Project Indigo
Project Indigo is an experimental computational-photography camera app from Adobe's Nextcam team that captures and merges multiple raw frames to produce high-quality HDR and low-noise images, offering pro controls, DNG/raw output, and close integration with Adobe Lightroom.
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Quick Overview
Best for: Image & Design
What it does
Photography software for decision-makers comparing workflow fit and alternatives.
Best fit
Image & Design
Pricing snapshot
Free from Free
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Project Indigo
Project Indigo is an experimental computational photography camera app from Adobe's Nextcam team that focuses on maximizing image quality on iPhone by combining multiple raw frames, using stronger under-exposure to protect highlights, and rendering a more natural "SLR-like" look. The app outputs both JPEG and DNG/raw files that benefit from its multi-frame merging pipeline and stores AI-produced SDR and HDR looks with the pixels. Indigo targets casual photographers who prefer a natural look, advanced photographers who want manual controls and high-quality raw output, and users who want tight integration with Adobe's editing ecosystem (Lightroom and Camera Raw). The app is distributed for free via Adobe Labs on the Apple App Store and runs on a range of recent iPhones (Pro/Pro Max from series 12 and non-Pro from series 14 and later).
Project Indigo is Adobe’s free iPhone camera app for pro-quality photos, offering SLR-like natural looks, full manual controls, multi-frame HDR, raw/JPEG, super-resolution zoom, and seamless Lightroom integration.
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Claim this listing for $29Key Features
Multi-frame computational photography
Indigo captures and aligns bursts of raw frames (up to 32 frames in examples) and merges them to reduce noise and preserve highlights, using stronger under-exposure and combining many frames to lower imaging noise.
DNG/raw and JPEG output with embedded looks
The app can output JPEGs and DNG raw files; the DNG preserves merged raw pixels and embeds AI-computed SDR and HDR looks (Adaptive Color profile) alongside the pixels.
Hybrid SDR/HDR JPEG format
Indigo writes JPEGs that contain a base SDR image and a gain map that together form an HDR image; the app shows HDR in its filmstrip and allows long-press to view the SDR fallback.
Pro controls
Manual controls include focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance (temperature and tint), and control over the number of frames in a burst; Long Exposure and other burst-based controls are also provided.
Photo and Night capture modes
Two still-photo modes: Photo (launch default, offers zero shutter lag by continuously capturing raw frames) and Night (uses longer exposures and captures more frames, up to 1s×32 when very dark or on tripod).
Zero shutter lag (for Photo mode)
Photo mode continuously captures raw images while the viewfinder runs so the last captured frame before pressing the shutter can be used as the reference, enabling perceived zero shutter lag for JPEG and DNG output.
Multi-frame super-resolution
When pinch-zoomed beyond certain thresholds, Indigo captures multiple viewpoints via natural handheld motion and combines them to restore detail lost by digital scaling, producing higher-detail results without hallucination.
Long Exposure and special capture modes
Long Exposure mode replaces the robust merging method with frame-additive merging (useful on tripod for water-silk effects, light painting) and can produce both DNG and JPEG outputs at full resolution.
Technology previews (on-device features)
An in-app flask screen exposes experimental features (e.g., Removing Reflections) as technology previews; these are prototyping platforms for potential Lightroom/Camera Raw features.
Lightroom and Adobe ecosystem integration
Indigo can launch Lightroom mobile from its filmstrip (or pop up the App Store page if Lightroom is not installed), and when capturing JPEG+DNG it will bring the DNG into Lightroom for editing, with embedded SDR/HDR looks accessible via Lightroom profiles.
Pricing
Project Indigo is released for free as part of Adobe Labs and available on the Apple App Store.
Adobe Labs (Project Indigo)
Free- Free download from the Apple App Store
- Runs on supported iPhones (Pro/Pro Max from series 12; non-Pro from series 14)
- No Adobe sign-on required at present
Use Cases
High-quality mobile HDR and low-light photography
Use Indigo's multi-frame merging and strong under-exposure strategy to capture scenes with very high dynamic range or very low light with reduced noise and preserved highlights.
Professional/raw-first workflows
Photographers who prefer raw editing can capture DNG files that already benefit from multi-frame alignment and merging, then edit SDR/HDR embedded looks in Lightroom or Camera Raw.
Super-resolution and zoom photography
When pinch-zooming, Indigo's multi-frame super-resolution restores detail lost by digital scaling by combining slightly different viewpoints from multiple frames.
Long-exposure effects and creative captures
Use Long Exposure and per-frame control (including manual strobe/timing) to produce water-silk, light-painting, and other long-exposure effects at full resolution, creating both JPEG and DNG outputs.
Removing reflections and in-app experimental edits
Try technology-preview features such as Removing Reflections immediately after capture to remove reflections from photos shot through glass.
Integrations
Lightroom mobile
Indigo can launch Lightroom mobile from its filmstrip (or open the App Store if Lightroom is not installed) and pass DNG or JPEG images to Lightroom for editing, with embedded SDR/HDR looks accessible in Lightroom.
Adobe Camera Raw / Lightroom ecosystem
The app's Adaptive Color profile is similar to Adobe's profiles and the DNG output is designed to work with Camera Raw and Lightroom; technology-preview features mirror functionality in Camera Raw and Lightroom.
Benefits
Limitations
Frequently Asked Questions
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Getting Started
- 1 Download Project Indigo from the Apple App Store (released as a free Adobe Labs app).
- 2 Install on a supported iPhone (runs on all Pro/Pro Max iPhones from series 12 and on non‑Pro iPhones from series 14).
- 3 Optionally install Lightroom mobile to enable tight editing integration—Indigo can launch Lightroom from its filmstrip and hand off DNG or JPEG for editing.
Support
Documentation
Project page and blog post on Adobe Research describe the app, features, and examples (source article).
Public forum
The page invites users to provide feedback in a public forum (Adobe's public forum referenced for feedback).
App Store
Project Indigo is distributed via the Apple App Store where users can download the app and view the store listing.
API
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