Cameras with large apertures
The aperture is a very important physical property of the lens: the larger the aperture (and hence the smaller the ƒ/number) the brighter the lens is, and the shorter the exposure (and ISO) is needed for the same brightness, allowing for better handheld low-light shots (specially if optical image stabilization is also available).
Devices with highest picture resolution
If you need the absolute best details, the devices with the highest resolutions might be of interest to you. Actually there are substantial differences in the underlying sensor technologies being employed (bayer, quad-bayer…) so a higher picture resolution on paper alone might not paint the whole picture. Here you can find the available resolution that devices offer to third-party apps: it is a known problem that manufacturers restrict camera features to the pre-installed camera app, and third-party apps cannot access the same native resolution of the sensor, so here you can find out exactly what resolution third-party apps like Camera FV-5 can get and use.
Devices with large physical sensor sizes
Large sensor sizes are important in that, given that the resolution is the same, they have larger pixels that are able to capture more light, and let you use shorter exposure times (and ISO) for the same brightness. With large sensors you can also create a more pronounced bokeh effects with the same aperture.
Devices with manual focus support
While autofocus (in any form) is what you will use most of the time, when taking macro shots or when the autofocus can’t get the focus right in complicated scenes, having the possibility to manually choose the focus distance is important. Not all devices have this option, so you can find not only this, but also the minimum focusing distance for macro shots.
Devices with optically-stabilized cameras
EIS (or Electronic Image Stabilization) is no substitute for OIS (or Optical Image Stabilization). While EIS is very important for video, it does nothing for photography, so OIS lets you avoid blurry shots and shoot confidently handheld in low-light with longer exposure times.
Devices with RAW capture support
In addition to JPEG, many devices allow you in addition to use the so-called RAW format (usually stored as DNG files). JPEG is a lossy format: information that the camera sensor captures is thrown away in order to save images in smaller sizes. However, if you plan to edit your photos afterwards, the DNG format stores exactly what the sensor captured, in that way to have more flexibility in what you can do with your edits (however DNG images are way larger that JPEG files).
Devices with support for extra long exposures times
If you want to capture incredible night shots with a tripod, you need a device with support for long exposures. Although it is difficult to say what qualifies as a “long exposure”, we would say it would be at least a second. However, if you want to get even crazier and try to capture the nightscape, you will definitely need more than that (20 to 30 seconds at least would be needed). Here you can find which devices allow for extra-long exposure times!
Devices with telephoto cameras
If you want to get closer to the subject, you walk closer. If you can’t, you use digital zoom, that is actually cropping and stretching the photo, so details are lost. What if you can use another lens in your device to get closer without resorting to digital zoom? Which devices have telephoto lenses that are available for third-party apps like Camera FV-5? Let’s find out!
Devices with ultrawide cameras
Ultrawide cameras are perfect for capturing landscapes, photos in tight spaces and dramatic perspectives. They are also pretty useful for capturing panoramas, as fewer shots are required in total. Here you can find which devices have ultrawide cameras, and which ones have the largest field of view.
