Seems very good, given that an optical zoom is indeed missing.
Do you recommend by the way using ‘Videostabilisation’? Is there also a quality improvement regarding the videos in the latest version you are using?
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Sorry, I cannot provide any experience there, I’ve never used really used video with any of the camera apps.
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Admittedly, I selected the best of 7 butterfly shots I took in the late afternoon today, but there were at least 3 more out of these which looked quite crisp and 99% equally presentably, too. Of the other three, some blurring on parts of the animal was visible on really close viewing – there was a gentle breeze that kept blowing against the plants from time to time. Fortunately the butterfly wasn’t shy at all and let me get like 15 cm (or less) close-up to her or him. Second picture is an exact 1/9 detail from the first (first picture automatically reduced in size from 4000x3000 when uploading, second picture not reduced).
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thanks to @hirnsushi I found Gcam Photos Preview and installed this and now also preview works. I switched now from 7.4 to 8.2 as 7.4 started to be a bit sluggish after some time with Iode 3 (Android12) will see if 8.2 is better.
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Dear everyone, I need your help: I cannot install some of the above APK apps.
When I got my Fairphone 3 two years ago, I managed to install MGC_6.2.030_RazerPhone2_V5.apk.
But recently I was very unhappy with photos against the light, so I tried installing several Nikita’s GCam APKs, unsuccessfully: after a few seconds, I systematically get “App not installed”.
The only APK I could install is PXv4.3_GoogleCamera_7.2.014.apk.
Even more disturbing: I thought it came from my old APK camera app, so I uninstalled it, and impossible to install it back.
I tried all the tips found on the internet associated to “App not installed”…
Could it come from the different updates of Android (current version: Android 11) I made since I have the phone ?
Hi and welcome to the forum.
A few basic checks before you try a specific app that ‘we’ can follow.
How much memory do you have internally?
Do you have an SD card and if so and formatted as Internal that may be the underlying problem?
Thank you for your prompt answer. I have 17 Go left, and no SD card.
For the record, I tried “signing” the APK file, disabled Google Play protect, cleared data and cache of Google Play Store and Services Google Play…
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Hi
Yes it could come from A11
How are you installing, via a direct download form Firefox or an APK download from maybe ‘apkpure’ etc. and then try to install.
If Firefox etc. check the following:
Can you check Settings > Apps and notifications > Advanced > Special app access > Install unknown apps
The A10 option Settings > Security > Unknown sources . . . doesn’t exist.
I directly download APKs with “Samsung Internet” (old habit), and unknown apps are allowed with this app in the settings.
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Hello, first things first, thank you all for this amazing thread! While having a lot of troubles with default camera app this GCam port works so much better.
I’m looking for a recommandation though, what “Device model” do you use for FP3+ cameras? For now I use default “Pixel 4”. I haven’t got much time for testing yet, though I see some small differences.
Cropped and original resolution (thus cut off at the sides) | Not cropped, but downsized
Sorry for repetition, but I heard/noticed the butterfly was (unintentionally) held captive under my skylight upon my return from a long walk out, so I had the opportunity to get really close up today (safely released minutes later). 
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Hello! I’ve been looking for a new camera app, because the standard one randomly crashes sometimes and the pictures taken with it aren’t as good. I installed Open Camera as an alternative, but it’s slower in taking pictures and you can’t take pictures and videos in the dark because it refuses to trigger.
I’ve seen people on here saying that the Google Camera port takes better pictures, so I tried to download it from apkmirror, but it crashed after opening it. I tried a few different versions, but the exact same thing happened. Did I download the wrong version, or why doesn’t it work? Or does anyone have any recommendations for other camera apps?
I moved your question here … generally the GCam ports can be found here: Google Camera Ports Download. Recently most of us opted for the Nikita versions.
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You may like to check any SD card you have inserted is formatted as Portable and not Internal as one formatted as Internal seems to instigate all sorts of failures especiall camera adn storage ones that can lead to crashes and stalls etc.
A zoomed-in comparison to really see some of the artifacts of the stock camera app that Nikita’s GCam gets rid of.
Note: In this example I used Simple Camera from F-Droid but the artifacts are the same on the stock app as well as OpenCamera.
On the left side you can clearly notice:
- aliasing
- bright contour lines around the leaves
- more noise in the sky
- an almost posterized coloration all accross, especially what seems like a single dark “stencil” layer (for lack of a better word, in french I’d say “aplat”) that seems multiplied to the rest of the image (I’m no expert in how the raw data is processed but that’s how it looks to me)
(
the % is the zoom level)
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@ChameleonScales looks like an amazing difference!
