You can transform your smartphone into a powerful long-exposure camera with these top apps for slow shutter speed photography. Slow Shutter Cam and ProCam X offer advanced features for iOS and Android users respectively. Camera FV-5 and LongExpo provide DSLR-like controls and user-friendly interfaces. For night photography enthusiasts, NightCap Camera and Spectre Camera excel in low-light conditions. Average Camera Pro and Camera+ 2 offer manual controls and live previews. ProShot mimics professional cameras with its DSLR-like interface. These apps enable you to capture stunning light trails, motion blur, and creative long exposures. Dive deeper to reveal the full potential of your mobile photography skills.
Slow Shutter Cam

Slow Shutter Cam is a powerful iOS app that puts advanced long exposure photography at your fingertips. With this intuitive tool, you'll be able to capture stunning light trails, create silky smooth waterfalls, and add motion blur to your images, all from your iPhone or iPad.
The app offers three capture modes: Motion Blur, Light Trail, and Low Light. Each mode is designed for specific scenarios, allowing you to achieve professional-looking results with ease. You can adjust settings like shutter speed, ISO, and blur strength to fine-tune your shots.
Slow Shutter Cam's real-time preview feature lets you see the effect as it's being captured, helping you perfect your composition before taking the final shot. After capturing, you can further enhance your images using the app's built-in editing tools.
One of the app's standout features is its ability to freeze a portion of the image while blurring the rest, creating a unique sense of movement in your photos.
You'll also appreciate the app's support for RAW capture, ensuring maximum quality and flexibility in post-processing.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, Slow Shutter Cam offers a user-friendly interface and powerful features to elevate your mobile photography game.
ProCam X

While Slow Shutter Cam caters to iOS users, Android photographers can turn to ProCam X for advanced long exposure features. This versatile app offers a thorough set of tools for capturing stunning slow shutter speed images on your Android device.
You'll find a dedicated long exposure mode that allows you to experiment with various shutter speeds, from a fraction of a second to several minutes. ProCam X's interface is intuitive, making it easy to adjust settings like ISO, white balance, and focus.
You can also use the app's built-in neutral density filter simulation to achieve longer exposures in bright conditions. The app supports RAW capture, giving you more flexibility in post-processing.
Here are three standout features of ProCam X:
- Light trail mode for capturing car lights and star trails
- Motion blur mode for smooth water effects and ghosting
- Low light mode for noise reduction in night photography
You'll appreciate ProCam X's real-time preview, which helps you visualize the final result before taking the shot. The app also offers manual focusing with focus peaking, exposure bracketing, and a histogram for precise exposure control.
With its powerful features and user-friendly design, ProCam X is an excellent choice for Android users looking to explore slow shutter speed photography.
Camera FV-5

Another powerful option for Android users is Camera FV-5, a feature-rich app that brings DSLR-like manual controls to your smartphone. It offers extensive control over your camera's settings, including shutter speed, ISO, and focus. You'll find it particularly useful for slow shutter speed photography, as it allows you to set exposure times up to 30 seconds.
Camera FV-5's interface is intuitive, with easy-to-access controls for adjusting your shot. You can use the app's built-in intervalometer for time-lapse photography or its bracketing feature for HDR images. It also supports RAW capture, giving you more flexibility in post-processing.
Here's a quick overview of Camera FV-5's key features:
Feature | Description | Use Case |
---|---|---|
Manual Controls | Adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus | Low-light photography |
Long Exposure | Up to 30-second exposures | Light trails, star trails |
Intervalometer | Automated time-lapse capture | Cityscape time-lapses |
While Camera FV-5 excels in manual control, it's not as user-friendly for beginners. You'll need some photography knowledge to make the most of its features. However, if you're looking to push your mobile photography skills, this app provides the tools you need to capture stunning slow shutter speed images.
LongExpo

For iOS users seeking a straightforward app for slow shutter speed photography, LongExpo offers a user-friendly solution. It's designed specifically for long exposure shots, making it easy to capture light trails, smooth water, and dreamy cloud movements.
You'll find the interface intuitive, with clearly labeled controls for shutter speed, ISO, and focus.
LongExpo stands out with its real-time preview feature, allowing you to see the effect of your chosen settings before taking the shot. This saves time and helps you perfect your composition. The app also includes a built-in stabilization feature, which is essential for achieving sharp images during long exposures.
Here are three key features you'll appreciate:
- Multiple capture modes, including light painting and star trails
- Adjustable blur strength for creative control
- Easy sharing options directly to social media platforms
While LongExpo doesn't offer as many advanced features as some professional-grade apps, it's an excellent choice for beginners and intermediate photographers.
You'll find it particularly useful for nighttime cityscapes, waterfalls, and traffic scenes. With practice, you'll be able to produce stunning slow shutter speed images that rival those taken with DSLRs.
NightCap Camera

