Halide review
Manual pro camera for iPhone with RAW and Process Zero
- Lux Optics
- Subscription
- iPhone & iPad
Does it deserve #4?
The verdict
Halide is the best manual camera app for iPhone. It puts focus, shutter speed and ISO under your thumb, and adds focus peaking, a live histogram and RAW capture. Process Zero skips Apple's heavy image processing for natural, film-like shots. The catch is price: after the trial you pick a subscription or a one-time purchase. Get it if you care how your iPhone photos are processed.
- Process Zero natural capture
- Focus peaking and live histogram
- RAW and ProRAW shooting
- Manual focus, ISO and shutter
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What we like
- Controls fall right under your thumb
- Process Zero gives natural, less processed images
- No account needed and very little data collection
What could be better
- iPhone and iPad only
- No free tier beyond the trial
iPhone photographers who want manual control and natural-looking RAW files
you are happy with the built-in Camera app and never edit RAW files
Questions about Halide
Is Halide free?
No. Halide offers a free trial, then you choose a subscription or a one-time purchase to keep using it.
What is Process Zero in Halide?
Process Zero captures photos without Apple's computational processing, such as heavy noise reduction and sharpening. The result is a more natural, film-like image that leaves more room for your own edits.
What are the best alternatives to Halide?
The closest alternatives are Blackmagic Camera, Adobe Lightroom and Darkroom. See all of them ranked on our Halide alternatives page.
Where does Halide rank?
Halide ranks #4 of 8 in our Photo & Video ranking, with an overall score of 8.7 out of 10.