I have a FP3 since a week, and have installed /e/ os. Right now at version 1.8 / Android 11. I have a SD card (external storage, not formatted as internal storage, which is impossible on /e/ os btw).
I am not happy at all with the default camera app (open camera), which is really slow when taking a picture and I haven´t mentioned the quality yet.
So I wan´t to install a gcam port. A few questions:
- Does anyone have tips on what would be a good port for this /e/ os version? Otherwise I will try the latest Nikita
- Would it make a difference if I would install this via ADB as a system app or just installing the apk on my phone as user app?
- I have MicroG. What are the consequences for gcam? (having no real google play services)
- Is it possible to choose the external sd as storage location? If not, has anyone tried GCam Tool?
- Is it still necessary to have Google Photos to see the small preview of the last taken photo/video?
I’m using an FP3+ on /e/OS 1.8-S-dev
I’m using the latest Nikita’s 8.2 v1.8: NGCam_8.2.300-v1.8 (Nikita, 2022-06-05) and it’s working flawlessly for the main (rear) camera, but only uses a fraction (around 4 MP) of the selfie (front) camera’s 16 MP resolution (i.e. the FP3 camera+ module, not sure if you have the 1st generation FP3 cameras) while /e/OS’s default camera app (OpenCamera) at keast uses 12 MP. There’s a plugin that allows you to connect GCam with a gallery of your choice and I am using that plugin, but as a result I keep getting Google Photos updates offered in the /e/ App Lounge (so far I have been able to ignore these updates).
I have /e/OS default settings including MicroG and I am not aware that this would have any negative consequences.
GCam’s settings don’t seem to have that option (I looked for it myself).
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Thanks! I will give it a try then. Is there any known config file for FP3? (I have the 12mp camera, not the fp3+ 48mp version)
A few years ago on another phone I got advised to instal gcam through adb as a system app, but fail to remember what the advantage was. Any ideas on this?
For your questions 2 and 5 (EDIT on #5: I never installed Google Photos, yet saw the tiny round thumbnail preview instantly without further ado), I have no knowledge. i just downloaded the Nikita .apk and installed it on my device by double tapping.
For more on the above, see this earlier reply:
P.S.: Welcome to our Community! 
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Thanks again for your help! I have tried out different versions of GCam for Android 10 and 11 I found on Recommended Stable Google Camera Port Versions
Without thoroughly testing image quality, I noticed problems in most of them:
a) Not being able to use another gallery app. Even if some have the option in settings to use a third party app gallery, it does not always work. As @urs_lesse pointed out his can be solved really easy with Introducing GCam Photos Preview
b) the crashing of the app when you choose 4k resolution of video. The fp3 support 4k at 30fps max, and the newer gcam versions support 4k60fps and even 8k. Some ports crash once you choose 4k and there is no option to make it works again, except if you ditch all your data/reinstall the app. The versions that do handle this correctly:
-
BSG’s 8.6: MGC_8.6.263_A11_V14 (stable)
Has no slow-motion video. Setting for 3rd party gallery works, provides sharpness settings when hdr+ is on. Focus tracking optional. -
Wichaya’s 8.1: GCam_8.1.101_Wichaya_V1.6 Works without GCam photos preview. Offers playground option which requires AR (which then means: crash), but fp3 is not supporting this anyway, so I don´t care. Has annoying haptic feedback though (can´t be turned off) and lacks selfie lightning option.
-
Nikita’s 8.2: NGCam_8.2.300-v1.8 Option to set 4k video to 30fps in settings to preent crashing , and needs to open photos and videos in 3rd party gallery with GCam photos preview . Does not see Signal as sharing app. Focus tracking available. And again also annoying haptic feedback that cannot be turned off.
I have now chosen the BSG GCam port even if it does not have the slow motion option. I found the haptic so annoying that I will go for BSG now.
Not working for me (mainly because of crashing when you select 4K video), tried 8.1 or higher versions:
- BigKaka
- Hasli LMC (too bad, looks well thought)
- Urnyx
- Greatness (taking pictures in different resolutions all the time, very weird)
- Arnova (video is fine, but too little settings to alter unless you wish to enter developer options. Also annoying haptic feedback when changing photo mode and cannot be turned off)
If you read this topic later on and have /e/ os like me, please note that at the time of this writing I run /e/ os 1.8 (android 11) and the newest stable gcam port is 8.6 by BSG. So there may be newer ones when you read this.
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