Halide 2.15 Lets Users Take Shots With Zero Computational Processing

[MacRumors]

Award-winning iPhone camera app Halide was today updated to version 2.15, which includes a new feature that allows users to take photos devoid of all image processing for a more natural look.

Halide's new image processing pipeline is called "Process Zero," which uses "zero AI, no computational photography whatsoever – offering photographers a counter to the increasingly AI-heavy processing and tooling on smartphones," according to app developer Lux Optics.

Process Zero uses a fast process based on a single exposure RAW file. The file itself is a 12 megapixel image plus a RAW DNG file for additional editing.

"Process Zero is fast, capturing at anywhere from 10 — 25× the speed of a ProRAW capture. Much like film, it can feature natural sensor grain, slight color aberrations, and is much less usable in low light. This makes for its natural look, like taking photos on an older classic digital camera," explain the developers.

Halide 2.15 still allows photographers the choice of process before or during shooting – users can choose processing at setup, or while shooting, picking from ProRAW, standard iPhone photo processing, reduced image processing, or Process Zero.

In addition, the Halide update includes a dial in the app's new Image Lab which lets users re-develop the RAW file with Process Zero for different exposure levels.

Lux Optics is eager to stress that many of Apple's image processing features still benefit users, but with Process Zero they can see exactly what images look like when it's completely taken away.

Halide 2.15 is available today from the App Store with a limited 1-week discount on all new Halide memberships for $11.99 per year (usual price is $19.99). There is also a 1-week free trial with a membership, or users can opt for a lifetime purchase of $59.99.

Article Link: Halide 2.15 Lets Users Take Shots With Zero Computational Processing

 

[louis^]

Bye bye aggressive Smart HDR.

 

[mariocapo]

This is huge. Would it be possible to store both with one shutter press? I miss my iPhone X photos, but I’m sure there must have been some small amount of processing then, just not this extreme stuff the phones do these days.

 

[FSMBP]

With all the AI I saw in Google's presentation yesterday, it makes you want to get back to the basics and have real simple photos (with imperfections).

 

[klasma]

I regularly take shots with zero computational processing. 🥃

 

[jz0309]

That is great, for those who are ok with post processing their photos, so not your typical TikTok/instagram etc folks…
Have to take a look at the app again

 

[mozumder]

No such thing as zero computational processing. At the must fundamental level, you have to do basic de-Bayering, which is an art form in itself.

But really every digital photo has to go through artistic interpretation, just like analog film cameras did when photos were developed. In particular, you have to adjust exposure and color balance curves.

I do appreciate the removal of some HDR tone mapping. I really do hate the iPhones default interpretation, as it makes people pictures look unnatural and almost like a cartoon clown compared to a digital camera with a direct flash.

 

[bviktor]

Lol now NOT using these extra features is a feature by itself.

And it costs you a subscription, too. Just lol.

 

[Alwaysfindsaway]

60 bucks for a camera app is hilarious and ridiculous. I’m so sick of these subscription apps but having a pay once option that’s equally extortionate is even worse. I want to OWN the stuff I buy!!

 

[nottorp]

Well it's too expensive for my photo taking, and tbh it looks too complex for my photo taking needs too.

Can anyone recommend a (one time payment) photo app that takes just a jpeg without "enhancements" or "AI"?

This does sound like a good idea.

 

[Kavik]

I always look back at the photos that I took with my iPhone 8+ from 2017-2021 with amazement at generally how much better they often look than pictures I've taken in the last few years with my iPhone 13 and 14 Pro Max. I hate the overly aggressive "Smart" HDR and wish Apple would allow us to turn it off like they used to.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Honestly if you want your photos to look like “the good ol’ days” of the early 2010s, it’d be easier to build an AI filter to accomplish that. True-raw 48MP isn’t really what we were getting then…

 

[zorinlynx]

99% of the time the built in camera app produces a great photo. But there's that 1% of the time when you need something like Halide because the photo you're trying to take confounds the built in processing.

Sunsets are a common example for me, as are photos containing bright blue lights, which tend to throw off the algorithm and end up looking like dark spots instead.

Also being able to manual focus is nice; I like this feature in Halide. It lets me take photos of spider webs and also through screens which the built in camera app insists on focusing on instead of the view through the screen.

The app could be less expensive though. I'm lucky to have bought it when it was cheaper and thus have some of the feature set for free.

 

[PsykX]

With all the AI I saw in Google's presentation yesterday, it makes you want to get back to the basics and have real simple photos (with imperfections).

This.

They're cool features, I get that, and since Google incorporated this, Apple will in the near future, but at some point it's just so much editing that the original photo's not even there anymore. It's hard to give a photographer the credit for such photos. A little bit of editing, maybe, but reimagining parts of the photos from the ground up... no.

 

[Digital Dude]

The ad claims it’s one of the most highly awarded photo apps, but as a photographer, this is the first time I’ve come across it. 🙄

 

[GMShadow]

The ad claims it’s one of the most highly awarded photo apps, but as a photographer, this is the first time I’ve come across it. 🙄

I would have to ask what rock you've been living under then. Pretty sure it's even had on-stage mentions at events.

 

[thegerman]

Real DSLR or something similar would be a better idea.

 

[klasma]

The ad claims it’s one of the most highly awarded photo apps, but as a photographer, this is the first time I’ve come across it. 🙄

Halide is one of the most well-known iOS pro camera apps and has been an App Store Editor’s Choice since 2020.

 

[FSMBP]

The ad claims it’s one of the most highly awarded photo apps, but as a photographer, this is the first time I’ve come across it. 🙄

I'm a amateur photographer and have heard about Halide for years. It is one of the top ones for sure - it doesn't get huge press. The app has a lot of internet exposure if you're into iPhone photography.

 

[ddsforlife]

I updated and like this feature a lot! 😊 Keep it up Lux Optics!

 

[Chinch07]

The ad claims it’s one of the most highly awarded photo apps, but as a photographer, this is the first time I’ve come across it. 🙄

Also a photographer and I’ve known about Halide for years…

 

[bradman83]

It's a shame you can't pick and choose which computational photography features are enabled. I don't mind Smart HDR but the Deep Fusion and Photonic Engine sharpening algorithms can be extremely aggressive, and Apple's noise reduction algorithms are absolutely terrible.

 

[alexfoxy]

My app mood.camera does this, they’re so overhyping it 😅 nice branding tho 🙄

 

[now i see it]

Just buy a real digital camera and be done with this iPhone camera madness — forever

 

[DanteHicks79]

This is a beyond welcome addition. There are strengths and weaknesses to DeepFushion; I wish that the final result didn't always have such a watercolor look to it when you zoom in on details.