Project Indigo

Project Indigo

Project Indigo is a free computational photography camera app for iPhone developed by Adobe Labs, offering full manual controls, a natural SLR-like look, and high image quality through advanced multi-frame capture and processing techniques in both JPEG and raw formats.

Project Indigo is photography software teams evaluate for image editing. Use this page to review pricing, integration signals, and the best alternatives before you commit.

Free
#24 in Image Editing (24 tools)
Added 1 year ago
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Quick Overview

Best for: Image Editing

What it does

Photography software for decision-makers comparing workflow fit and alternatives.

Best fit

Image Editing

Pricing snapshot

Free from Free

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Project Indigo

Project Indigo is an experimental camera app developed by Adobe's Nextcam team to advance mobile photography by leveraging computational photography and AI. It is designed for iPhones (Pro and Pro Max from series 12, and non-Pro from series 14) and offers features such as full manual controls, a natural SLR-like photographic look, and the highest image quality achievable through multi-frame image capture and merging. The app outputs both JPEG and raw (DNG) files that benefit from computational photography techniques, including under-exposure to preserve highlights and merging up to 32 frames to reduce noise. Indigo aims to appeal to casual photographers seeking natural image aesthetics, advanced users wanting manual control, and anyone interested in innovative photographic experiences.

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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Key Features

Full Manual Controls

Control over focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance (temperature and tint), and number of frames per burst for noise trade-off.

Computational Photography

Captures multiple frames (up to 32) per photo, aligns and merges them to reduce noise and preserve highlight details, producing high dynamic range images.

Natural SLR-like Look

Applies mild tone mapping, subtle color saturation, and sharpening to avoid the typical 'smartphone look' and produce more realistic photos.

Multi-frame Super-resolution

Uses multiple images captured during pinch-zoom to restore detail lost in digital zoom, providing real enhanced resolution without hallucination.

Zero Shutter Lag in Photo Mode

Constantly captures raw images so the photo corresponds exactly to the moment the shutter is pressed.

Night Mode

Uses longer exposures and more frames to capture high-quality images in very low light, with tripod detection for longer exposures.

Hybrid SDR/HDR JPEG Format

Stores both standard dynamic range and high dynamic range looks in a single JPEG file using a gain map, compatible with HDR displays.

DNG Raw Output with Multi-frame Merging

Outputs raw files that combine multiple frames for high dynamic range and low noise, smaller than Apple's ProRAW and available on more iPhones.

Integration with Adobe Lightroom

Launches Lightroom mobile directly from Indigo for editing JPEG or DNG files, supporting toggling between SDR and HDR looks.

Technology Previews

Includes experimental features such as one-tap reflection removal for photos taken through windows.

Long Exposure Mode

Enables summing frames for long exposure effects like water smoothing and light painting, producing both JPEG and DNG outputs.

Pricing

Free Tier Available

Project Indigo is currently available as a free app on the Apple App Store with no Adobe sign-in required.

Free

Free
  • Full manual controls
  • Multi-frame computational photography
  • JPEG and raw (DNG) output
  • Night mode and long exposure

Use Cases

Casual Mobile Photography

For users who want high-quality photos with a natural look that appear good on large screens without the typical smartphone processing artifacts.

Advanced Photography with Manual Control

For photographers who want full manual control over camera settings and the ability to capture raw images with computational enhancements.

Low Light and Night Photography

Night mode captures multiple long-exposure frames to reduce noise and improve image quality in very dark scenes.

Zoom Photography with Super-resolution

Improves digital zoom quality by combining multiple frames to restore detail lost in standard digital zoom.

Creative Long Exposure Effects

Enables long exposure captures for artistic effects like water smoothing and light painting using computational merging.

Photography Through Reflective Surfaces

Removes reflections from photos taken through windows or plastic sleeves with a single tap.

HDR and Focus Stacking

Future planned features include exposure bracketing for extreme HDR and focus bracketing for all-in-focus images.

Integrations

Adobe Lightroom Mobile

Direct launch from Indigo to Lightroom mobile for editing photos with support for toggling SDR and HDR looks.

Adobe Camera Raw

Indigo's raw DNG files and computational photography techniques are compatible with Adobe Camera Raw editing workflows.

Benefits

Produces high dynamic range, low noise images by merging multiple frames.
Offers a natural, realistic photographic look avoiding over-processing common in smartphone photos.
Provides full manual control for professional-level photography on mobile devices.
Supports both JPEG and raw (DNG) outputs with computational enhancements.
Integrates seamlessly with Adobe Lightroom for advanced editing workflows.
Enables creative photographic techniques like long exposure and super-resolution zoom.
Includes experimental features to enhance photo quality, such as reflection removal.

Limitations

Currently available only on iPhone devices; Android version is planned but not yet released.
Heavy computational requirements mean better performance on newer iPhones.
No video recording or portrait mode yet; these are planned for future updates.
Longer capture times in multi-frame modes may require patience and steady hands or tripod use.
Some advanced features are experimental and may change or be refined over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which iPhones are compatible with Project Indigo?
The app runs on all Pro and Pro Max iPhones starting from series 12, and on all non-Pro iPhones starting from series 14.
Does Project Indigo require an Adobe account?
No, currently the app requires no Adobe sign-on.
Can I shoot raw images with Project Indigo?
Yes, Indigo outputs raw DNG files that benefit from multi-frame computational photography.
What is the difference between Photo and Night modes?
Photo mode offers zero shutter lag and captures fewer frames for instant shots, while Night mode uses longer exposures and more frames for low-light scenes.
Does Indigo support video or portrait modes?
Not yet; these features are planned for future updates.
How does Indigo improve zoom quality?
It uses multi-frame super-resolution by capturing multiple images during zoom to restore lost detail.

Getting Started

  1. 1 Download Project Indigo for free from the Apple App Store.
  2. 2 Launch the app on a compatible iPhone (Pro/Pro Max from series 12 or later, or non-Pro from series 14 or later).
  3. 3 Use the default Photo mode or switch to Night mode in low light as suggested by the app.
  4. 4 Adjust manual controls such as focus, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and number of frames per burst as desired.
  5. 5 Capture photos and review them in the built-in filmstrip.
  6. 6 Tap the Lightroom button to edit photos directly in Adobe Lightroom mobile if installed.
  7. 7 Explore Technology Previews for experimental features like reflection removal.

Support

Community Forum

Users can provide feedback and get support via Adobe's public forum at https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-ecosystem-cloud-based/introducing-project-indigo-camera-app/td-p/15337510

Documentation

Detailed information and examples are available on the Adobe Research Project Indigo page.

API

Available: No
Documentation:

No public API or developer documentation is available for Project Indigo at this time.

Rate Limits:

Not applicable.

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