The recently launched OnePlus Nord 5 has quickly gained popularity in the tech community. This is mainly because of the fact that it has some of the best hardware combinations you can get for the price.
Despite being a performance-centric device, it packs a nice dual rear camera setup with a 50MP main sensor (Sony LYT-700 aka IMX906) and an 8MP (OV08D10) ultrawide lens. On the front, it packs a 50MP (Samsung ISOCELL JN5) auto-focus supported selfie shooter.
It comes with good software tuning right out of the box. However, curious me had to install the Google Camera aka GCam and test if it’s making any difference or not. I tried different modules and config files. It was hard to find a compatible GCam port that works without any crashes or issues, but it wasn’t impossible.
In the content below, you will find a brief guide on the installation of the best Google Camera (GCam mod) for the Nord 5 and a brief comparison with the stock camera.
How to Install GCam on the OnePlus Nord 5 with the Best Config File
Step 1: Before anything, head over to this link the download the Gcam apk. (GCAM DOWNLOAD LINK)
Step 2: Now install the APK, open it, and give the required permissions.
Step 3: Download the config file. (CONFIG DOWNLOAD LINK)
Step 4: To load the config file, open Gcam, then click on the Settings button placed on the left-hand side corner of the screen. Now press on “More Settings”. Now scroll down and find the “Configs” section and tap on it.
Step 5: Click on “Load,” locate the config file, and then tap on it. The config will now be installed.
That’s it. You now have the working Gcam installed on your OnePlus Nord 5. The config file ensures that all the existing settings are changed to match the compatibility of the device.
Gcam vs Stock camera on Nord 5: Which one takes the lead?
Now, coming down to the most interesting part of this article, the comparison. Stock cameras have become very good nowadays, and they take the lead in almost all the devices I have tried to date. But is it the case with the Nord 5 as well?
Let’s have a look.
Starting with the main lens, there is a very negligible difference between the processing of Gcam and the stock camera. However, the stock camera tends to take better images with slightly more details and better managed HDR. Gcam, on the other hand, takes equally good images but with a bit less detail. Both the cameras natively support the Ultra HDR image format, which is a nice thing.
Even in the case of digital zoom, the stock camera takes the lead with better details and slightly more punchy colors. The Gcam takes natural and cool colors, as opposed to warm and punchier colors of the stock camera. This thing is consistent with all the images taken from either camera.
Now, talking about the ultrawide lens, the stock camera is better. Despite being only 8-megapixel in resolution, the image from the stock camera tends to take better images. It has more details, which is probably because of the fact that OnePlus’ latest algorithm uses AI to enhance details, and it does all this while maintaining the natural look of the image. The same color situation is repeated here as well. The stock camera takes punchier colors, while the Gcam takes muted colors.
Last but not least, selfies are miles better on the stock camera. I tried a lot of Gcam modules, and the selfie camera performance was poor across all of them. I don’t know the exact reason behind this, but it always ends up providing hazy and smooth images. The colour reproduction is also very poor.
Talking about the video performance, it is again better on the stock camera. The Gcam keeps crashing while recording video. While this happens like one in ten times, it’s better not to risk it since you will end up losing the video file. The color reproduction and HDR control are also better on the stock camera.
Final Verdict
It must be pretty clear that GCam doesn’t perform as good on the OnePlus Nord 5. The stock camera leaves it in the dust. The only case where you can prefer using the Gcam is when you want natural-looking images and want to do some post-processing with the images. Otherwise, the stock camera is better for 99% of the users.
More GCam Guides:
- GCam on the OnePlus 13s: We Tested It – See Results!
- We Tested GCam on the CMF Phone 2 Pro – Here’s How It Performed
- GCam on the Honor 200 Pro: We Tested It – See the Results!
- The Only GCam Mod You Need for Your Galaxy S25 Ultra [Download]
- We tested GCam on the Nothing Phone (3a) and the results were surprising
- Download Google Camera 9.3 for Realme GT 7 and GT 7T
- The OnePlus 13s Camera: Better Than You Think? Review and Sample Shots!
- CMF Phone 2 Pro Camera Review: It’s Not What You Are Expecting
