Camera Zoom FX for Android is Not Just Another Goofy Image-Editing App

With the 2012 London Olympics coming up soon, I decided I wanted a photo of myself kissing the Queen.

I didn’t hop across the pond for some face-time with Her Majesty, however. I simply downloaded Camera ZOOM FX, a cool camera/image enhancement app for Android smartphones that has lots of tricks up its digital sleeve. The app’s current version is 3.5.2, and it is currently on sale for $3 (normally it’s $5).

Among the app’s many features is “Buddy.” After you download and install the free “Buddypacks,” Camera ZOOM FX lets you “take a photo” with the likes of Beyoncé, Simon Cowell, Barack Obama, some gorgeous models whose names I don’t know, Eminem and, of course, the Queen. Not even a three-year-old would believe you were actually in the same room with the celebs, based on the images, but you might get some laughs.

You can take your picture first and then add famous Buddies afterwards. Or  you can take pictures with the celebs already in the frame, but I found the first option much easier to pull off.

You should not, however, dismiss Camera ZOOM FX as just another goofy image-editing app. It has too many worthwhile photography features to list here, so I’ll just name a few of my favorites. One is multiple shooting modes, which let you take a photo using a timer, burst mode, time lapse and even your voice. An on-screen meter in Stable Shot mode helps you get crisp pictures. You can adjust autofocus and white balance, shoot in NightShot mode and apply filters (such as Sepia or Aqua) as you shoot.

The app has tons of post-shooting creative options, too, including 20 color filters, 10 photo filters (such as Toy Camera), 13 different frames and 12 distortion filters, such as Fisheye. There are social media hooks as well, including built-in integration with Ping.fm, a site that lets you post to multiple social networks simultaneously.

Camera ZOOM FX is for anyone who wants to squeeze more out of their Android smartphone’s camera—whether it’s an interesting visual effect or just a dumb joke at a celeb’s expense.