José Adorno/BGR
Apple revamped its camera for the iPhone 18 Pro release, reworking the Camera app of this device to accommodate an new “Pro” aperture adjustment functionality–which is something Android phones had for years but it’s a first for Apple. The app also remixes controls for shutter speed, white balance, and even taking advantage of the histogram. Despite all those changes, some professionals are saying the iPhone 18 Pro new camera module isn’t “Pro” enough.
In a Reddit thread, one person complains about Apple’s new aperture controls themselves, writing that “anything over 1.48 aperture creates a sun star anywhere any sort of light reflects sharply.” BGR staff have also experienced this effect. As some other Redditors noted, this is great for bringing awareness about aperture sunbursts, while some other people argue that most iPhone 18 Pro users might never notice. Still, users have to be aware that whenever they’re shooting with manual controls on a 1.48 aperture with an object reflecting any light, it will get this J.J. Abrams-era “Star Trek”-like flare effect.
Another ongoing complaint is that Apple doesn’t let users control shutter speeds longer than roughly a second, which is something most other manual cameras offer. Similarly, even though there’s a white balance toggle before making the shot, you can’t change the values using Kelvin, which is more precise than Apple’s more limited presets like “Cloudy,” or “Tungsten.” That said, while you can take advantage of a lot more features with the iPhone 18 Pro camera, as we highlighted in our review, some premium camera apps can help close that gap.
Halide’s latest update brings full variable aperture control and more
One example of an app that sought to improve on the limitations of Apple’s included software was Halide. The app, which launched its 3.2 update around the iPhone 18 Pro’s launch, offers a look at what Apple’s included controls should have been. One key feature Halide includes is variable aperture control for the iPhone 18 Pro, meaning users can select any f-number from 1.48 to 4.0. The update also includes Aperture Priority feature, which when the user sets the f-number, the app intelligently selects the best shutter speed and ISO. Halide also now has full manual controls, which includes ISO settings in addition to shutter speed and aperture.
In a blog post, Halide’s developer wrote that the iPhone 18 Pro camera notably doesn’t offer ISO controls, even though it added several new toggles. With that, the app decided to bring the proper experience so photographers have more control over their shots than with the default app that Apple includes in the box.