NightCap Camera excels in capturing long exposure night shots, allowing you to create stunning images of starry skies and city lights.
You'll find it particularly useful for light trail photography, as it can transform moving cars and other light sources into mesmerizing streaks across your frame.
The app also boosts your camera's low-light performance, enabling you to shoot clearer, brighter photos in dimly lit environments without relying on flash.
Long Exposure Night Shots
Frequently, capturing stunning long exposure night shots with a smartphone can be challenging, but NightCap Camera makes it effortless. This app offers a dedicated "Light Trails" mode, perfect for capturing car headlights, star trails, and other moving light sources at night.
You'll find the interface intuitive, with easy-to-adjust settings for exposure time and ISO.
To get the best results with NightCap Camera's long exposure feature:
- Use a tripod or steady surface to keep your phone completely still
- Experiment with exposure times, starting with 15 seconds and adjusting as needed
- Enable the app's noise reduction feature for cleaner, sharper images
NightCap Camera also excels at capturing the night sky, offering modes for star trails, meteors, and even the Northern Lights.
You'll appreciate the app's ability to stack multiple exposures, resulting in brighter, more detailed night scenes. Whether you're shooting cityscapes, traffic, or celestial objects, NightCap Camera provides the tools you need to create professional-looking long exposure night shots right from your smartphone.
Light Trail Capture
While NightCap Camera excels in various night photography scenarios, its Light Trail Capture mode stands out as a powerful tool for creating enchanting images. This feature allows you to capture stunning light trails from moving vehicles, fireworks, or any other moving light sources in low-light conditions.
To use Light Trail Capture, you'll need to stabilize your phone using a tripod or steady surface. Open the app and select the Light Trails mode from the menu. Adjust your composition and focus before tapping the shutter button to start capturing.
The app will continuously take photos and blend them together, creating smooth light trails as objects move through the frame. You can control the exposure time by tapping the stop button when you're satisfied with the result.
NightCap Camera also offers additional settings like ISO and shutter speed adjustment to fine-tune your shots. Experiment with different durations to achieve varied effects, from short, crisp trails to long, flowing streaks of light.
Remember to frame your shot with interesting foreground elements or urban landscapes to add depth and context to your light trail images. With practice, you'll master this technique and create enchanting long-exposure photographs using just your smartphone.
Low-Light Performance Boost
One of the most impressive features of NightCap Camera is its ability to considerably boost low-light performance. This app excels at capturing clear, detailed images in dimly lit environments where your phone's native camera might struggle. By utilizing advanced algorithms and longer exposure times, NightCap Camera can dramatically improve the quality of your nighttime or indoor low-light shots.
When using NightCap Camera for low-light photography, you'll benefit from:
- Automatic ISO adjustment to reduce noise while maintaining image clarity
- Real-time light boost feature that brightens the viewfinder for easier composition
- Multiple capture modes optimized for various low-light scenarios, such as stars, city lights, or indoor scenes
The app's interface is intuitive, allowing you to quickly adjust settings like exposure time and focus. You can also enable a self-timer or use volume buttons as a shutter release to minimize camera shake.
With practice, you'll be able to capture stunning low-light images that rival those taken with dedicated cameras. Whether you're shooting cityscapes at dusk or capturing the night sky, NightCap Camera's low-light performance boost will help you achieve professional-looking results with just your smartphone.
Spectre Camera

