Mobile phone cameras have since become powerful enough to take high-quality pictures. So, to take breathtaking long exposure photos, people use long exposure apps for iPhone devices to do that for them.
This is easier said than done, as slow shutter apps are very few and far between. This is where this list comes in. For this list, we’re looking at apps for long exposure photography on your iPhone.
The best long exposure app for iPhone | Top 10 picks
When it comes to producing high-quality photos, nothing beats the ones on modern iPhone devices. Though its camera has excellent features, you still need a long exposure app for iPhone devices to take slow-shutter photos. Unfortunately, only a handful of those apps offer good quality. On the bright side, we’ve already compiled the best of them below.
List of the best long exposure apps for iPhone
- Lightroom Photo & Video Editor
- Camera+: Pro Camera & Editor
- Slow Shutter Cam
- ProCamera
- FiLMiC Firstlight
- Halide Mark II – Pro Camera
- NightCap Camera
- Shutter Stop
- Stabilized Night Camera
- Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder
1. Lightroom Photo & Video Editor
Price: Free (Offers in-app purchases)a
Compatibility: iOS 14.0 or later
If you’re familiar with the Adobe suite, it should be no surprise that Lightroom is the best long exposure app for iPhone devices, bar none. Developed by Adobe, this app features a user-friendly interface and tons of unique features. For instance, color correction, focus control, lightroom presets, and other editing features.
The app, in addition, gives you total control over the exposure for long exposure photography. You can take RAW photos for a crisp and clear image and add your watermark. User-friendly and feature-rich, without compromise, Adobe Lightroom is the perfect app for taking long exposure photos.
Key Features
- Total manual exposure and focus control
- Color correction, lightroom presets, and other editing features
- User-friendly and feature-rich
- Add your watermark
2. Camera+: Pro Camera & Editor
Price: Free (Offers in-app purchases)
Compatibility: iOS 15.0 or later
For photography fans, Camera+ is the app designed to take your camera to the next level in terms of quality. More than just a camera app, it features preset white balances and manual shutter speed control. The app also has an “Action” mode for capturing movement for better long exposure photos.
The app also has the UltraRes feature for capturing high-quality images. Always aiming to improve while staying affordable, there is no doubt that Camera+ is one of the best long exposure apps for iPhone devices.
Key Features
- Manual control over ISO and shutter speed
- Features several white balance presets and macro speed
- Timer, Stabilizer, and Action mode
3. Slow Shutter Cam
Price: $2.99
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Considered by many to be the best, Slow Shutter Cam is the kind of long exposure app for iPhone that you have to earn. This app has multiple modes for capturing light trails and motion and taking photos in low light, with a maximum exposure time of 30 seconds.
The app also allows you to adjust your ISO and reduce noise manually. Slow Shutter Cam is an app worth every penny, offering rich features for taking extended exposure photos.
Key Features
- Shooting modes for capturing light trails, motions, and low-light photography
- 30-second long exposure time
- Adjust ISO to reduce noise for nighttime long exposure photos
- Bulb mode for long exposure times
4. ProCamera.
Price: $14.99 (Offers in-app purchases)
Compatibility: iOS 14.1 or later
ProCamera is an app developed with one goal, to make iPhone cameras on par with professional ones. ProCamera also has multiple shooting modes, which lets you take multiple photos and marginally adjust the exposure bracketing. Its Priority Mode can let you change ISO settings and shutter speed if you want to take a long exposure photo. You can combine this with the shooting modes.
Its anti-shake shutter release lets you take sharper photos amidst tricky light situations. Though not the cheapest long exposure app for iPhone cameras, if you like taking lots of pictures, ProCamera is the app for you.
Key Features
- Manual settings for ISO and shutter speed
- Supports manual and priority modes
- Multiple shooting modes, such as classic photo, low-light or HDR mode
- Anti-shake shutter release for sharp photos
5. FiLMiC Firstlight – Photo App
Price: $7.99
Compatibility: iOS 14.1 or later
FiLMiC Firstlight is an app designed for serious photographers who want to bring out nothing but the best in their iPhone camera. As a long exposure app for iPhone, it allows you to adjust many factors from exposure to shutter speed.
The app has an ISO adaptive mode, which turns digital noise into variable density grain. This reduces the graininess of photos based on the sensitivity and level of noise. A beneficial tool when taking long exposure photos. If you want to take pictures on your iPhone like a pro, FiLMiC Firstlight is more than happy to deliver.
