We will probably not see a hardware collaboration between Apple and Leica but not all hopes are lost for fans of Leica and Apple because there’s always software to address this void.
Leica has recently launched Leica LUX, an imaging app for iPhone that brings the iconic Leica look to iPhonegraphy. It is not a photo app, by the way; it is a camera app.
Billed as the first-ever professional photo app (read: camera app) from a camera maker, this app lets you capture photos like they were snapped through some Leica lenses like the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.2, Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 and Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4, and more.
It even lets you brand the photo with key parameters (lens, ISO, et cetera) along with the iconic Leica logo to complete the look. Ha! Take that Xiaomi!
The app offers a variety of Leica filters to recreate some of Leica’s most iconic looks. You can choose to go full-on Auto or unleash your creativity through manual controls. The latter lets you fine-tune the exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance.
The app further offers the ability to capture images in ProRaw and choose the focal length, plus it has an array of color adjustments.
It sounds cool and all—and it is—but it does have a catch. The app is completely free to download and use but if not all of the above-mentioned features are available for free.
Yeap. It has the world’s most hated feature to have ever invented: in-app purchases. And mind you. It is not even a one-time purchase; it is a monthly sub. Yikes. Sacrilegious!
The Leica LUX Camera App for iPhone is available on AppStore if anyone’s interested.
Images: Leica.
