# Cortex Camera

> Mobile camera app for high-quality, noise-free, high-resolution photos via multi-exposure processing. (iPhone/iPad app by John Corcoran.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-camera/id517488939 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [John Corcoran](https://appshunter.io/developer/517488942)
- Category: Photo & Video
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 3.60/5 from 91 App Store ratings · 50 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 3 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2012-04-18
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-camera/id517488939/reviews.md

## What is Cortex Camera?

“Cortex Camera Takes Great Low Light iPhone Photos”
-Lifehacker

“In my experience, I found that Cortex Camera greatly reduced noise in low-light conditions. And I was able to get crisp shots without the need for a stand or tripod.”
-CNET

Cortex Camera improves on your device’s already excellent camera to achieve quality that rivals a DSLR. It combines dozens of exposures to create a single noise free, high resolution photo. If you want the best quality for a static scene and you aren't carrying a bulky DSLR with you, Cortex Cam is an excellent alternative.

PLEASE NOTE that while a tripod is not required, the camera must be held steady and your subject must be still for the duration of the exposure, which takes 2-10 seconds with default settings.

In addition to the image quality benefits mentioned above, Cortex Cam also enables long exposure effects such as motion blur and soft water. Switch off the "remove motion blur" option to capture these effects.

Cortex Cam is all about achieving the best image quality possible on a mobile device. It uses RAW data (when available) to increase sharpness and image detail. Professional exposure controls (including shutter priority, ISO priority, and full manual) enable great photos even in the most challenging lighting situations. It may not replace your DSLR (or the default camera app for that matter), but for certain situations you will find it indispensable.

- Advanced image processing techniques combine information from multiple frames to remove noise and increase resolution.
- Motion compensation enables hand-held long exposure photography.
- The “enhance shadows” option brightens dark areas of your photos without making them look unnatural or processed.
- Uses RAW data as input to increase sharpness and image detail (iPhone 6s and above).
- Supports JPEG or TIFF file formats.
- Supports telephoto lens on iPhone 7 plus and above.
- Manually choose to combine 10-99 frames or let Cortex Cam automatically determine number of frames.
- Includes support for front camera, shutter timer, and grid overlay.
- Most of all, image quality! The majority of development time has been spent on making image quality unreasonably good for a mobile device.

Image resolution depends on which device you’re using:

iPhone 6s, 6s plus: 19 megapixels
iPhone 7 and above: 27 megapixels

Follow @CortexCamera on twitter for more Cortex Camera goodness!

## Key features

- Noise-free, high-resolution photos
- Combines dozens of exposures
- Low-light photography enhancement
- Long exposure effects (motion blur, soft water)
- Uses RAW data for sharpness
- Professional exposure controls

## Recent user reviews (10 of 50)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-camera/id517488939/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Must have app

*2022-04-14, version 2.18*

One of the best.
Please update.
Thank you

### 4/5 — Great app but... abandoned?

*2021-03-23, version 2.18*

This used to be a frequently updated app but there have been no updated in over two years. Plenty of improvements still to be made, guys. Apart from that, great app. Way better photos than the stock camera app.

### 1/5 — NEEDS UPDATE

*2020-12-04, version 2.18*

This used to be an amazing app, now it crashes every single time I try to take a picture. Hasn’t been updated in 2 years!! Ridiculous! Completely unusable as of now.

### 5/5 — Needs update

*2020-12-03, version 2.18*

Last update was 2 years ago.

### 1/5 — Crashes on photo

*2020-08-08, version 2.18*

I wish apple had a refund policy. I can’t use this app at all - it crashes everyone I try to take a pic.

### 1/5 — No longer usable; constant crashes

*2020-05-14, version 2.18*

I have used this app for a few years.  It does a pretty nice job capturing sharp images when needed.  However it seems that it now just crashes soon after capturing an image, so it no longer processes and saves like it used to.  Can't recommend it in its current abandoned state.

### 5/5 — Using it for a couple of years now and it just keeps getting better.

*2020-04-21, version 2.18*

I’ve been using this app for some time now and for static subjects or subjects with minimal motion it does great. You must be able to hold your phone reasonably steady for several seconds. It’s low light capability is impressive even though that is not its primary purpose. Color rendition is excellent. With shadow enhance turned on it provides an HDR effect. My favorite camera app. Now I just need to get a newer model iPhone to get the most out of it.  - Update: latest version has added back video capture and it works great. (Uses video to capture multiple frames quickly and composites them quickly producing a very clean and sharp image.

### 5/5 — Brilliant Camera App for Photography

*2020-04-10, version 2.18*

I have been looking for an app can do stacking photos directly on the phone for years. This is great, and since this is an app which only for extreme image quality, support stacking images into DNG or RAW, just like Google Camera with professional UI look will make this app even more appealing.

### 1/5 — There is a bug they need to fix

*2019-12-10, version 2.18*

I bought this app just to have it crashing on me each time or showing a pitch black screen. Will update my review if they fix it! So far it’s been a total rip off!

### 3/5 — C’mon guys

*2019-11-22, version 2.18*

Desperately needs an update for the newer phones. This is a great app—one that I’ve been using for years—that has become almost unusable with the newer iterations of iPhone. Imagine how powerful this would be on the iPhone 11 pro. Please update!

## Frequently asked questions about Cortex Camera

### What does Cortex Camera do?

Cortex Camera enhances your mobile device's camera capabilities to produce exceptionally high-quality photos. It achieves this by combining multiple exposures into a single, noise-free, high-resolution image, significantly improving performance in low-light conditions and for static scenes.

### What are the key features of Cortex Camera?

Key features include advanced image processing to combine multiple frames for noise reduction and increased resolution, motion compensation for hand-held long exposures, an 'enhance shadows' option, utilization of RAW data for sharpness, and professional exposure controls like shutter and ISO priority.

### How much does Cortex Camera cost?

Cortex Camera is a paid application. The price is a one-time purchase, and there are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with its use. You can find the current price on the app store listing.

### What are the compatibility requirements for Cortex Camera?

The app is designed for iOS devices. It utilizes RAW data for improved sharpness on iPhone 6s and above. Support for telephoto lenses is available on iPhone 7 Plus and newer models. Image resolution varies by device model.

### When should I use Cortex Camera?

Cortex Camera is ideal for capturing static scenes in challenging lighting, such as low light or high contrast situations, where you want to achieve image quality comparable to a DSLR without carrying one. It's also excellent for creating long exposure effects like motion blur or smooth water.

## Version history (last 1 release)

### 2.18 — 2018-11-25

- Fixed video input

*** Version 2.17 ***

- Further improved color balance, especially when combining more than 50 frames
- Remove motion blur is now off by default
- Restored RAW / Video input switch on certain iPad models

*** Version 2.16 ***

- Improved image quality and color balance in very low light conditions
- Fixed an issue that could prevent the exposure progress bar from displaying
- Fixed an advanced exposure control issue that caused light metering updates to stop
- Prevented screen from sleeping during very long exposures

*** Version 2.15 ***

Support for iPhone X, XS, and XR:
- Optimized for large screens
- Fixed telephoto lens on XS
- Adjusted exposure for new sensor
General Improvements:
- Improved noise reduction when a large gain is applied during image processing
- Fixed several exposure control and layout issues
- Reduced stuttering sound during exposure
- Exposure settings are now saved when the app is closed
- Restored full resolution photos in image browser

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*