Updated Windows Phone 8.1 Camera app demoed on video

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Continuing on from videos showing off Windows Phone 8.1's new swipe keyboard featureAction Center, WiFi settings, and Cortana features, UnleashThePhones has published a video that shows off the platform's updated Camera app and related settings. The updated app offers faster access to key settings and makes it easier to switch between single photo, video, and burst modes.

Like the current default Camera app, the top level interface of the default Camera app in Windows Phone 8.1 has four quick access icons (buttons) that let change or toggle the most commonly used settings (e.g. flash on/off).

However, these icons have moved to the left hand side of the screen and can now be customised according to user preference (choose from none, camera roll, resolution, lens picker, front/rear camera, Flash, scenes, ISO, Exposure Value, and White Balance). For example, if you never use the front facing camera, you might opt to switch out this quick setting icon for one for scene mode.

In their place on the right hand side of the screen are three icons that let you switch between the different camera modes: single photo, video, and burst mode. Large on screen text makes it clear that you have switched into a different mode, something that can be an issue with the current version of the app.

The remaining camera settings continue to be available under the standard menu (access via ellipsis indicator), but the changes to the top level user interface should mean that these will need to be accessed less frequently than previously.

The new Camera app certainly appears to be a much needed improvement over the current default Camera app, but most Lumia users will want to stick with the Nokia Camera app, which we would judge as continuing to provide a superior (and easier to use) overall experience.

The start of the video also shows the updated photo+camera module in the main Settings app. As mentioned previsouly, the only significant change is that there's now a settings that controls which images are used as a source for the thumbnails shown on the Photos Live Tile on the Start screen (all photos, favourite photos, or single photo).