Comparison

Halide Mark III vs Photon Camera

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Halide Mark III

This professional camera app offers advanced manual controls and powerful tools for deliberate photography. Capture stunning RAW images, utilize Neural Macro for close-ups on any iPhone, and access features like focus peaking and histograms. Learn photography with included lessons and customize your shooting experience.

Highlights
  • Manual exposure and focus controls
  • Neural Macro for close-up shots
  • 14-bit RAW and ProRAW capture
  • Exposure tools: histograms, waveform, zebras
  • Focus peaking and loupe
  • Gesture-based interface
  • Included photography lessons
Features
Read full description

Halide unleashes your iPhone’s camera. Disable iPhone processing for natural photos, apply powerful film situations, access manual controls, and more. Halide has over 24,000 5-star ratings and is an App Store Editors’ Choice and Apple Design Award winner. Halide’s Looks are built into the camera itself, changing how your photo is captured and processed - not just a color filter applied after the fact. These are the best photos you can get out of an iPhone. Start with Process Zero for natural, film-like results, without any AI or computational photography. Explore our rich set of creative Looks developed with Hollywood colorist Cullen Kelly, and powered by sophisticated film simulation. For nine years, Halide has set the standard for professional iPhone camera control. Nail your manual focus with Focus Peaking and the Focus Loupe. Compose your shots with intention using sophisticated framing guides, from a basic grid and rule of thirds, to the golden ratio and rabatment of the rectangle. Get perfect macro shots with Halide's dedicated Macro Mode. Hate editing? Halide gives you amazing results straight out of the camera. But when you need to fine-tune, Photo Lab makes it fast and intuitive. Try dramatically different Looks, adjust framing and exposure, experiment with film simulation, or rescue details in highlights and shadows with Tone Fusion. You can even import and load RAWs from other apps, such as Apple’s own camera app, or standalone cameras by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Leica, Fujifilm, and Hasselblad. Specific formats are listed below. *Halide is a paid app. Try it free for 7 days with an annual membership, or buy it outright with a one-time purchase — no subscription required.* Features: - Shoot without Apple’s computational photography for stronger contrast and more natural results. - Photographic Looks developed in collaboration with esteemed Hollywood colorist Cullen Kelly. - Rescue details in shadows and highlights with a Tone Fusion slider inspired by darkroom dodging and burning. - Try any Look on existing ProRAW files - including photos shot in Apple’s camera app. - Become a better photographer by signing up for our 10-day tutorial directly from the app. - Full manual exposure controls including shutter speed, ISO and white balance. - Technical Readout to view all details of your iPhone camera hardware. - Also runs on iPad, for an amazing Photo Lab experience. RAW File Support: - DNG (iPhone, Leica) - CR2 (Canon) - CR3 (Canon) - NEF (Nikon) - RAF (Fujifilm) - ARW (Sony) - FFF (Hasselblad) Terms of Use can be found here: https://halide.cam/terms Privacy: https://www.lux.camera/privacy/

About

Photon Camera

Transform your iPhone into a professional camera with full manual controls. Achieve DSLR-quality photos with advanced tools like focus peaking, live exposure, and RAW capture. Take creative control with AI processing options and a minimalist interface.

