The original Pro Camera app was widely regarded as one of the best alternatives to Apple’s native camera app, even reaching the #1 rated camera app spot for several years. But it had begun to show its age with slower startup times and occasional crashes. Pro Camera II aims to fix that with a faster, more stable foundation and an overhauled user experience.

Rebuilt for Performance and Creative Control

Pro Camera II introduces a streamlined, configurable interface and expands access to manual photography tools. Users can shoot in Shutter Priority, ISO Priority, Manual, or Auto exposure modes, including the ability to define a custom Auto ISO range for more consistent exposures.

White balance controls have also been upgraded. Photographers can adjust temperature and tint, choose presets, or calibrate using a gray card. The app even allows fine-tuning of image processing and HDR intensity for more precise results.

Introducing Natural Processing – our new photography processing mode that preserves your iPhone’s natural grain and doesn’t add additional sharpness or clarity so you can get authentic photos. pic.twitter.com/gMumFFiUUb

— Moment Pro Camera (@MomentProCamera) November 6, 2025

Professional Video Tools on the iPhone

Moment has packed the new version with a robust set of video features normally found in dedicated cinema apps. Pro Camera II supports Apple Log, Open Gate, ProRes, and 10-bit recording. Users can configure resolution, frame rate, codec, color space, bitrate, and chroma subsampling.

Video monitoring tools include Waveform, RGB Histogram, and audio metering—important additions for shooters who need accurate exposure and color control.

LUT support is also built in. LUTs can be imported, applied to photo and video, and toggled between preview mode or baked-in output with adjustable intensity.

Customizable Interface and Workflow

Pro Camera II’s interface can be tailored to the user’s shooting style. A left-hand layout option and customizable quick-access tools make it easier to reach frequently used settings such as flash, stabilization, zebras, grids, and focus peaking. Zen Mode simplifies the interface for distraction-free shooting, removing everything except essential tools.

The updated app integrates seamlessly with Moment’s iPhone lens and case ecosystem. Moment says future updates will add slow shutter and timelapse modes, advanced profile sharing, and expanded support for third-party hardware.

Pricing and Availability

Moment’s Pro Camera II app is available now on the Apple App Store for $9.99.

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An AI Camera Built for Real-Time Creativity

For those unfamiliar, Caira (formerly known as Alice) is a Micro Four Thirds camera that connects to iPhones via MagSafe, combining traditional imaging hardware with advanced generative AI. The camera leverages Google’s new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, known internally as Nano Banana, to enable real-time image generation and editing directly on the device.

“With the integration of Google’s ‘Nano Banana’ model, Caira ushers in a new era of on-camera generative editing,” Camera Intelligence said in a statement. “It moves beyond simple capture to offer in-the-moment creation and editing — for spectacular real-time adjustments that were previously only possible through complex post-production software.”

Larger Sensor, Familiar Lenses

Caira supports interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lenses, which are widely available and relatively affordable. The camera’s MFT sensor is about 400% larger than typical smartphone sensors, offering superior image quality and creative flexibility — especially when paired with premium lenses.

Camera Intelligence says it chose Google’s Nano Banana model for its image fidelity and reliability, ensuring that edits preserve optical quality. This focus on maintaining consistency makes the camera especially appealing to creators who need to deliver polished, client-ready results quickly.

“By integrating Nano Banana directly into Caira, we are collapsing traditional content creation workflows,” said Vishal Kumar, CEO of Camera Intelligence. “Its one-shot editing capability frequently delivers perfect results in a single attempt without unwanted hallucinations. It truly feels like magic.”

Ethics-First AI Integration

Camera Intelligence also emphasized its “ethics-first” development strategy, adding AI guardrails to prevent misuse. The system blocks edits that alter skin tone, ethnicity, or core facial features, and restricts prompts that could manipulate personal identity in inappropriate ways.

The company says it designed these limitations in accordance with Google’s Generative AI Prohibited Use Policy, and it is collaborating with professional photographers and ethics researchers to develop best practices for responsible creative editing.

A Bold Step for AI in Photography

The Caira project has sparked debate within the photography community, with some praising its potential and others questioning AI’s expanding role in visual storytelling. Regardless, it’s clear that Camera Intelligence is betting big on AI-assisted workflows as the future of hybrid content creation.

Pricing and Availability

The Camera Intelligence Caira has a retail price of $995 (body only). Early backers on Kickstarter can get it at a discounted price of $695 for the first 100 units, while subsequent backers can pledge $795. All Kickstarter backers will receive six months of Caira Pro, the company’s $7/month generative editing subscription, for free.

