There are a number of third party apps that offer an alternative camera experience to the built-in Camera app. Usually these apps aim to add extra features that appeal to power users looking for a more "professional" experience.

The latest addition to this genre, Clever Camera from Clever-Software, is no exception, but rather than offering every possible extra, the focus is on providing fast and easy access to the key manual camera controls (ISO shutter, speed, white balance, exposure, flash, and focus) via a polished custom UI. In addition, the app also offers basic phto editing immediately after capture (crop and rotation), along with the ability to easily share a captured photo to Facebook or Twitter.

The app, which can be accessed via the standard app launch or as a camera lens app, has its main settings (flash, ISO, shutter, white balance, and size) controls on a toolbar along the bottom of the screen. This toolbar can be accessed with a single tap, and each setting has a pop-up menu listing the various options. In addition an exposure control is shown on the right hand side of the screen at all times, allowing exposure to be adjusted in 0.16 increments from +2.0 to -2.0.

The exact controls that are available in the app will depend on the device that the app is being used on. On the Lumia 920 there are: ISO controls from 100 to 3200, shutter speeds from 1/4000s to 4s, 6 manual white balance options, and six resolution options.

In the top left hand corner of the screen there's a focus control, allowing you to switch between manual and auto focus modes. In manual focus mode a dial wheel is shown on the middle of the left hand side of the screen allowing fine control over focusing. This offers the opportunity to capture more artistic shots that would not be possible with the main camera (e.g. over-blurring part of the whole of an image).

Clever Camera does offer some extra settings over the built-in Camera app (and some finer controls over already-in-place settings), but the real appeal is that the polished UI makes it much easier to adjust these settings. In most casing settings are just two or three screen interactions away, and, just as importantly, are cleanly and logically laid out. The concept of a skeuomorphic focus control won't appeal to everyone, but there's little question it's one of the most effective manual focus controls we've seen in a Windows Phone app.

Camera power users will likely already have a preferred third party camera app, but Clever Camera is certainly worth checking out for its polished UI. For everyone else the app, which is less intimidating than many of this type, is well worth a look if you want to experiment a little more with the camera functionality of your Windows Phone smartphone.

Windows Phone Store description:

Professional camera features made available to Windows Phone users thanks to Clever Camera! Control everything – from shutter sizes and speeds, ISO, to white balance, and focus. Discover all the possibilities that modern phone cameras now possess. 

Clever Camera can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Store. A free trial is available (limited to three saved pictures), with the full version costing £1.49 / €1.99 / $1.99.