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If you like photography and you are an Android user, you will have tried dozens of different photography applications, apart from having different accessories. From the simplest apps to take photos to some with SLR camera interface. If you were looking for a total manual control to take your pictures, you may have taken some disappointment when you did not find it. If this happens to you, the answer to the problem may be on your mobile and in Camera2.
What is Camera2 API
Camera2 is an API, that is, an interface designed for developers. This began to be introduced in Android systems as of version 5.0. Google’s goal with Camera2 was to provide developers with advanced uses of the camera. These uses range from exposure control, manual focus or taking pictures in RAW format.
Does this mean that any device with Android Lollipop or higher is compatible with Camera2? The answer is that it depends. Being an API, the implementation of Camera2 depends exclusively on the manufacturer, which can include the use of this API on four different levels. These levels are Legacy, Limited, Full and Level 3. The Legacy version only supports the functions of the old Camera1, the Limited version brings some simple functions; the Full version supports all the API’s standard functionalities and the Level 3 version adds extra functions, such as the capture in RAW format.
Also Read: How to Increase the Performance of an Android Device
Depending on these four versions, the functionalities of our apps will vary. There are even applications that, if our terminal does not have the Full version or higher, cannot be installed. But, how to know at what level our phone works?
What level of Camera2 does your phone have
Although it may seem quite the opposite, knowing the level of Camera2 that our phone has is very simple. If we have a high-end device such as one of the latest Samsung Galaxy, we can assume that it has the API with all its functionalities. On the other hand, if we want to make sure or we do not have a mobile of these characteristics we can find specific applications in the store that measure the level automatically, such as Camera2 Probe.
This simple but effective application shows us exactly what features our terminal presents with respect to this API. Opening the app, we see what functions of the different levels are available on our phone. A totally reliable option to know to what extent we have control over the camera of our mobile.
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