The Androider

There are quite a few special effect camera applications on the Android market these days. A lot of them offer a couple of effects for the user to choose from, but usually there’s nothing special or unique from app to app. That is not the case with Camera ZOOM FX. This application packs a wide variety of special effects that can be summed up in one word: awesome. With so many different effects, the developer has decided to categorize them for quick and easy selection. The categories are: Normal Camera, colorFX, mirrorFX, artFX, distortX, and frameFX. When you open the app you are presented with the categories and you can slide through them with a swipe of your finger.

Once you pick a category, you can then see nine different effects to choose from. I think each effect has a use, but I have to admit, I did find a few favorites from each category. Once you pick an effect, the camera then opens for you to take a shot. There is a left-aligned sliding bar at the bottom of the screen that allows the user to do something that nearly every Android phone owner wants to do: zoom in with the camera! If you pick one effect by accident, you don’t have to start all over again. Simply hit the back button, or even tap the “Fx” button on the screen to go back to the selection of effects.

Effects and zoom are not the only features that Camera ZOOM FX has to offer. When you select an effect and then the camera screen comes up, you can click on a “Quick Settings” button. This area of the app offers a whole new world of customization when it comes to the functionality of your Android device’s camera. There are three settings menus and a “Reset All Settings” button. The first menu allows you to download additional features for the app, like borders and props. The second menu allows you to adjust white balance and night shot abilities, among other things. The third menu has settings for auto focus, stable shot, timer and burst mode—which has settings for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and…. 16!!! Holy! That’s right, 16 shots in a row! Once you finish a burst mode, a new screen comes up that lets you choose which ones to delete by long-pressing on them (usually those blurry ones need to go because you were photographing something in motion). And then when you are finished deleting, you can click a button with four Androids on it to apply the effect you originally selected.

Since there are so many effects, I have decided to take a picture to share my favorite effect from each category (see below). Luckily, my local Starbuck’s was kind enough to let me photograph one of their mugs they have for sale. Unfortunately, this was not an ideal subject for some of my pictures, so I had to get a pair of models for one of the shots. Also, my favorite effect was Pencil B/W (as seen below with the two people) from the artFX category.

Everything I’ve shared still doesn’t add up to everything this app can do, so try it out for yourself. The price is UK£1.29 which is about $2.12 USD. For added convenience, you can scan the 2D barcode below!

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