Shipping for backers is expected between mid-January and late February 2026, depending on region.

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Although smartphones aren’t really our primary area of expertise here at Imaging Resource, they have cameras in them (shockingly popular ones, if you haven’t been keeping up with the news.) Therefore, having recently upgraded from the iPhone 6S to the new iPhone 8 Plus, I wanted to spend some time with my new “pocket camera” and test its image quality. Going from the 6S to the 8 Plus, I was finally able to experience the iPhone’s newer dual-camera system with both wide-angle and telephoto lenses. And, with the latest iOS 11 operating system, I was also able to take advantage of the nifty Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting features.

I took the iPhone 8 Plus out for some shooting here in Atlanta as well as on a recent weekend trip up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I have to say, for a smartphone camera with a very tiny sensor, the device can capture some really pleasing photos. I admit, if you’re a pixel-peeper, this isn’t the camera for you. At close inspection, you can really see the limitations of the iPhone’s small sensor. However, for mobile, web-sized, or general viewing, the images display a lot of detail and pretty nice dynamic range, all things considered.

Wide-Angle Lens (28mm-eq.), f/1.8, 1/1499s, ISO 20

New features, such as Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting, are really fun and can make for some unique photos, but it is still rough around the edges and doesn’t work flawlessly all the time. Just like previous iPhones, too, the default Camera app doesn’t capture RAW images, but Apple does allow third-party camera app developers to shoot in proper RAW files (.dng), so I took the iPhone 8 Plus down to our test lab for an impromptu First Shots session.

I’ll be adding some more images to the iPhone 8 Plus Gallery Page in the coming days, but for now, head over to my iPhone 8 Plus Field Test for the all the details on what it’s like to shoot with Apple’s latest smartphone!

Wide-Angle Lens (28mm-eq.), f/1.8, 1/120s, ISO 64

– Apple iPhone 8 Plus Field Test – Gallery –

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With today’s release of iOS 10.1 to the general public, Apple has unlocked the Portrait Mode exclusive to their dual-lens iPhone 7 Plus model. The mode has been in beta testing since September 21 and I have been experimenting with it since receiving my iPhone 7 Plus in early October.

A little bit of background on the portrait mode itself. By leveraging the dual-lens design of the iPhone 7 Plus, the phone mimics the shallow depth of field that is typical of an interchangeable lens camera and large aperture. The effect is achieved by using a built-in image signal processor and then creating a depth map of the scene with the phone’s two cameras. When the depth map is achieved, the subject is kept in focus while the background of the image is blurred. The iPhone 7 Plus employs machine learning to help identify the subject in a scene, such as a person of isolated object.

Per Tech Crunch, the image processor in the Apple iPhone 7 Plus uses technology from LiNx to create a 3D terrain map. The camera’s longer 56mm equivalent lens captures an image and the wide angle lens gathers depth data, which can “generate a 9-layer map.” The two lenses don’t occupy the same physical space, so they capture images from slightly different angles, which allows the phone to create nine slices of depth in the image. After selecting which layers should be sharp, the phone keeps them in focus while applying a circular blur to the rest of the layers. You can read far more about the technology being leveraged in the iPhone 7 Plus’ portrait mode in Tech Crunch’s article here.

1/60s, 57mm equivalent focal length, f/2.8, ISO 200

How does it function in practice? In my experience, quite well. It really does create a distinct effect that does a pretty good job of mimicking the pleasing bokeh effect of a dedicated camera. When it works, it works well. That qualifying statement, “when it works,” is important though because the mode has some quirks that limit its usability in real world situations.

This is a non-portrait mode image. When capturing a portrait mode shot, the camera keeps the original as well. 1/163s, 57mm equivalent, f/2.8, ISO 20.

The same image with the background blurred. Note the bottom right corner.

The mode itself is inconsistent to activate. You know that the mode is working when a yellow rectangular text box appears at the bottom of the frame reading “Depth Effect.” You can also see it working on the display in real-time. The issue is that it can come and go without any change in the scene, giving various error messages such as “not enough light” or “the subject is too close.” In my experience, it works consistently well at about five to ten feet, although it can work closer or further away. Regarding the “not enough light” issue, you definitely need more light for the portrait mode to work than you do for regular iPhone photography. Unsurprisingly, moving subjects pose a problem for the mode. Although it can still work, some occasional artifacts can be visible along the edges of a subject, as you can see in the flower shot in this article.

