Lux, the developers behind the iconic iPhone camera app halideand this winning awards mobile video app Kino Halide Mark III teased today, Preview of some features Halide 3.0 is coming (hopefully) next year.
With the development of the Halide Mark III, Lux, consisting of only one developer, Ben Sandofsky, and one designer, sebastian day withWanted to get user feedback as quickly as possible.
“We’re a small team of one developer and one designer, so larger features can take several months to launch,” Sandofsky writes. “It is risky to invest months of your time on features without any feedback from users. Worse yet, months of radio-silence can leave customers (that’s you!) feeling neglected.
For that purpose, Lux recently launched a new discord channel For Halide and Kino. Lux says it will use this Discord to engage users, publish sample photos, and share early testflight builds of upcoming app updates. However, the new Discord is much more than that.
“We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to create a community about more of our products?’ If you’re just a passionate photographer who wants to make friends and hone your craft, check out our new challenge: 2025 Halide & Kino 52-Week Challenges!
Each week, Discord will have a new photography challenge, including resources and tips for users. Lux promises there will be real rewards for community members who complete the year-long challenge, — “including some limited edition Halide and Kino swag!”
“You’re also welcome to join that Discord to connect with other Halide and Kino users, get tips from the best, share your shots, and learn from each other.”
Returning to the Halide Mark III, Lux previewed three specific new features, the first focused on color grading. Lux has dabbled in image processing several times over the years, first with Halide and most recently with Kino. Received Halide Special upgrades in 2021and fully embraced Custom Image Processing with Process Zero in August.
This new pipeline doesn’t rely on any artificial intelligence or computational photography, promising an “anti-intelligent” update that makes iPhone photos look natural and more realistic.
“The process was our experiment in developing a signature look for Zero Halide. We didn’t know this would happen completely changed How our customers use the app,” write Halide developers.
Sandofsky and De With say the number one request they have received from Halide users is to bring one-tap color grading to Halide, as is available in Kino.
“We are far ahead of you. We envision an app that not only bundles gorgeous filmy looks within the app, but also lets you import looks created by other people. In fact, we created Kino as an experiment in the future of halides!
The next big feature of Halide 3.0 is reworked high-dynamic range (HDR) photography. Current iPhone models can display at super-high nits, meaning they can show very bright areas of photos.
By default, the built-in iPhone Camera app shoots HDR photos. However, Process Zero in Halide does not support HDR “for some good reasons”.
“From a product perspective, there is an issue of taste, a lot of cameras produce unpleasant HDR images. We wanted to take our time and come up with a thoughtful and subtle HDR look,” Lux explains.
Furthermore, there are also significant compatibility issues. While recent iPhone models show HDR without any issues, with some social media platforms like Instagram, support is not widespread. Some web browsers work with HDR, while others do not. And the same applies for hardware – not all iPads or computer monitors support HDR, although many do.
“Most websites, including our own blog hosted by Ghost, cannot display HDR images. I embedded that Instagram example because it seems like the major social networks have finally gotten on-board. We think compatibility will improve thanks to iOS 18, which introduces ‘Adaptive HDR’, a technology that allows older file formats like JPEG to support HDR. “This will make it easier for every platform to get on the HDR bandwagon,” Sandofsky says.
He and De With are convinced that HDR is “about to reach a tipping point”, so Halide needs to get up to speed with its support, especially as the team works on improving its color grading technology and image processing. Is.
These new features will come with a major modification to the way the Halide Mark III looks and operates.
“Next year, Halide Mark II will be 5 years old. iPhone photography has changed a lot in five years, and we’ve learned a lot about our users and our products. “This is the right time to make some big changes,” says Lux.
In the spirit of evolution, the Halide will get a new design. The refreshed UI/UX will “follow HDR and gradle support, as form should follow function.”
Although there’s no preview of the redesigned app yet, Lux promises it will be “gorgeous.” If the new color grading feature works as planned, users should expect it to be a significant focus of the UI, as it is with Kino.
When is Halide Mark III coming out?
Although Lux has shared a lot of information about the Halide Mark III, it is not certain when it will arrive.
“We want to ship the Mark III as quickly as possible. We would love to ship it in 2025. At this point it seems possible, but we’ll keep you posted as things progress,” says Lux.
However, Halide customers won’t have to wait until the public release to try out the app’s new features. Early access details will be shared in the new Discord as they become available.
Image Credit: lux