Highlights
  • Full manual control (ISO, shutter speed, white balance)
  • Focus peaking and focus loupe
  • Live exposure and histogram
  • RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, and JPEG capture
  • Adjustable AI processing (Process Control)
  • Minimalist and intuitive interface
  • Image browser with photo details
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone and iPad into a powerful photography tool with Photon Camera. Ideal for passionate enthusiasts and those venturing into professional photography, Photon Camera ensures DSLR-quality captures with every tap. DSLR-Quality Photos with Professional Features Photon Camera brings DSLR-quality photos to your iPhone and iPad with professional features for full manual control. Adjust focus, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and, on iPhone 18 Pro, aperture, to capture unbelievable images. The ultimate camera app for creative photographers. Minimalist, Intuitive Design Ditch the clutter and focus on your shot. Photon sports a sleek, minimalist design that puts essential features at your fingertips. Clearly labeled, high-contrast, easy-to-tap controls give you instant access to focus, exposure, and white balance, so you can capture the perfect shot every time. Powerful, Professional Tools Experience the best of professional photography on your iPhone and iPad. Photon Camera equips you with robust tools such as live exposure, histogram, level, a focus loupe, timer, exposure clipping, and focus peaking, ensuring you capture exactly what you want. A Native iPad Camera Photon is built for iPad. All your pro tools are there: manual controls, histogram, level, focus peaking, and loupe, with layouts designed for the larger screen. A dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart, Precise Editing Edit with the same precision you shoot with. Smart Selection lets you tap an object and adjust it independently: Photon detects its edges, so you can brighten your subject, cool the background, or give each its own look. Blur and Sharpen tools let you soften a background or bring out detail, across the whole image or just a selection. On iPad, a dedicated editing sidebar gives your photos more room while keeping adjustments close at hand. Smart Selection requires iOS 27. Take Creative Control with Process Control Go beyond the basics of RAW photography with Process Control. This innovative tool lets you select the level of AI processing applied to your photos on a scale from 0% to 100%. Whether you prefer unprocessed RAW purity, fully enhanced photos, or something in between, Process Control ensures your creative vision comes to life. Process Control photos open directly in the editor, ready for finishing touches. Seamless Image Browser Relive your memories in a swipe with our easy-to-use image browser. Browse through your recent captures, get detailed insights about each photo, move smoothly into the editor, and share or delete with a single tap. Why Choose Photon? Simple, clutter-free interface designed for focused photography A native camera experience on iPad Capture in any format you like, including True RAW, ProRAW, HEIF, JPEG, and JPEG XL (iPhone 16 Pro and later). Or combine RAW and non-RAW formats. Instant access to manual controls, including Best-on-iPhone focus tools and manual aperture on iPhone 18 Pro, also through Camera Control Smart Selection, Blur, and Sharpen for precise, targeted edits Professional tools like live exposure, histogram, level, focus peaking, loupe, timer, exposure clipping, reliable RAW burst shooting, and external storage (iPhone 15 Pro and later) A user-friendly image browser that doubles as your digital photo album Photon Studio companion app that shows a live preview as you shoot your photos! Free for all Photon Pro users. Join the community of aspiring photographers taking their iPhone and iPad photography to the next level with Photon. It is not just a camera; it is a tool to unleash your creative vision. Download now and start capturing the world around you in stunning detail. You can review terms of use at https://photon.cam/terms/.

Screenshots

Halide Mark III4 screens
Photon Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Halide Mark III at 4.4 against Photon Camera's 4.0. Halide Mark III also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 64) and review sentiment (41% vs 24%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Halide Mark III sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Photon Camera sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Halide Mark III holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Halide Mark III has 14K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Halide Mark III's written reviews are positive against 24% of Photon Camera's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, Photon Camera every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Halide Mark III versus Photon Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHalide Mark IIIPhoton Camera
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (14K ratings) — better4.0 (64 ratings)
Positive reviews41.3% of reviews — better23.8% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better64
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#156 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLux Optics IncorporatedLateNiteSoft S.L.

Customer experience

Halide Mark III

All ratings13,540 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral2.5%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews881 reviews
Positive41.3%
Neutral8.1%
Negative50.6%

Photon Camera

All ratings64 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive23.8%
Neutral8.2%
Negative68.0%

User reviews

Halide Mark III

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful manual controls
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
  • 🔍 Excellent RAW capture and editing
  • 📷 Macro and depth features
  • 🎨 Great image quality and color

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Depth/portrait mode limitations
  • 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Lack of free trial or demo

Photon Camera

From 64 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great camera controls
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 🔋 Efficient battery usage
  • 💡 Direct USB storage option
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Lack of transparency around app ownership
  • 🔒 Concerns about developer trustworthiness
  • 🔍 Limited zoom and lens options

Bugs and requests

Halide Mark III

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Photos not saving properly
  • Zoom functionality issues
  • Landscape mode UI problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Shutter speed adjustment
  • Live depth/bokeh preview
  • Custom white balance
  • Time-lapse and video recording
  • Ability to save settings/presets

Photon Camera

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Manual mode crashes
  • Inability to access external storage
  • Incompatibility with certain devices
  • Unreliable photo saving and syncing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bracketed HDR mode
  • Customizable white balance controls
  • Landscape orientation support
  • Macro mode
  • Integration with other photo apps

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Halide Mark III

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons$9.991 Month
  • Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • One Time Purchase$69.99
3 purchases

Photon Camera

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-time purchase$39.99

Questions

Is Halide Mark III free?
Halide Mark III is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Photon Camera free?
Photon Camera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Halide Mark III or Photon Camera?
Halide Mark III is rated higher. Halide Mark III averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Photon Camera averages 4.0 from 64 ratings.
Do Halide Mark III or Photon Camera have ads?
Neither Halide Mark III nor Photon Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Halide Mark III or Photon Camera?
Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, and Photon Camera every 3 weeks. Most recently, Halide Mark III was updated on October 16, 2026 and Photon Camera on October 14, 2026.

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