Halide Mark III released: Looks simulations, Photo Lab editor and external RAW

Halide Mark III's long journey to release finally concludes, with the new software adding a raft of new features as well as opening up its image processing to RAW files shot on other cameras.

Lux Camera has released Halide Mark III, a major update to its popular pro camera app for iPhone and iPad, which the company first started talking about in December 2024. It's also the first release after co-founder Sebastiaan de With left the company to join Apple (a matter currently the focus of a lawsuit). The update introduces a new film simulation system called Looks, a built-in RAW editor called the Photo Lab, a redesigned UI, and beta support for importing RAW files from standalone cameras.

The new Looks simulations

Looks are physically accurate film simulations developed by Lux in partnership with Hollywood colorist Cullen Kelly that lean into the iPhone's expansive color gamut and wide dynamic range. Mark III ships with five onboard: Valencia (landscapes and cityscapes, with thick contrast and deep saturation), Rembrandt (portraits, built on Halide's existing Process Zero engine for natural lighting), Nova (colorful with tight contrast and soft highlights), Zephyr (restrained, with filmic contrast and neutral tone scale), and Chroma Noir (medium-contrast black and white with added grain).

Sample images shot with the Chroma Noir Look in Halide Mark III — the app's medium-contrast black and white simulation with added grain

All Looks include HDR support for additional highlight and shadow detail, and each ships with grain, halation, MTF, and vignetting controls that can be adjusted or disabled. The company says that all current and future Looks are included with the purchase.

The Photo Lab

The Photo Lab in Halide Mark III spans five editing panels, from Look selection and exposure through to film simulation controls and white balance

When shooting with RAW enabled, photos now open in the Photo Lab editor. A Quick Edit pane allows for the fast audition of Looks, HDR toggling, and exposure adjustments, while additional panels cover framing (crop, level, and output resolution), exposure (histogram and tone fusion), film simulation parameters, and white balance. Output defaults to 4K (around 12 MP) even from 48 MP captures, though this is adjustable. The Lab also runs on iPad, where the larger screen reduces the need for tabbed navigation.

Halide is also opening up its workflow and can now import RAW files from Canon, Sony, Nikon, Leica, Fujifilm, and Hasselblad cameras for processing through the Photo Lab, though this is currently labeled as a beta feature.

An overhauled UI

The redesigned viewfinder uses Apple's Liquid Glass design language. A Look picker in the lower right is modeled on the film window of an analog camera. The toolbar exposes aspect ratio controls (3×2, 1×1, 65×24 pano, and a rather useful dynamic Instagram ratio), composition overlays (rule of thirds, grid, golden ratio, and rabatment of the rectangle), and a lens picker with cropped view options. Manual exposure now includes Shutter Priority and ISO Priority modes, with an analog-style exposure meter in the upper left.

Pricing and availability

Halide Mark III is a free upgrade for existing Mark II owners and subscribers. New users can subscribe for $19.99 per year or purchase outright for $59.99. Mark II remains accessible via the menu and will be maintained, though without new features.