Spectre Camera offers you powerful tools for creating stunning long exposure shots with your smartphone.
You'll be able to capture mesmerizing light trails and motion blur effects, while the app's AI-powered image stabilization guarantees crisp, shake-free results.
With automated shooting modes, you can easily experiment with different slow shutter techniques, even if you're new to mobile photography.
Long Exposure Light Trails
Light trails can take your night photography to the next level, and Spectre Camera steps up to the plate with its long exposure capabilities. This app allows you to capture stunning light trails from moving vehicles, fireworks, or any other light sources in motion.
With Spectre Camera, you don't need a tripod or complex settings to achieve professional-looking results.
To create enchanting light trails using Spectre Camera:
- Find a stable surface or use a phone tripod for the best results
- Set the exposure time (up to 9 seconds) based on the speed of moving lights
- Experiment with different angles and compositions to add depth to your images
The app's AI-powered stabilization compensates for slight movements, ensuring sharp images even in challenging conditions. You can also adjust the light trail intensity and blend multiple exposures for a more dramatic effect.
Spectre Camera's user-friendly interface makes it easy to master long exposure photography, allowing you to focus on creativity rather than technical details. Whether you're shooting city traffic, star trails, or illuminated landscapes, this app provides the tools you need to capture mesmerizing light trails that will impress your followers and elevate your mobile photography portfolio.
Ai-Powered Image Stabilization
While light trails are a mesmerizing feature, Spectre Camera's AI-powered image stabilization is what truly sets it apart. This innovative technology allows you to capture stunning long-exposure shots without a tripod. By leveraging artificial intelligence, the app compensates for your hand movements, resulting in crisp, blur-free images.
You'll find that Spectre Camera's AI stabilization works wonders in various scenarios. Whether you're shooting cityscapes, waterfalls, or busy streets, the app helps you achieve professional-looking results with minimal effort. It's particularly useful in low-light conditions, where traditional mobile photography often falls short.
To use this feature, simply enable the AI stabilization option within the app. As you capture your long-exposure shot, the AI continuously analyzes and adjusts for any movement. This process happens in real-time, ensuring that your final image is sharp and well-defined.
The app's AI stabilization isn't just about reducing blur; it also enhances the overall quality of your long-exposure photos. You'll notice improved detail retention, better color accuracy, and a more balanced exposure.
It's like having a steady hand and a professional camera rolled into one convenient mobile app.
Automated Shooting Modes
Three automated shooting modes in Spectre Camera streamline the long-exposure photography process. You'll find these modes incredibly helpful when capturing stunning slow shutter speed images with your mobile device. The app's intelligent algorithms analyze the scene and adjust settings automatically, allowing you to focus on composition rather than technical details.
The three automated modes are:
- Light Trails: Ideal for capturing streaking car lights or other moving light sources at night.
- Night Mode: Enhances low-light scenes by reducing noise and increasing detail.
- Motion Blur: Perfect for creating smooth water effects or blurring moving subjects.
Each mode optimizes your camera's settings for the specific type of long-exposure shot you're aiming to achieve. You don't need to worry about selecting the right shutter speed or ISO; Spectre Camera handles these complexities for you.
As you use the app, it'll learn your preferences and improve its results over time. This AI-driven approach makes slow shutter speed photography more accessible to beginners while still offering advanced users the flexibility to fine-tune settings when desired.
With Spectre Camera's automated shooting modes, you'll be able to capture professional-looking long-exposure shots with ease, right from your smartphone.
Average Camera Pro

Mastering slow shutter speed photography on your mobile device becomes a breeze with Average Camera Pro. This powerful app offers a range of features designed specifically for long exposure shots. You'll find manual controls for shutter speed, ISO, and focus, allowing you to fine-tune your settings for the perfect shot.
One of Average Camera Pro's standout features is its ability to capture multiple exposures and blend them seamlessly. This technique helps reduce noise in low-light conditions and creates smoother water and cloud effects. You can also use the app's built-in intervalometer for time-lapse photography.
Here's a quick overview of Average Camera Pro's key features:
Feature | Description | Use Case |
---|---|---|
Manual Controls | Adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus | Low-light, motion blur |
Exposure Blending | Combine multiple shots | Noise reduction, smooth effects |
Intervalometer | Timed shots | Time-lapse photography |
Live Preview | See effects in real-time | Composition assistance |
RAW Support | Capture uncompressed images | Post-processing flexibility |
With its intuitive interface and advanced capabilities, Average Camera Pro is an excellent choice for mobile photographers looking to explore slow shutter speed techniques. You'll be able to capture stunning long exposure shots with ease, right from your smartphone.
Manual Camera

