Review Summary
Halide is the most beautiful manual camera app for iPhone, allowing full control over ISO, shutter speed, focus, and high-quality RAW capture.
About This Product
2017
Remote (de With in Amsterdam, Sandofsky in San Francisco)
Sebastian de With (Dutch) and Ben Sandofsky (American)
Detailed Review
Halide was created in 2017 by Sebastian de With and Ben Sandofsky — an indie camera app built by two people who are passionate about photography and design. De With, a Dutchman renowned in the Apple design community, had worked at Twitter and on many Apple products before deciding to go independent. Sandofsky, a veteran iOS developer, had previously been at Facebook.
Halide launched on the App Store in 2017 with exceptionally refined design and was warmly welcomed by the iPhone photography community. The App Design Award from Apple — one of the most difficult awards to win in the iOS ecosystem — certified the quality of Sandofsky and de With's work. The "native Apple" design style with heavy haptics, fluid gestures, and pixel-perfect typography reflects the team's genuine passion.
Halide Mark II (2021) was rebuilt from scratch with new computational photography tools: Instant RAW for low-latency RAW capture, Teleknesis for stabilizing hand tremor when using the telephoto lens, and a Neural camera view that "undoes" computational photography to show the truly raw camera output — something no other app can do.
Current Developments (2025–2026)
Halide 3.0 with iPhone 16 support — taking full advantage of the new camera control button and A18 chip ultra-wide improvements. Focus Peaking upgraded with AI-assisted edge detection that's more accurate on moving subjects. Halide video mode is being developed with manual Cinema mode controls. Paired with Process — a companion batch RAW processing app — it creates a complete photography workflow within the iOS ecosystem.
Strengths
- True RAW capture with all sensor data — edit in Lightroom later without losing quality
- Complete manual controls: ISO, shutter speed, specific focus — control like a real DSLR camera
- Focus peaking highlights the sharp zone in red — never accidentally shoot a blurry photo due to wrong focus point again
- Real-time histogram and zebra exposure warning — catch overexposed shots before you take them, not after
Areas for Improvement
- iPhone only — Samsung Galaxy users miss out on this app entirely
- $39.99/year subscription is quite high for a camera app, though the quality is worth it
- Manual mode requires basic photography knowledge — beginners unfamiliar with ISO or shutter speed will be confused
Verdict
Halide Mark II is an excellent choice for anyone needing a powerful tool in the Mobile App category. Founded in 2017 by Sebastian de With (Dutch) and Ben Sandofsky (American), this product has undergone years of development and continuous improvement. With a rating of 9.5/10, it ranks among the best in its segment. We encourage you to try the free version before deciding to upgrade.
