Over the past week, I’ve been putting ProCamera through its paces—an app that promises to transform your iPhone into a professional-grade photography tool. As someone who’s long sworn by the native camera app’s simplicity, I approached this with equal parts scepticism and curiosity. Yet, after days of shooting in RAW, tinkering with manual settings, and diving into its treasure trove of features, I’m convinced: ProCamera isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a revelation.

Opening ProCamera for the first time feels like stepping into a hidden darkroom, one Apple never told us existed. The interface brims with options, yet it’s sleek and intuitive, a far cry from the native app’s minimalist autopilot. Where the stock camera keeps things tidy and automated, ProCamera hands you the keys to the kingdom. Rifling through its settings, I felt a flicker of that old thrill—like the first time I held a film camera, knowing every choice was mine to make.

The standout for me? Full manual mode. With ProCamera, you can tweak ISO, shutter speed, white balance, focus, and exposure compensation independently. For someone used to the native app’s point-and-shoot ease, this is transformative—it’s like cradling a pocket-sized DSLR. Growing up with comics and photobooks, I’ve always chased control over a frame’s story, and here it is, nestled in my iPhone.

I was particularly taken with the shutter priority and ISO priority modes. Shooting Aberdeen’s granite streets at dusk, I dialled the ISO down to 80 to cut noise, letting the app sort the shutter speed. The result? Nighttime shots with a clarity I’d never coaxed from the native app—sharp, moody, and alive. It’s a quiet nod to the patience I’ve admired in photographers like Pia-Paulina Guilmoth, waiting for the light to speak.

RAW photography was my next frontier. I’d always known its perks—more detail, richer editing potential—but the native app kept it at arm’s length unless you had ProRAW on a top-tier iPhone. ProCamera flings that door wide open, making RAW seamless. Snapping Aberdeen’s cityscape as the sun dipped, I later pulled shadows and highlights from the files in Lightroom with a depth JPEGs could only dream of. Editing became a treasure hunt, unearthing textures and tones I’d have lost otherwise.

Then there’s the anti-shake shutter release—a godsend for handheld shots in tricky light. I’ve cursed blurry frames from the native app too many times, especially in dim corners. Testing ProCamera in a shadowy alley, the app waited for my grip to steady before firing. The outcome? Crisp, clean shots, no tripod needed—a small victory that echoes the decisive moments Cartier-Bresson chased.

Exposure bracketing in RAW sealed the deal. It captures multiple exposures to blend later for HDR, perfect for high-contrast scenes. I’ve only dipped my toes in, but bracketing a stormy sky over the North Sea already hints at its power—retaining detail in both brooding clouds and glinting waves. It’s a tool I’ll lean on more, chasing that balance Ansel Adams mastered in his landscapes.

Customisation is another win. You can rejig shooting modes, tweak the interface, and toggle a histogram for exposure precision. At first, it felt a tad cluttered—options spilling like a photographer’s spilled film rolls—but after some fiddling, I sculpted a setup that fits my flow. It’s a personal touch that mirrors my love for photobooks, where every page turn feels curated.

No app’s perfect, though. The feature feast comes with a learning curve—daunting if you’re wedded to the native app’s simplicity. A few days in, it clicked, but expect a stumble or two. Also, gems like advanced HDR and perspective correction hide behind the ProCamera Up! subscription (£6.99/year). It’s fair value, but a nudge to budget if you want the full arsenal.

After a week, ProCamera stands as the most potent iPhone camera app I’ve wielded. It takes mobile photography’s brilliance and cranks it up, offering DSLR-like control in a device I’d pocket anyway. It’s nudged me closer to the raw, deliberate craft I’ve admired in Tulsa or Flowers Drink the River—a bridge between my phone’s ease and a camera’s soul.

If RAW beckons, manual control thrills, or you just crave your iPhone’s untapped potential, ProCamera is a must. It’s the first of several apps I’ll test, but it’s set a towering bar. For now, it’s my go-to, relegating the native app to the back seat—maybe for good.

Regards,

Alex