Comparison

Slow Shutter Cam vs Manual

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

Head to head
About

Slow Shutter Cam

Capture stunning long exposure photographs with three distinct modes: Motion Blur for dynamic effects, Light Trail for light painting, and Low Light for enhanced detail. Achieve DSLR-quality results with manual controls and real-time previews.

Highlights
  • Motion Blur capture mode
  • Light Trail capture mode
  • Low Light capture mode
  • Unlimited shutter speed
  • Manual ISO control
  • Real-time live preview
  • Multiple exposure photos
Features
Read full description

Slow Shutter Cam brings new life into your device's photo toolbox by letting you capture a variety of amazing slow shutter speed effects that you only thought you could get with a DSLR. Continue reading to learn more about this unique app! ----------------------- • Featured numerous times by Apple: - App Store Essentials: Camera & Photography - Photography for Professionals - Total Control - Extraordinary Photo Apps - Best New App ----------------------- "It’s one of those rare photography apps that creates effects that few others are capable of, and it does it easily and with better results." — Marty Yawnick, Life In LoFi ----------------------- How many times have you tried to capture artful images with your iPhone camera but were left wishing you had more features to work with? Slow Shutter Cam puts an end to mere snapshots and gives you some of the most powerful features of a DSLR camera. All this, in a package that fits in your pocket. Slow Shutter Cam offers three capture modes to capture unique images: MOTION BLUR: Equivalent to the shutter priority mode on a DSLR, the Motion Blur mode is perfect for creating ghost images, waterfall effects or suggesting movement in your photographs by adding a blur. LIGHT TRAIL: The Light Trail mode allows you to 'paint' with light, show car light trails and fireworks or capture any other moving light in a unique way. Unlike shooting with a DSLR and being tied to specific rigid settings to obtain good results, the Light Trail mode takes care of the essentials, letting your creativity soar! LOW LIGHT: In low light conditions, this capture mode allows the camera to accumulate every photon of light hitting the sensor. The longer the shutter speed, the more light it will accumulate. You can even fine-tune the result using the exposure compensation slider to achieve the exact effect you want! Highlights: • Unlimited Shutter Speed and manual ISO • Option to resume capture and create multiple exposure photos • Real time live preview - See the result in real time • Innovative 'Freeze' and ‘Blur Strength’ controls • Tap to adjust focus/exposure • Time-lapse Intervalometer • Apple Watch support and handy Self-Timer • Full resolution support on every devices • Camera Control support (iPhone 16) With Slow Shutter Cam on your iPhone you get the features of a DSLR camera with the convenience of a device that you can drop in your pocket and take with you wherever you go. Download it now and put an end to mere snapshots! Search #slowshuttercam on Instagram or visit the "Slow Shutter Cam - iPhone" group on flickr for amazing samples!

About

Manual

Take full control of your iPhone camera with custom exposure settings. Adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus, and more to capture professional-quality images in RAW DNG format. Ideal for photographers who want to move beyond automatic settings.

Highlights
  • Custom exposure controls
  • RAW DNG image format
  • Shutter speed adjustment
  • ISO control
  • Manual focus
  • Focus zoom
  • Histogram
Features
Read full description

Custom exposure for your iPhone camera. A simple intuitive interface for powerful controls, saving images in the RAW DNG format to your camera roll. Featured in the NYTimes "If you like to manually adjust camera settings, you’ll love Manual". A powerful camera app with full control over your image. Quickly and simply adjust all parameters of your image. Every control a professional needs to take a photo is within reach. No more tapping and hoping automatic can understand what you want. Take control. Full independent control of • Shutter • ISO • Focus • Exposure Compensation Cool Things® • RAW DNG and/or HEIF format • Focus Zoom • Histogram • Level • Timer • Depth Capture • Fill Flash Mode (Flashlight) • Grid Overlays (Thirds, Square) • Light & Dark Themes • EXIF Viewer If you're a photographer tired of trying to tap your way to the exposure you want, then this is the app for you. Fighting to get the sweet spot between a blown out background and a silhouetted subject? Stop tapping and just set the ISO and shutter yourself – you know how, stop letting your silly pocket computer decide what looks good to you. Be better than automatic. Shoot Manual. — Requires iOS 11 or later. RAW capture available on iPhone SE, 6s and above. HEIF capture is available iPhone 7 and above. — Made by William Wilkinson & Deepak Mantena @shootmanual http://shootmanual.co

