[12:56 Mon,23.June 2025 by Thomas Richter] |
Adobe Labs has released "Project Indigo," a very exciting free camera app that, in addition to manual settings, offers powerful Computational Imaging (up to AI) functions by combining multiple individual images, aiming to bridge the gap between smartphone cameras and professional single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs). The app was developed by Adobe&s Nextcam Team, which includes Marc Levoy, who played a leading role in the development of Google&s innovative Pixel camera system. ;) Project Indigo App
Manual Settings plus Combination of ImagesUnlike integrated smartphone camera apps, Indigo offers complete manual control, similar to an SLR, including detailed settings for exposure, ISO, white balance, and focus. The focus control includes an optional magnifier for precise focusing, and the white balance allows tapping on a neutral gray object. Other specialized camera apps offer similar features, but Indigo additionally provides advanced computational imaging technology: up to 32 rapidly captured individual images are combined into one photo, resulting in significantly less image noise and more natural details - especially when using a high zoom or in low-light situations. ;) Indigo&s Image Processing Pipeline Modern smartphone cameras do something similar (albeit with fewer combined images), but Project Indigo gives the user more control over these functions and expands them with innovative features such as Zero-Shutter-Lag shots, Multi-Frame Super-Resolution for high-quality zoom photos, and Long Exposures for creative effects like silky water or light paintings. ;) Long Exposure SLR Look and Adobe DNGParticularly interesting for real photographers is Indigo&s focus on a natural image aesthetic: while standard smartphone apps often apply exaggerated sharpening, color saturation, and smoothing for "beautiful" images, Indigo relies on subtle edits and an authentic, SLR-like appearance. This look is applied when generating JPEG images and embedded as a rendering suggestion in RAW files in Adobe DNG format (if enabled). All raw data remains unchanged - the look does not alter any pixels. ;) HDR Photo Photo and Night ModeUsers can choose between a normal photo mode for everyday use in good lighting conditions, which works without shutter lag and captures the subject precisely at the moment of capture. ;) Comparison of a photo at 1/10 lux via iPhone and via Indigo The night mode, on the other hand, is specifically designed for shooting in low-light conditions - in this mode, multiple individual images are automatically captured after pressing the shutter button (with a corresponding delay) and combined to achieve longer exposure times that minimize image noise. Unique to Indigo&s night mode is the manual control of the number of combined frames for the final image. More frames mean less noise, but a longer recording time. There is also a long exposure mode: If the smartphone is on a tripod, synthetic long exposure effects such as "water-to-silk" can be created. Zoom via SuperresolutionIf the image section is digitally enlarged via pinch-to-zoom in a camera app, this often leads to loss of quality. The Indigo app, on the other hand, uses Super-Resolution by combining multiple images to achieve better quality. This can be recognized during use by the "SR" display on the zoom buttons. ;) iPhone 16 Pro Max 5x optical / 10x digital zoom vs Indigo ViewfinderIn addition to the recording settings, Indigo&s viewfinder also shows a live histogram of the scene, zebra stripes for overexposed image areas, and a level so that images are really taken straight. Integration with Adobe LightroomAdobe offers a powerful photo editor for mobile devices with Lightroom. Via the Indigo filmstrip, an image can be sent directly to the Lightroom Mobile app for editing. In addition, the (optional) RAW-DNG file format offers maximum compatibility with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. ;) Remove reflections via AI Tech Previews on AI FunctionsIn the so-called Tech Previews, Indigo offers an early look at technologies that may be used in Adobe&s flagship products or are already found there in a slightly modified form. Currently, two functions can be found here: - AI Noise Reduction is a variant of the AI-based noise reduction from Camera Raw and the Lightroom desktop clients (it requires RAW-DNG as input and saves a new DNG file in the camera roll) - Remove Reflections is a version of the AI-based reflection removal technology from Camera Raw and the Lightroom desktop clients. It requires a DNG as input and saves a medium-resolution JPEG in the camera roll. The function is designed to handle only one type of reflection, such as shots through glass panes that cover most of the image field. ;) Who is Project Indigo for?Project Indigo is only the experimental beginning, according to the developers, an integrated mobile Adobe camera and editing workflow is planned that uses the latest advances in computational photography and AI. Project Indigo is aimed at both casual photographers who are looking for a natural, SLR-like look for their photos and advanced photographers who want manual control and the highest possible image quality, as well as all those users who like to experiment with new photographic functions and looks. All users are invited to test the app and provide feedback for future developments. Future Plans: Looks, Video and Multi-Image ModesFurther interesting functions are planned for the future, such as special (possibly also individual) looks, an extended high-quality portrait mode and panorama shots, as well as a video mode. Special multi-image modes in the form of exposure series, focus series and others are also being considered, in which one or more camera parameters are varied between the images. An exposure series function would be particularly useful, especially for astrophotography. These exposure series can be combined in the camera to create photos with extreme dynamic range or depth of field (sometimes also called all-in-focus). ;) Initially only from iPhone 12 ProCurrently, the Project Indigo camera app  free in the Apple App Store is available for all Pro and Pro Max iPhones from series 12 as well as non-Pro models from series 14. An Android version will also be available soon. No registration with an Adobe account is required for use. But beware: the computing power required to calculate the images can cause the smartphone to get quite hot - depending on the function used - and the app may be a bit slow on not-so-powerful smartphones. That&s why the Project Indigo team recommends using at least an iPhone 15, even though it also runs on previous versions.  more infos at bei research.adobe.comdeutsche Version dieser Seite: Adobe bringt kostenlose Profi-Kamera App mit KI-Funktionen |
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