Features of the new camera API in Android 5.0 Lollipop

Many people know that camera apps from Google Play often cannot give better picture quality than stock applications from manufacturers. Whether it is support for HDR mode, exposure adjustment, various add-ons, for example, funny dinosaurs, as is done in devices from SONY. But after the arrival of the next version of Android, Google decided to correct this flaw by introducing new APIs for the camera. It is interesting to learn more - take food and under the cat! (3.4MB pictures, carefully).

Here is what is said on the page devoleperskoy version of Android 5.0:

Android 5.0 introduces new camera APIs that will allow you to shoot RAW formats, such as YUV and Bayer RAW, as well as control parameters such as exposure, photosensitivity and frame rate in high-speed shooting mode. A new fully synchronized camera processing system will allow you to shoot uncompressed YUV pictures at 30 frames per second on supporting devices.

Together with them, you can also capture data in the form of noise information and other data.
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Applications broadcasting video streams over the network can now use the H.265 HEVC video codec for optimized video encoding and decoding.

Android 5.0 also provides support for 4K content and sharing of compressed video and audio data.

What does this mean for camera developers? Now they can use in their arsenal such things as controlling the shutter speed and output photos in uncompressed RAW (DNG) format. This allows you to achieve better dynamics, reduce the amount of noise and all other possibilities of uncompressed photo formats compared to compressed JPEG.

The scheme of the camera application with the new API :



But the difference in the mode of high-speed shooting:




As you can see - the difference on the face. Now it only remains to wait for the final release of Android 5.0 with all the improvements and innovations that will help developers improve the quality of their camera applications.

But you can not wait, but try the camera application for Nexus 5, compiled on the new API from the PkmX developer - L Camera . Of course, you should have the latest developer version of Android 5.0. The application is developed with open source. The functions of the application include:

• Full manual focus;
• Manual exposure (0.8 ", 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/8000, 1/16000);
• Setting the ISO level (100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 10000);
• Image output to DNG;
• Fast shooting at full resolution at 30 frames per second with constant focus.

An example based on this application on Nexus 5 with Android 5.0 DP:

Snapshot from Google Camera:



Snapshot from the L Camera application, slightly processed in RawTherapee:



As can be seen in the example of one application, having new APIs for the camera, developers will have access to many new features that were not available in previous versions of Android, which is good news. Needless to say, there will soon be really high-quality photography applications for mobile devices.

Thank you zlyoha for fix :)