Screenshots

Slow Shutter Cam4 screens
Manual4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Slow Shutter Cam at none against Manual's 3. Slow Shutter Cam also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 41%) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Manual's advantage is iOS requirement (11.4 vs 16.0). On ads and device support 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

Slow Shutter Cam costs $2.99 and Manual $3.99 up front. Manual sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Slow Shutter Cam asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Slow Shutter Cam holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slow Shutter Cam has 2.8K ratings behind it against 279, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Slow Shutter Cam's written reviews are positive against 41% of Manual's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Slow Shutter Cam ships an update every 2 weeks, Manual every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Slow Shutter Cam versus Manual: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSlow Shutter CamManual
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.6 (2.8K ratings) — better4.2 (279 ratings)
Positive reviews71.5% of reviews — better41.4% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better279
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#9 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.011.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCogitap SoftwareWill Global

Customer experience

Slow Shutter Cam

All ratings2,804 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews1,246 reviews
Positive71.5%
Neutral6.9%
Negative21.6%

Manual

All ratings279 ratings
Positive79.2%
Neutral3.6%
Negative17.2%
Written reviews372 reviews
Positive41.4%
Neutral15.9%
Negative42.7%

User reviews

Slow Shutter Cam

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Powerful controls
  • 🎨 Great for creative photography
  • 💡 Useful for low light and long exposure shots
  • 🎨 Excellent for light trails and motion blur

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🤔 Confusing interface for some users
  • 🤷‍♀️ Limited functionality compared to DSLR
  • 🤔 Struggles with astrophotography and night sky shots

Manual

From 279 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great manual controls
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 🔍 Precise control over ISO, shutter speed, and white balance
  • 📷 Powerful photography tool for iPhone
  • 🎨 Allows creative control over photos

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 👎 Finicky and unintuitive controls
  • 🔍 Difficult to precisely set desired settings
  • 🔍 Cropped viewfinder
  • 🔍 Missing features like aperture control

Bugs and requests

Slow Shutter Cam

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Lens flare or distortion issues on some devices
  • Inconsistent performance on iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • Saved photos not showing up in camera roll

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for RAW image format
  • Implement a hands-free bulb mode with remote activation
  • Include a countdown timer for stabilizing the camera
  • Integrate with Apple Watch for easier shutter control
  • Provide more detailed tutorials and guidance for beginners

Manual

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Settings reset unexpectedly
  • RAW images come out blurry
  • Exposure compensation not working as expected
  • Focus issues on certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Longer shutter speed options
  • Self-timer and burst mode
  • Ability to lock white balance
  • Improved RAW image quality
  • Volume button shutter release

In-app purchases

None

Slow Shutter Cam

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Manual

One-time3
  • Tip 1$0.99
  • Tip 2$2.99
  • Tip 3$5.99

Questions

Is Slow Shutter Cam free?
Slow Shutter Cam costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Manual free?
Manual costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Slow Shutter Cam or Manual?
Slow Shutter Cam is rated higher. Slow Shutter Cam averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Manual averages 4.2 from 279 ratings.
Do Slow Shutter Cam or Manual have ads?
Neither Slow Shutter Cam nor Manual shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Slow Shutter Cam or Manual?
Slow Shutter Cam ships an update every 2 weeks, and Manual every 2 months. Most recently, Slow Shutter Cam was updated on October 18, 2026 and Manual on October 17, 2026.

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