Halide camera app now gives iPhone 18 Pro users full control over variable aperture

Lux Optics has released an update to its Halide camera app for iPhone and iPad, adding support for the variable aperture on the new iPhone 18 Pro's main camera. Halide isn't the first third-party camera app to support the feature, but it offers far more granular control over aperture settings than its competitors.

Apple's native iOS camera app limits aperture adjustments to just four presets. Other third-party apps, such as BlackMagic Camera and Moment Pro Camera II, expand this to 10 presets in 1/3 stop increments, similar to what most digital cameras offer. Halide Mark III goes further still, allowing users to select any f-stop setting from f/1.48 down to f/4.0, offering near-continuous adjustment. While the visual difference between, say, f/4.0 and f/3.99 would be hard to notice, the option to select such a precise value is nonetheless available. The app's developers say they are also considering adding f-stop presets in future updates based on user feedback.

Halide Mark III launched earlier this year with a new film simulation engine and multiple photo looks that can be applied to images. Today's update adds two new looks to that collection: Dawn, which applies filmic warmth in the mid-tones and highlights with gentle, rich shadows, and Quicksilver, which pairs high contrast with muted color, inspired by silver-retention processes.