Halide Mark III: A Major Leap for iPhone Photography
The highly anticipated update to the pro camera app, Halide Mark III, is now available. The release brings a trio of major upgrades focusing on image processing, editing, and user interface design.
Halide Looks: A New Film Simulation Engine
The headline feature is Halide Looks, a system combining physically accurate alternative processes with a film simulation engine. Users can optionally enable HDR support.
Five unique looks are available at launch:
- Valencia: Designed for landscapes and cityscapes, offering thick contrast, deep saturation, and solid color separation.
- Rembrandt: A portrait-focused look featuring thick contrast in mid-tones to emphasize bone structure and lighting.
- Nova: Suited for landscapes and cityscapes, characterized by tight contrast and smooth peachy highlights.
- Zephyr: A subtle look providing filmic contrast, rich skin tones, and enhanced foliage.
- Chrome Noir: A panchromatic black and white look with medium contrast.
"The app now includes Halide Looks, which are physically accurate alternative processes combined with a film simulation engine."
Photo Lab: RAW Editing Power
A significant new feature is the Photo Lab, a dedicated photo editor. It allows editing of RAW files captured with Halide. As a beta feature, it also supports RAW files from Canon, Sony, Nikon, Leica, Fujifilm, and Hasselblad cameras.
The editor includes a Quick Edit section for auditioning looks, adjusting exposure, and toggling between HDR and film simulations. Further adjustments cover framing, color balance, and more.
Camera UI Redesign: Streamlined Composition
The camera interface has been redesigned to centralize composition tools. Aspect ratio choices now include: 35mm (3:2), medium format (1:1), pano (65:24), and a dynamic Instagram ratio.
Composition overlays include the rule of thirds, uniform grid, golden ratio, and rabatment of the rectangle. The previous Mark II camera layout remains available as an option.
Availability and Pricing
- Free upgrade for existing Halide Mark II customers.
- Halide subscribers can access it for $19.99/year.
- The outright purchase price is $59.99.
- The app is also available on iPad.