Comparison

Photon Camera vs Manual Camera

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Photon Camera

Transform your iPhone into a professional camera with full manual controls. Achieve DSLR-quality photos with advanced tools like focus peaking, live exposure, and RAW capture. Take creative control with AI processing options and a minimalist interface.

Highlights
  • Full manual control (ISO, shutter speed, white balance)
  • Focus peaking and focus loupe
  • Live exposure and histogram
  • RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, and JPEG capture
  • Adjustable AI processing (Process Control)
  • Minimalist and intuitive interface
  • Image browser with photo details
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone and iPad into a powerful photography tool with Photon Camera. Ideal for passionate enthusiasts and those venturing into professional photography, Photon Camera ensures DSLR-quality captures with every tap. DSLR-Quality Photos with Professional Features Photon Camera brings DSLR-quality photos to your iPhone and iPad with professional features for full manual control. Adjust focus, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and, on iPhone 18 Pro, aperture, to capture unbelievable images. The ultimate camera app for creative photographers. Minimalist, Intuitive Design Ditch the clutter and focus on your shot. Photon sports a sleek, minimalist design that puts essential features at your fingertips. Clearly labeled, high-contrast, easy-to-tap controls give you instant access to focus, exposure, and white balance, so you can capture the perfect shot every time. Powerful, Professional Tools Experience the best of professional photography on your iPhone and iPad. Photon Camera equips you with robust tools such as live exposure, histogram, level, a focus loupe, timer, exposure clipping, and focus peaking, ensuring you capture exactly what you want. A Native iPad Camera Photon is built for iPad. All your pro tools are there: manual controls, histogram, level, focus peaking, and loupe, with layouts designed for the larger screen. A dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart, Precise Editing Edit with the same precision you shoot with. Smart Selection lets you tap an object and adjust it independently: Photon detects its edges, so you can brighten your subject, cool the background, or give each its own look. Blur and Sharpen tools let you soften a background or bring out detail, across the whole image or just a selection. On iPad, a dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart Selection requires iOS 27. Take Creative Control with Process Control Go beyond the basics of RAW photography with Process Control. This innovative tool lets you select the level of AI processing applied to your photos on a scale from 0% to 100%. Whether you prefer unprocessed RAW purity, fully enhanced photos, or something in between, Process Control ensures your creative vision comes to life. Process Control photos open directly in the editor, ready for finishing touches. Seamless Image Browser Relive your memories in a swipe with our easy-to-use image browser. Browse through your recent captures, get detailed insights about each photo, move smoothly into the editor, and share or delete with a single tap. Why Choose Photon? Simple, clutter-free interface designed for focused photography A native camera experience on iPad Capture in any format you like, including True RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, JPEG, and JPEG XL (iPhone 16 Pro and later). Or combine RAW and non-RAW formats. Instant access to manual controls, including Best-on-iPhone focus tools and manual aperture on iPhone 18 Pro, also through Camera Control Smart Selection, Blur, and Sharpen for precise, targeted edits Professional tools like live exposure, histogram, level, focus peaking, loupe, timer, exposure clipping, reliable RAW burst shooting, and external storage (iPhone 15 Pro and later) A user-friendly image browser that doubles as your digital photo album Photon Studio companion app that shows a live preview as you shoot your photos! Free for all Photon Pro users. Join the community of aspiring photographers taking their iPhone and iPad photography to the next level with Photon. It is not just a camera; it is a tool to unleash your creative vision. Download now and start capturing the world around you in stunning detail. You can review terms of use at https://photon.cam/terms/.

About

Manual Camera

Take full control of your mobile photography with manual adjustments for focus, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Achieve professional-looking shots with reduced noise and creative motion blur effects.

Highlights
  • Manual focus control
  • Adjustable ISO sensitivity
  • Variable shutter speed
  • Customizable white balance
  • Long exposure photography
  • RAW photo capture
Features
Read full description

With mcamera you can control parameters that are not available in the standard camera app: - Focus distance - ISO sensitivity - Shutter speed - White balance With manual control of shutter speed you can keep ISO as low as possible which will give you less noise on the photos. Long shutter speed would also give you opportunity to take photos with smeared elements such as car lights or smooth river water. Terms of service: https://vdugnist.com/mcamera_tos.html

Screenshots

Photon Camera4 screens
Manual Camera3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Manual Camera at 59% against Photon Camera's 24%. Manual Camera also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (454 vs 71). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Photon Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Manual Camera sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Manual Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Manual Camera has 454 ratings behind it against 71, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Photon Camera's written reviews are positive against 59% of Manual Camera's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Photon Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, Manual Camera every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Photon Camera versus Manual Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoton CameraManual Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (71 ratings)4.3 (454 ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.2% of reviews58.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings71454 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLateNiteSoft S.L.Vladislav Dugnist

Customer experience

Photon Camera

All ratings71 ratings
Positive76.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.9%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive24.2%
Neutral8.1%
Negative67.7%

Manual Camera

All ratings440 ratings
Positive83.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive58.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative39.1%

User reviews

Photon Camera

From 71 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great camera controls
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 🔋 Efficient battery usage
  • 💡 Direct USB storage option
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Lack of transparency around app ownership
  • 🔒 Concerns about developer trustworthiness
  • 🔍 Limited zoom and lens options

Manual Camera

From 454 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful for manual focus
  • 👍 Good for astronomy photos
  • 👍 Allows specific parameter settings
  • 👍 Great for low light environments
  • 👍 Free long exposure photos

Room to improve

  • 👎 Free version HEIF format
  • 👎 Requires access to all photos
  • 👎 Aspect ratio issues in free version
  • 👎 Difficult to use slow shutter
  • 👎 Cannot take selfies

Bugs and requests

Photon Camera

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Manual mode crashes
  • Inability to access external storage
  • Incompatibility with certain devices
  • Unreliable photo saving and syncing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bracketed HDR mode
  • Customizable white balance controls
  • Landscape orientation support
  • Macro mode
  • Integration with other photo apps

Manual Camera

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Unable to save photos
  • Aspect ratio not saving correctly in free version
  • Slow shutter not working as expected
  • App crashes
  • Cannot access selfie camera
Show 3 more
  • EXIF data not displayed in native Photos app
  • ISO value discrepancy between slider and display
  • Cannot save photos due to photo access settings

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to turn on macro focus mode
  • Option to switch to selfie camera
  • Longer exposure times (e.g., 30 seconds)
  • Support for ultra wide and telephoto cameras
  • ND filter for daylight slow shutter speeds
Show 3 more
  • Ability to change lenses on iPhone 12Pro
  • More settings and controls
  • Fix alignment issue with aperture symbol

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Photon Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-time purchase$39.99
2 purchases

Manual Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Manual Camera PRO7 Days trial$5.991 Year
  • Manual Camera PRO7 Days trial$11.991 Year

Questions

Is Photon Camera free?
Photon Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Manual Camera free?
Manual Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Photon Camera or Manual Camera?
Manual Camera is rated higher. Photon Camera averages 4.1 out of 5 from 71 ratings, while Manual Camera averages 4.3 from 454 ratings.
Do Photon Camera or Manual Camera have ads?
Neither Photon Camera nor Manual Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Photon Camera or Manual Camera?
Photon Camera ships an update every 3 weeks, and Manual Camera every 4 weeks. Most recently, Photon Camera was updated on October 29, 2026 and Manual Camera on October 23, 2026.

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