, Microsoft was the fastest to startup, ProShot won the shot-to-shot test (autofocus), Nokia Camera won the shot-to-shot test (manual focus) and Microsoft won the start to snap test.

Bijak_riyandi recognizes the quality test is somewhat subjective and deferred to the readers on which took the better picture. His opinion is that the Nokia Camera produced the better colors with a slight yellow color cast present with the Microsoft Camera and ProShot.

Microsoft, Nokia and ProShot Viewfinders

His overall conclusions are as follows:

Microsoft Camera

  • Pros: Fast shooting time
  • Cons: No full-resolution shot, hard to use manual setting, slightly worse image quality

Nokia Camera

  • Pros: Reframe capability, shooting in RAW format, easy manual settings
  • Cons: Slow
ProShot
  • Pros: More features (manual-focus assist, customized manual settings, HDR, etc.)
  • Cons: Cannot be launched with the camera shutter button, heats up the phone faster

The comments on this comparison seem to favor either ProShot or Nokia Camera. It would seem that the native Microsoft Camera is in need of work to compete with these (and other) feature rich camera apps.

I tend to agree with WPCentral Reader David Lohrentz in that deciding which is best is a hard question to answer with a simple answer. There are a lot of variables to consider in choosing your camera app and while all three are quality choices, I'm not sure one can cover it all.

Personally, I lean on the simplicity of Nokia Camera and its zoom later feature when I need a quick shot. When I want more control over the camera, I lean on ProShot and when my I want to tinker with filters I find myself drawn to Camera360.

So what say you? What is your favorite Windows Phone camera app? Of the three, Microsoft Camera, Nokia Camera or ProShot, which stands out and why? Feel free to hit the link below to join in on the Forums discussion or sound off below in the comments.