Today, Lux released an update to Halide, its manual-control camera app. The highlight is Process Zero, a mode that allows photographers to capture images without any algorithmic or AI processing. Lux’s Ben Sandofsky explains it:
Process Zero is a new mode in Halide that skips the iPhone’s default image processing system. It produces photos with more detail and gives the photographer more control over lighting and exposure. This isn’t a photo filter – it actually develops photos at the sensor’s raw data level.
The result is that, under certain conditions, it is possible to capture finer details than an edited photo. The resulting image is a 12MB RAW file, significantly smaller than a ProRAW photo. In addition to Process Zero, the Halide team has introduced Image Lab, a feature accessible from your Halide photo library that provides a single dial element for adjusting your RAW photos.
Process Zero comes with some drawbacks, which are detailed in Sandofsky’s post. The images it produces are “less saturated, softer, grainier, and very different from what you see from most phones.”
I had little time to try out Process Zero, but it was immediately clear that the process of taking photos is different and more difficult than relying on the iPhone’s image processing. The feature requires a more deliberate, attentive approach to Halide’s manual camera settings to get a good image. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s distinctly different, and I imagine it’s also probably the best way to really learn how the app’s manual camera settings work.
I also appreciate that the Halide team is taking a human-centric approach to photography at a time when so many developers and AI companies seem all too willing to push photographers aside in favor of algorithms and generative AI. Process Zero’s approach to photography isn’t for everyone, and I expect it won’t be for me in most cases. However, I’m glad it’s an option, because in the hands of a skilled photographer, it’s a great tool.
If you want to try out Halide’s new Process Zero and Image Lab features, which form the basis of Halide Mark III, you can currently purchase the app. Until the end of this week, Lux is offering Halide membership subscriptions for $11.99 per year, a 40% discount. The app is also available as a one-time purchase for $60.
