The 8 Best HDR Camera Apps of 2019

Make your photos stand out with greater detail

Woman taking a photo of a plate of waffles with her iPhone

Maskot / Getty Images 

by Brenna Miles
Brenna Miles is a freelance technology writer with a B.A. in Business Management and HR Management. She's been writing about technology for 6+ years.
Updated July 07, 2019

You no longer need a DSLR camera to get that perfect shot. Your mobile device can be the only HDR camera you need to shoot professional photos, whether you're a beginner or seasoned in the field. To get started, here are the best HDR camera apps of 2019.

01
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TADAA: Best HDR Camera App for Beginners

Screenshots of TADAA app on iPhone

What We Like

  • The camera itself is free to use.

  • A copy of your photo is automatically saved to your phone after each shot.

  • It's a perfect, easy-to-use app for beginners and professionals alike.

What We Don't Like

  • To unlock all functionality, you'll need to purchase a Pro subscription.

Regardless of your skill level when it comes to HDR photography, the app you choose should be simple to use. TADAA combines professional editing tools with detail you have to see to believe. You can edit on multiple layers, use the masking tool, blur, and so much more.

02
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Camera+ 2: Best HDR Camera App for Scene Presets

Screenshots of Camera+ 2 app on iPhone

What We Like

  • Has everything you need to create professional photos quickly.

  • The scene presets make taking landscape and portrait shots simple with the touch of the screen.

  • Tools such as built-in frames and filters turn around social-media-worthy images in a snap.

What We Don't Like

  • The app has a bit of a learning curve, especially for budding photographers.

Having a collection of scene presets for your photos is a dream come true for amateur and professional photographers alike. The Camera+ 2 app offers scenes such as Portrait, Food, Backlit, Night, Shade, and more to fit the mood of your photo.

The camera is easy to use and the photos you take are added to your Camera+ 2 Lightbox, instead of your photo library, saving space. Camera+ 2's Lab gives you editing options such as tinting, straightening, duotone, clarity, and more.

03
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Pro HDR X: Best App for Capturing HDR Images Instantly

Screenshot of Pro HDR X on iPhone

Apple 

What We Like

  • You can import large DSLR files, up to 24 megapixels from your photo library.

  • Offers state-of-the-art image blending and registration.

  • Sharpest possible images.

What We Don't Like

  • Again, Pro HDR X is for those who know a bit about HDR photography prior to downloading this app. There is a learning curve to use all of the features.

Pro HDR X is a complete overhaul of Pro HDR, the world's most popular HDR camera app. It's often suggested that Pro HDR X's capabilities far exceed Apple's built-in HDR. True or not, Pro HDR X's capabilities include capturing HDR images instantly, merging from two or more bracketed images, filtering and framing, and more.

04
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vividHDR: Best HDR Photo Camera App for Highlights and Shadows

Screenshot of vividHDR on iPhone

 Apple

What We Like

  • Gives you the ability to take deep and enhanced HDR photos quickly, without thinking.

  • Shadows and highlights look outstanding when using this app!

What We Don't Like

  • vividHDR is known for having bugs that keep location services from labeling images with the correct location of the original shot.

vividHDR's catchphrase states the app is fast, simple, and vibrant. Nothing truer can be spoken about this app. It's the best app available for dealing with highlights and shadows with full HDR capabilities.

The app's built-in algorithms help you shoot perfectly sharp and exposed HDR images in an instant. Experience 5 exposure bracketed images straight from your mobile device.

05
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Enlight Quickshot: Best HDR Camera App for Landscape Photography

Screenshot of Enlight on iPhone

What We Like

  • Built-in sky enhancements turn boring photos into masterpieces.

  • Built-in HDR mode is perfect for professional photographers looking to enhance their portraits and landscapes.

What We Don't Like

  • To access most of what this app has to offer, you'll need to purchase a Pro subscription.

Want to change a gloomy sky into a breathtaking sunny summer day? The Enlight Quickshot app makes that and more possible. The app includes a full HDR mode, complete with filters and enhancements such as the sky enhancement. Change the sky in your photo using Enlight's pre-made filters to add stunning effects quickly.

06
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Pro HDR Camera: Best HDR Camera App for Android

Screenshot of Pro HDR on Android

Google Play

What We Like

  • For Android, the Pro HDR Camera does amazing things with the built-in camera.

  • This app offers a fully automatic mode, plus a manual mode for choosing your own presets.

What We Don't Like

  • For LG, Sony, or another device other than Motorola, HTC, and most Samsung phones, the app might not work properly. Take caution when downloading.

Hailed as the world's first real HDR camera for Android, Pro HDR Camera is the best choice for Android users. You can create stunning, full-resolution HDR images straight from the Pro HDR Camera app. Pro HDR Camera collects two images, one of the shadows and one of the highlights, and combines them to bring you the best image alignment possible, up to 8 megapixels in size.

07
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Hydra: Best HDR Camera App for Gorgeous Filtering

Screenshot of Hydra on iPhone

Apple 

What We Like

  • Multiple image merging for the best quality photo.

  • Up to 32-megapixel high-resolution images.

  • Filters are created to enhance your photos, not take away from them.

What We Don't Like

  • Hydra is known for its merging capabilities, but its HDR mode for quick photography could be improved.

Hydra offers photographers one of the most beautiful interfaces for HDR camera apps. Combining full HDR capabilities with a load of gorgeous filters, this app is perfect for professionals and amateurs alike. Hydra can merge up to 60 frames at a time to create a single high-quality picture.

Hydra's HDR mode is made to handle the most difficult of lighting situations from dark to light. Lo-Light mode removes sensor noise by merging together multiple images and amplifying light by a factor of 10. All of this and more await you inside Hydra.

08
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Adobe Lightroom CC: Best All-in-One HDR Camera App

Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom CC on iPhone

What We Like

  • Provides photographers with everything they love about Adobe in mobile form.

  • Easy to use editing tools such as cropping, filtering, and more.

  • Professional camera mode for adjusting your settings manually.

What We Don't Like

  • Adobe products require a Creative Cloud subscription for full use. Although most editing tools are free, you'll need a paid subscription for more in-depth tools.

No HDR camera list is complete without an Adobe product. Adobe Lightroom CC is the quick and easy HDR camera app for mobile devices. Most of the editing tools you love are here such as filtering, cropping and more. For professionals, the professional camera mode allows you to choose your own camera settings for the perfect shot.