Camera360Pro Review, a deceptively feature rich Windows Phone camera app

Camera360Pro

Camera360 is one of the more popular Windows Phone camera apps on Store shelves and the developers have launched a sequel of sorts that they hope will have similar success - Camera360Pro.

Camera360Pro is billed equally a more advanced, premium version of the original just at first glance, many volition scratch their heads at such a notion. Well-nigh of Camera360Pro features remain hidden, giving the app a make clean appearance. Swiping up, down or tap/hold on the screen will reveal a host of features that give Camera360Pro its premium tag. There is a slight learning curve with Camera360Pro but overall, information technology is a squeamish addition to the Windows Phone photography app library. Information technology definitely makes choosing a photography app a piddling more hard.

Don't let appearances fool you

At first glance, the viewfinder for Camera360Pro appears to be a very plain looking camera app. You lot will find flash controls, a cocky-timer and image gallery access at the peak of the viewfinder. A toggle push for the front/rear camera, shutter button and an furnishings button line the lesser of the viewfinder.

Camera360Pro Viewfinder

Camera360Pro has eight live lenses that will apply effects filters to your photos and allow you lot preview them live in the photographic camera'south viewfinder. The eight filters include three Black & White filters as well as a Lite, Vista, Pure, Time and Movie filters.

Camera360Pro Features

The more advanced features are hidden from view, allowing for an uncluttered viewfinder. The subconscious features and how to access them are as follows.

Swipe upwards on the viewfinder to reveal three image ratios that include xvi:ix, 4:three and 1:1. One time the list is displayed, just slide left or correct to choose your ratio.
Slide downward on the viewfinder to reveal four settings that include turning on/off a viewfinder filigree, flip the image view, turn on/off HDR and prepare your White Balance (car, cloudy, sunny, fluorescent and incandescent lighting). It does appear the HDR feature is non agile.
Tap and hold the screen to review transmission focus and exposure controls. A square box volition announced with a slider bar to set your focus and at the lesser of the viewfinder, you will find a slider bar to set exposure.

Tapping on the viewfinder will focus on that point and the app has back up for pinch to zoom. Autofocus has a minimum focus distance of nigh six inches just if you lot pull up the manual focus controls, you can trim almost two inches off that distance.

CameraPro360 Horizontal View

It does accept a little time to become used to the gestures and the aspect ratio settings did seem to exist a petty on the sensitive side. Just remember you need to swipe towards the center of the viewfinder to navigate effectually the menus. One time you get used to the gestures, Camera360Pro has a nice flow to things. All the same, the command orientation just supports vertical orientation. When you are shooting in horizontal orientation, you volition need to adjust appropriately.

Camera360Pro Macro

Every bit far as manually focusing Camera360Pro, I would have liked to have seen the focusing foursquare a little larger. It takes a little patience to manually focus the camera and I oftentimes found my focus slightly off. I did detect an old pro tip coming in handy with shooting macro with Camera360Pro. Set your focus bar to the closest focus distance and so move your Windows Phone to achieve proper focus. At times, it is easier to adapt the camera'south distance to your subject than trying to brand fine adjustments to the focus bar.

Photo Editor

Along with having a very capable camera app, Camera360Pro as well has a respectable photo editor. Just tap on the thumbnail circle in the superlative right corner of the viewfinder to access your complete Pictures Hub photograph gallery.

Camera360Pro Editor

From the image view, you will have four control buttons to toggle between single prototype view and thumbnail view, a share push button, an edit button and a delete button. Up under the three-dot menu you lot volition discover options to view the images synopsis (EXIF File) and two inactive options to set the image as a wallpaper or lockscreen (which seems redundant).

Edit tools include:

Cropping the image
Decorate the image with lens blur
Iv effects filters
Exposure adjustments (contrast, highlights, shadow, saturation, etc.)

You lot besides have tools labeled portrait and cascade under the Decorate options only they are inactive.

Update: Through the help of Windows Central reader henocksandy if y'all tap the up arrow (or swipe up) that is in a higher place the filter choices in the editor, an additional 36 filter choices are revealed. Just tap on the row of filters to pull them up for use.

Image resolution

CameraPro360 Samples

For those curious, from the Lumia 830, Camera360Pro captures images at the post-obit resolutions.

16:9 Ratio is captured at 3840 x 2160 pixels
4:3 Ratio is captured at 3520 ten 2640 pixels
i:1 Ratio is captured at 2640 ten 2640 pixels

Every bit far as image quality is concerned, I cannot complain much. Images were sharp but the saturation and contrast could utilise only a wee boost. By no means does information technology cause the app to fall flat on its face and if things need adjusting you have the editor a few taps away to fine-tune things.

Overall Impression

The more I used Camera360Pro, the more the Windows Telephone camera app grew on me. The gestures practise accept a little fourth dimension to go used to but in one case you do, the navigation is very fluid. I am still partial to the Creative Compass tool of Camera360 but the Pro versions interface works nicely also. I also similar the alive view for any furnishings filters you have in place. Information technology gives yous a nice feel for things before you press the shutter push.

CameraPro360 Sample

While Camera360Pro is an impressive Windows Telephone camera app, there is some room for improvement. For starters, I promise that back up for horizontal orientation comes around with the side by side update. It'due south non a deal billow merely does make things more comfy when the controls match how you agree the camera.

Other items on my nit list include:

The need for the slide down menu to accept a little more than shading so information technology doesn't alloy in and then much with the subject in your viewfinder.
The HDR feature to get available.
A Aid Section that expands on what is noted in the Store description

I also would not heed a few more effects filters added to the editor.

CameraPro360 Sample

While in that location is room for improvement, all in all, Camera360Pro is an impressive Windows Phone camera app. Is information technology better than ProShot, Nokia Camera or the native Windows Phone camera app? That is a tough nut to crack and really boils downwards to individual tastes. I do think Camera360Pro is capable of joining Camera360 equally ane of the all-time Windows Phone camera apps though.

Please note that the free pricing is for a limited time. I also had difficulty finding it in the Store through keyword search. The link and QR code below may be your best options to find Camera360Pro.