Nokia 8 Pro Camera mode arrives for advanced photographers

HMD has released an update for the Nokia 8, adding a Pro Camera mode to the handset's camera software. This mode, as its name suggests, enables users with more advanced photography knowledge to better control the individual elements of the camera. Users are given manual control over focus, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and more.

Automatic camera modes are great for most users and in most situations, but they're not perfect. Despite the improvements made over the years, automatic mode still at times offers less than ideal settings that result in excessive highlights, blurs, or similar. Photographers who know what each setting does have an advantage in these situations.

Take control of every photo. I'm glad to announce that Pro Camera mode is now available for #Nokia8 ! pic.twitter.com/q2sTWh3IvU

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) May 31, 2018

Some phones, usually cheaper models, force users to download a third-party camera app to get access to these advanced features, but others — the Nokia 8 now among them — offer manual control directly.

The new Pro Mode, as demonstrated in the video above, lets users adjust the primary camera settings, such as increasing or decreasing the shutter speed, changing the white balance and ISO, and more.

Increasing the shutter speed, for example, can be used to capture fast-moving objects without blurs or create long exposures in dim settings. The white balance gives the user control over the tint found in their image; maybe automatic white balance results in a cold white, but Pro Mode lets the user change it to a warm tone.

The update started rolling out to handset owners yesterday; it clocks in around 600MB in size.