Key Features
- Professional camera app to maximize imaging capabilities
- Control exposure, shutter speed, ISO priority, manual focus with peaking
- Gridlines for better composition
- Light meter to optimize scene-by-scene for better exposure
- Can shoot in both RAW and the best ProRAW photos
6. Halide Mark II – Pro Camera
Price: Free (Offers in-app purchases)
Compatibility: iOS 13.0 or later
Halide Mark II is a photo app that comes packaged with features you usually wouldn’t find on most free ones. It lets you control shutter speed, exposure, ISO, and white balance. With a long exposure time of up to 15 seconds, it’s an efficient long exposure app for iPhone cameras.
The app has many excellent features, such as histogram, macro mode, peak focusing, etc. Compatible with the Apple Watch for remote shooting, it has never been easier to use a long exposure app. As a free app, Halide Mark II provides high-quality features and a user-friendly experience.
Key Features
- Easy-to-use Gesture-based interface
- Compatibility with the Apple Watch
- A massive suite of features, from histogram to peak focusing
- Long exposure of up to 15 seconds
7. NightCap Camera
Price: $2.99
Compatibility: iOS 14.0 or later
It is no secret that long exposure photos are best taken at night since it makes for beautiful scenery. Nightcap Camera is designed specifically for nighttime photography, and if that’s your kind of jam, it’s the perfect app for you. The app has an ISO Boost feature, which allows an ISO setting to be four times stronger.
But what essentially lists it as one of the best long exposure apps for iPhone is its dedicated Long Exposure mode. This feature lets you take fantastic motion blur effects and produces bright photos in low light. With features like this, the NightCap Camera is arguably the best nighttime long exposure app on iPhone devices.
Key Features
- ISO Boost feature for four times higher ISO setting
- Shoot long exposure shots, time-lapse, and star trails
- Long exposure mode for fantastic motion blur effect
- Produce bright photos in low light
8. Shutter Stop
Price: $2.99
Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
If you don’t know how to get long exposure photos without racking your brain over the correct setting, then Shutter Stop is just for you. When making long exposure photos with Shutter Stop, select a mode, adjust the light sensitivity, and set a timer.
Shutter Stop also streamlines the process by removing the shaking. With the app’s anti-shake feature, your night photography won’t be ruined. Shutter Stop is the long exposure app for iPhone, where you can take photos without breaking a sweat.
Key Features
- Easy-to-use interface for settings
- Normal, light trail, or HDR mode
- Adjustable light sensitivity
- Adjust the contrast to make photos less blurry
- Grid mode for better composition
9. Stabilized Night Camera
Price: $0.99
Compatibility: iOS 10.3 or later
Stabilized Night Camera is a tailor-made nighttime long exposure app for iPhone devices. Just by holding the button for as long as you want, you can easily take long exposure photos with this app.
On the other hand, the app fixes the shaking and removes any blurry photos if your hands get a little shaky during the process. Cheap and straight to the point, this app won’t let you down when it comes to nighttime long exposure photography.
Key Features
- Tailor-made for taking nighttime long exposure photography
- Easy-to-use long exposure feature
- Gets rid of blurry pictures and fixes the camera’s shake effect
10. Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder
Price: $29.99
Compatibility: iOS 12.0 or later
We’ve discussed apps that feature or are dedicated to long exposure shots, but this is the first app that straight-up emulates cameras. The app helps save time by previsualizing and framing your shot precisely. As a long exposure app for iPhone, it has to adjust the settings and lens and take pictures as you would with a regular camera.
To make it better, it supports the use of add-on lenses, 13 aspect ratios, custom focal length, etc. Though it isn’t cheap, if you want high-quality DSLR-level long exposure photos, Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder is worth every penny.
Key Features
- Saves time by previsualizing shots and framing precisely
- An impressive catalog of “virtual” cameras and lenses to choose from
- 10+ aspect ratio options, custom focal lengths, manual exposure, focus controls, etc.
- Supports the use of add-on lenses
- Track logging options to use for later
Go out there and get clicking
Looking for an excellent long exposure app for iPhone devices is difficult, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from trying it out. Despite being difficult to emulate, some people use their love and knowledge of photography to make the technique easily accessible. So, what are you waiting for? Launch your long exposure app on your iPhone and take those pictures.
We hope you’ve found our top picks for the long exposure app helpful. If you’re interested, consider checking out and learning how to edit photos on your iPhone.
