iOS App Luma Now Has a ‘Real’ Camera Setting Display

Luma iOS photography app

Earlier this spring, a new photography-focused app, Luma, hit the App Store with the promise to give control back to mobile photographers and ensure that shutterbugs got the most they could from the iPhone’s impressive image sensor. Luma’s developer, Rafal Kopiec, recently returned to the drawing board and created a redesigned Luma’s “Pro Cam.”

Luma Avoids iPhone’s Automatic RAW Processing

In PetaPixel’s coverage of Luma’s launch, the app is described as follows: “Within Luma, photographers can carefully craft the look of their images throughout the entire image, from before capture, during capture, all the way to the final export.” This is a vital part of Kopiec’s goal for Luma.

Luma iOS photography app

The app sidesteps Apple’s typical instant RAW development feature and allows photographers to control the look and feel of their images, even RAW images, from start to finish.

Luma Pro Camera

When Luma launched a couple of months ago, it included a fully featured “Pro” camera that allows users to adjust settings like they would on a dedicated camera system, including full control over image preset, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, and more.

Luma iOS photography app
Luma’s original Pro Cam is seen here

Even though the Pro Camera within Luma was good at launch, Kopiec has revisited it and created a “v2” version of Pro Camera that features an all-new design and interface.

The new Pro Camera provides easy access to features like a live histogram, a grid, a self-timer, white balance, on-screen exposure warnings, flash, and more. It also allows users to quickly swap between AF and AF-L, AE and AE-L, and adjust exposure compensation, shutter speed, ISO, and drive mode.

Luma iOS photography app
Luma’s Pro Cam v2 offers faster access to a wider array of photography-oriented settings. The app aims to emulate working with a traditional camera, and provides the user with full control over the treatment of the RAW image.
Luma iOS photography app
Pro Cam v2 includes a new user interface for downloaded presets and a “Camera Bag” that allows users to swap between their iPhone model’s specific camera modules.

Some of these features were already available, but Pro Cam v2 seems like a clear improvement overall.

Luma’s Features at a Glance

Next up on Kopiec’s to-do list is a brand-new version of Luma’s Editor feature. Editor v2 is in development now and should arrive shortly.

Alongside the Pro Cam and Luma’s editing tools, the app also includes an Auto Cam that makes it easy to point and shoot.

Luma iOS photography app

Even though the app focuses on providing users control over their photography, there are times when a photographer wants to let a camera do its thing without needing to exert manual control.

Luma is free to download. A Luma Pro add-on is available for $4.99, which allows users to export RAW image files from the app. Luma is also compatible with widgets in iOS 16, allowing direct access to the app from an iPhone’s lock screen.

Luma iOS photography app

A detailed breakdown of Luma’s features are available on the App Store and Kopiec’s website.


Image credits: Luma

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