Lux Optics

Lux Optics is a software brand best known for Halide, a flagship manual camera application for the iPhone. The company operates the website lux.camera, which serves both as the product home for its camera apps and as a publication for in-depth iPhone camera reviews, photography essays, and technical explainers. Its editorial output includes reviews of recent iPhone models such as the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17e, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16e, alongside articles on topics like Apple Log, HDR, and user-interface design. Halide is positioned as a professional-grade photography tool that gives iPhone users manual control over exposure, focus, and other camera parameters beyond what the default iOS camera app offers. The brand has continued to iterate on the app, with public previews of Halide Mark III and releases such as Halide 3.1: Scarlet Edition. Lux Optics uses its website to document the development process, sharing previews and feature deep-dives with its user community. Beyond software, Lux Optics has built a reputation for thorough, technically informed camera journalism. Its reviews often involve extensive field testing, such as capturing over 1,000 photos and videos in the desert for the iPhone 16 Pro review. This combination of software development and editorial content positions Lux Optics as a trusted voice among mobile photography enthusiasts. The company is privately held and does not disclose detailed financial or ownership information publicly. Its primary market is the global community of iPhone photographers and videographers.

Lux Optics emerged as a software developer focused on advanced camera applications for the iPhone. Its flagship product, Halide, gained a following among mobile photography enthusiasts for offering manual controls and a professional-grade interface that went beyond Apple's default camera app. The company operates under the Lux brand, with its website lux.camera serving as the central hub for both its software products and its editorial content. Over time, Lux Optics expanded its activities to include a robust publishing arm. The site regularly features in-depth reviews of new iPhone models, technical explainers, and essays on photography and interface design. Notable articles have covered the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17e, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16e, as well as topics like Apple Log and HDR. These reviews often involve extensive real-world testing, such as shooting over 1,000 photos and videos in the desert for the iPhone 16 Pro review. The development of Halide has been a continuous process, with Lux Optics sharing public previews of major updates. The company launched a public preview of Halide Mark III, described as the next generation of its flagship photography app, and released versions such as Halide 3.1: Scarlet Edition. Through its website, Lux Optics communicates directly with its user base, detailing new features like "Looks" and the evolution of the app's interface. While specific details about the company's founding, ownership, and financial structure are not publicly disclosed, Lux Optics maintains an active presence in the mobile photography community. Its dual role as both a software vendor and a publisher of camera journalism has solidified its reputation as a trusted resource for iPhone photographers.

• Public preview of Halide Mark III launched

• Release of Halide 3.1: Scarlet Edition

Professional-grade manual camera software and expert mobile photography journalism for iPhone users.

• Halide Mark III

  Next-generation flagship photography app for iPhone, publicly previewed.

• Halide 3.1: Scarlet Edition

  A version of the Halide camera app.

1. 1Lux — iPhone camera apps, camera reviews and morelux.camera
2. 2Lux Optics - Wikidatawikidata.org