For photographers seeking full control over their mobile camera, Manual Camera stands out as a robust option. This app gives you complete manual control over your device's camera settings, including shutter speed, ISO, focus, and white balance.
You'll find it particularly useful for capturing long exposure shots and light trails in low-light conditions.
Manual Camera's interface is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing you to adjust settings quickly and efficiently. You can easily set your desired shutter speed, from fractions of a second to several seconds, depending on your creative vision. The app also offers real-time exposure metering, ensuring you get the perfect shot every time.
Here are three key features that make Manual Camera a standout choice:
- RAW image capture for maximum post-processing flexibility
- Focus peaking to help you achieve razor-sharp images
- Customizable presets for quick access to your favorite settings
While Manual Camera doesn't offer built-in filters or extensive editing tools, it excels at providing professional-grade control over your mobile photography.
If you're looking to push the boundaries of what's possible with your smartphone camera, this app is an excellent choice for exploring slow shutter speed techniques and other advanced photography methods.
Camera+ 2

Camera+ 2 stands out as a versatile and feature-rich app for mobile photographers of all skill levels. It offers a thorough set of tools for capturing and editing slow shutter speed photos. You'll find a dedicated slow shutter mode that allows you to experiment with various effects, including light trails, motion blur, and water smoothing.
The app's intuitive interface makes it easy to adjust shutter speed, ISO, and focus. You can fine-tune your settings using on-screen sliders or the manual wheel control. Camera+ 2 also provides real-time feedback, helping you preview your slow shutter effects before taking the shot.
Here's a quick overview of Camera+ 2's key features for slow shutter photography:
Feature | Function | Benefit |
---|---|---|
Slow Shutter Mode | Extends exposure time | Creates artistic motion effects |
Manual Controls | Adjust shutter, ISO, focus | Precise control over exposure |
Live Preview | Real-time effect visualization | Helps compose perfect shots |
After capturing your slow shutter images, you can enhance them using Camera+ 2's built-in editing tools. The app offers a range of filters and adjustments specifically designed for long exposure photography, allowing you to refine your images without leaving the app.
ProShot

ProShot stands out as a powerful alternative for mobile photographers seeking advanced control over their slow shutter speed shots. This app offers a user-friendly interface that mimics the layout of a DSLR camera, making it intuitive for those familiar with professional equipment.
You'll find a dedicated shutter speed control that allows you to adjust exposure times from 1/8000th of a second to an impressive 30 seconds.
One of ProShot's standout features is its ability to save images in RAW format, giving you greater flexibility in post-processing. The app also provides real-time histograms and focus peaking, helping you achieve precise exposure and focus in your slow shutter speed shots.
Here are three key advantages of using ProShot for slow shutter speed photography:
- Manual ISO control for fine-tuning your exposure
- Customizable bracketing options for capturing high dynamic range scenes
- Built-in light painting mode for creative long exposure effects
ProShot's versatility extends beyond just slow shutter speed photography. You'll find it useful for various shooting scenarios, from landscape to street photography.
With its extensive set of tools and intuitive design, ProShot empowers you to push the boundaries of your mobile photography skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Slow Shutter Speed Photography Be Done Without a Tripod?
Yes, you can do slow shutter speed photography without a tripod. You'll need steady hands and proper technique. Try bracing against a wall, using image stabilization, or resting your camera on a stable surface for best results.
How Does Slow Shutter Speed Affect Image Noise in Low-Light Conditions?
You'll notice that slow shutter speeds can actually reduce image noise in low-light conditions. By letting in more light, you're allowing the sensor to capture a cleaner image with less digital noise and grain.
Are There Any Risks to the Camera Sensor When Using Long Exposures?
You're unlikely to damage your camera sensor with long exposures. However, you'll want to watch out for overheating, which can occur during extended use. It might affect image quality or battery life, but won't cause permanent harm.
What's the Difference Between Slow Shutter Speed and Long Exposure Photography?
You'll find that slow shutter speed and long exposure photography are fundamentally the same thing. They both involve keeping your camera's shutter open for longer periods, allowing more light in and creating unique effects in your images.
Can Slow Shutter Speed Apps Work With All Smartphone Camera Lenses?
You'll find that most slow shutter speed apps work with your smartphone's main camera lens. However, they might not be compatible with all lenses, especially ultra-wide or telephoto lenses. It's best to check each app's specifications.
In Summary
You've now got a great selection of apps to explore slow shutter speed photography on your mobile device. Whether you're capturing light trails, smooth water, or star trails, these apps will help you achieve stunning long exposure effects. Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings and subjects. With practice, you'll master the art of slow shutter mobile photography. Remember, creativity is key, so push the boundaries and have fun with your newfound skills!
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