When photographing moving subjects, the iPhone 7 Plus can often struggle to identify the subject.

Thanks in part to the portrait mode, the main conclusion for me is that the dual camera feature of the iPhone 7 Plus effectively creates a very real separation between the two iPhone 7 models. Overall, the mode works well overall and I hope that it continues to improve as it is tweaked by Apple, and machine learning is put to good use. You can read more about the portrait mode and the rest of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus’ photography features in my upcoming iPhone 7 Plus Field Test.

You certainly don’t need to use the portrait mode for taking photos of people, however, as I have generally found it to work well for still life photos too. 1/60s, 57mm equivalent focal length, f/2.8, ISO 400.

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StyleMyPic has made a video demonstrating how to capture professional-looking portraits using just an iPhone 6s (although the video applies to most recent smartphones, as many of them have cameras of similar-quality to the iPhone 6s).

Using only a tripod and four compact fluorescent (CFL) 65 watt bulbs inside of an Octabox, it is possible to get professional quality portraits using only a smartphone. In the case of an iPhone 6s, you have to be able to deal with the fact that the lens is a fixed focal length with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 29mm. Portraits can be tricky at wide angles, so you have to find a way to use the 29mm lens to your advantage.

The small image sensors inside of these smartphones need a lot of light to work their best, so low light portraiture can be difficult. Give an iPhone adequate light, however, and it can work very well. Check out the video below to see five quick tips for using an iPhone to take portraits.

After taking the photos, StyleMyPic also shows how to use the StyleMyPic Pro Workflow Panel in Photoshop to make the iPhone’s photos look their best. With a good image captured in-camera (or rather, in-phone), there is a lot that can be done in post-processing to process and finish the .jpg file.

You can see the final image here and can even download the full .PSD file here.

Similarly, back in September over at Fstoppers, Lee Morris did an updated, mildly NSFW, iPhone fashion shoot (see the original done with an iPhone 3GS here). Using an iPhone 6s as well, black foam core, white foam core, an LED flashlight, and an LED panel, Morris was able to capture a variety of professional-quality portraits all with a very limited budget. As Morris says, “Your gear isn’t holding you back, stop worrying about what you don’t have and get back to mastering your craft.”

Understanding the gear that you do have combined with creativity and knowledge goes a long way toward capturing the portraits you desire, or any type of photograph for that matter.

(Seen via ISO1200)

The post Ending gear envy: Capturing great portraits with an iPhone 6s appeared first on Imaging Resource.

Apple filed a new patent this week for a system that would allow the iPhone to capture “super-resolution images” without increasing the number of pixels on the sensor. The new system could mean dramatically improved image quality from the iPhone without the need for a new sensor.

Only a few years ago, camera phones had very poor image quality. They made it possible for people to capture low-quality snapshots without having to carry a “real” camera – but that was about it. Things have changed dramatically. Now, any smartphone can capture a pretty darn good photo. However, contrary to popular belief, the iPhone and other smartphone cameras still aren’t as good as the average, inexpensive point-and-shoot. Plus, we always want more and better. And Apple has figured out a pretty clever way to give iPhone users more with their “super-resolution image” concept.

The problem with smartphones is everything needs to be tiny so there isn’t a lot of space for a larger sensor. And when you cram more pixels onto a small sensor, you don’t necessarily get better image quality – just more resolution. Apple’s solution, and the subject of United States Patent Application 20140125825 is to use the iPhone’s image stabilization system and burst mode to shift the image and then combine multiple offset image captures into one “super-resolution image.” It’s a great idea and one that’s already been used in larger cameras for a few years to create in-camera HDR images. In theory, it really should deliver much better image quality with few, downsides – as long as you’re taking pictures of non-moving subjects, anyway. Because the super-resolution images need to be constructed from multiple captures, if there’s much movement in the subject, there will be some strange blurring and artifacting in the final images.

When will we see an iPhone with the super-resolution system? That’s tough to say. Technology companies file tons of patents every year and many of them never actually reach the street. Either something better comes along, or the manufacturer just wants to keep an idea out of the hands of the competition. That said, all the elements of the super-resolution concept are already available – mechanical image stabilization, high-speed burst, and software that can assemble a higher-resolution image from multiple captures. The current iPhones don’t have optical image stabilization but it’s in almost every point-and-shoot camera now, as well as a few camera phones like the HTC One and select Nokia Lumia phones. So it’s not unreasonable to expect this in the iPhone 6. We’ll just have to wait and see.

(via Cult of Mac)

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