Windows Camera

Windows Camera

A component of Microsoft Windows
Camera in Windows 10 Mobile
Details
Included with	Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Pocket PC,Windows Phone, Windows 10 Mobile, Xbox One
Related components
Photos

Windows Camera is an image and video capture utility included with the most recent versions of Windows and its mobile counterpart. It has been around on Windows-based mobile devices since camera hardware was included on those devices and was introduced on Windows PCs with Windows 8, providing users for the first time a first-party built-in camera that could interact with webcam hardware. It is similar in structure and features to the eponymous iOS and Android apps.

Camera can capture standard photos, videos, and "living images", which are similar to animated GIF images. It supports 16:9, 4:3, and 3:2 aspect ratios and offers square, rule of thirds, golden ratio, and crosshairs alignment frames, which are disabled by default. Video capture selections can be taken with detail levels of 640 × 360 pixels/30 frames per second, 1280 × 720 pixels/30 frames per second, or 1920 × 1080 pixels/30 frames per second. Flicker reduction and video stabilization can also be enabled.

Photos and videos are saved by default to the Saved Images folder of the Pictures library in File Explorer, but users can change the storage location.

Camera's captures include location information if the user provides the app permission to use it. Additional settings included in the app include time delay, zooming, focus control, sensitivity control, white balance control, shutter speed control, brightness control, and a toggle for switching between different cameras. For instance, most Windows phones and tablets have both front- and rear-facing cameras, so Camera’s switch button toggles between the two options.

Camera was introduced to Windows Mobile in 2000 and Windows PCs in late 2012. Prior to its introduction, there was no built-in tool for using built-in PC cameras or connected external webcams, although some manufacturers included third-party camera software on devices they sold. On Lumia Windows 10 Mobile devices, it is the only camera as Microsoft discontinued support for the custom Lumia Camera apps.

Because Camera only uses the hardware camera, not a screen capture utility, its functionality is hardware-dependent. While all current Windows phones have at least one camera, not all desktop Windows computers have one.