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Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
May 23, 2025
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P: Introducing the Project Indigo camera app

  • May 23, 2025
  • 368 replies
  • 236319 views

This post applies to the Project Indigo iOS camera app. 

 

Adobe Labs is excited to share an early look at Project Indigo, an iPhone camera app we've started to develop, to get feedback from the photography community. The app offers full manual controls, a more natural ("SLR-like") look, and high image quality in both JPEG and raw formats. It also introduces some new photographic experiences not available in other camera apps. For more information on the underlying technology, please refer to this Project Indigo blog post.

 

Before you start with Project Indigo 

  • We recommend using Project Indigo on iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or newer devices.
    (Also supported are 12 Pro/Pro Max, 13 Pro/Pro Max, and all 14-series devices.)
  • You should have at least 1GB of storage space left for the app, the downloadable AI Models inside the app, and for captured photos. 

 

Recipes for success when using Project Indigo 

To get the maximum out of your images captured with the app, follow these guidelines: 

  • When reviewing the results, focus on Project Indigo's more natural look (in both SDR and HDR). If you haven’t done this before, try viewing the images on your laptop or desktop device, preferably on an HDR screen. 
  • Capture with both JPEG and raw DNGs with file saving enabled. Project Indigo produces computational photography DNG files, which have the same natural look as JPEG images, but much more latitude for editing after capture. 
  • Take control of the camera with the built-in Pro Controls, including controls that are exclusive to a computational camera: Frames to Merge and Merge Method. These may be intimidating for beginners, but with Project Indigo, you can try them for free, and nothing will break—you can always reset the settings to ‘Auto’ and let the camera take back control. 
  • Go to the Indigo Labs page and play with the latest innovations our team can offer. These are only available on mobile via Indigo! 
  • Be patient! Project Indigo is doing a lot of heavy lifting under the hood, and it will reward you with great photos. In return, it may ask you for a bit of time to set up captures when needed, and to wait a few seconds for the image processing to finish. 

 

Sending feedback 

Please try the app and share feedback in this community forum thread. If you report a problem you encountered, it would help to include details like which device you are running Project Indigo on, what kind of scene you were trying to capture, what you were trying to achieve with the camera, and as much information as possible about what you like or do not like about the resulting photo quality. Our team will continually monitor this thread to track issues and improve future experiences.  

 

To improve the performance and results of Project Indigo, it is important that examples of images that do not meet your expectations are forwarded to the team via your report.  A large variety of file formats are allowed as attachments in these forum posts. The best option is to attach your image's raw file directly to your feedback post. Note that there is a 50 MB limit on an attachment's file size. If your raw file is too large to attach, the best option is to share the file via a file-sharing service (Dropbox or similar) and then share the link in your feedback post. Thank you for continuing to provide feedback on the Project Indigo camera! 

 

Boris Ajdin: Product Manager, NextCam 
 
Posted by: 

 

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      368 replies

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      N
      nhan_8084
      Participating Frequently
      February 4, 2026

      ​@BorisTheBlade it has been couple weeks since you last gave an input here, and several days since I submitted more samples, raw included.  Can we get an update on what the team’s progress is?  I also asked a question in regard to doing beta testing since the app did put a survey out mentioning about it.  I feel like instead of releasing to the app store a version with issues and bugs, the beta tester route should be much better.  I also suggest that testers have direct contact to the devs including yourself once those images are submitted during beta testing so that way things are going along smoothly.  I know when I tune for my users of gcam, they submit issues using telegram live, and I trouble shoot live on the spot as well and fix issues right there and then.  If not then, I will do it within the next day or two then release it.  Having the app directly available to the app store without going through proper testing from users, like you see here so far, only lead to anxiety of waiting for the next fix, and asking when that fix will come!

      garryg70673208
      garryg70673208
      Inspiring
      February 5, 2026

      Like many I’m feeling rather confused at the moment. The Project Indigo app was released with high expectations. Some reporting pointed at the future, eg focus bracketing. But it all seems to have stalled. I for one was really looking forward to deep focus bracketing, eg from point A to point B, from A to infinity, from B to nearest focus, plus creation of RAW bracket sets, rather than only an in app created JPEG image. But nothing. I find this surprising for a mega company like Adobe. 

      N
      nhan_8084
      Participating Frequently
      February 5, 2026

      ​@garryg70673208 it does seem rather disappointing isn’t it.  They did say they are small, and it’s actually not a part of Adobe itself, but more like a department (small) …...but I do really want to ask ​@BorisTheBlade about the way things are being implemented in iOS vs Android.  I get the team is small because it’s now a software based versus hardware and software like in the pixel.  However, they have Levoy and I’m sure other geniuses who worked on google camera before so it can’t be that much more difficult unless it’s truely started from scratch.  

      Google camera will continue to be the pinnacle camera app to use on Androids (modified and tuned ofc as I shared) but I can’t imagine the “slowness” and “excuse” that the team is small, or this being a beta app.  I’m a one person team, similar to Camac, and I’m able to tune google camera for ANY ANDROID DEVICES, and all having different hardware and it will still look better than the current state of Indigo in jpeg and in raw.  

      This is what I don’t understand about timing that Indigo has put into since it’s been months and the app is mere usable at best (raw portion).

      F
      frankr11347277
      Inspiring
      February 4, 2026

      Issue when importing Project Indigo DNG+JPG directly from iPhone to LrC

       

      I posted the following issue under the LrC thread but it has been suggested that such feedback go directly to Project Indigo.

       

      https://community.adobe.com/questions%2D675/original%2Dfilenames%2Dnot%2Drecognised%2Dwhen%2Dimporting%2Dproject%2Dindigo%2Ddng%2Djpg%2Ddirectly%2Dfrom%2Diphone%2Dto%2Dlrc%2D1548483?postid=1548483#post1548483

       

      In summary:

       

      Normally, the Indigo app generates filenames in the standard format: IDG_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_NNN, with extensions DNG and/or JPG, respectively …

       

      I’ve connected my iPhone 13 Pro (iOS 26.2.1) via USB to my MacBook Pro (16” 2019, Sonoma 14.7.6). My Project Indigo camera app on the iPhone generates both a DNG and JPEG of each shot. When I try to import the pair of files directly from the iPhone device using the LrC import dialog, the DNG and JPEG show different random filenames - see example in the original post above.

       

      If I try to import the Indigo photos into LR mobile on the iPhone, those normal names are recognised ...

       

      Which still leaves an issue for Indigo imports into LrC.

       

      Has anyone experienced this issue and found a reasonable workaround or fix?

      B
      Adobe Employee
      BorisTheBlade
      Adobe Employee
      February 9, 2026

      Thank you for reporting this issue. This is because the import system uses PTP/MTP for transfer which is still limited to the archaic MS-DOS limitation of 8 characters for filename + 3 characters for extension. I am following up with the team, but in the meantime, you should be able to use the Photo Downloader utility from Adobe to batch-rename the files to their original form.

       

        F
        frankr11347277
        Inspiring
        February 15, 2026

        Thanks Boris for the clarification and the suggestion to use the Adobe Photo downloader utility to batch download and rename the files to their original name.

         

        However, from what I can gather, Adobe Photo downloader is a utility in the File menu within Adobe Bridge. So it would appear that I have to install Bridge to make this work?

         

        I’m now wondering what complications that introduces. Having never used Bridge, I’m wondering if there  will be any clashes between LrC and Bridge?

         

        If I understand what you are saying, the problem is with LrC rather than Indigo. When I try to import the Indigo photos into LR mobile on the iPhone, those long names are recognised.

         

        So, the alternative to your suggestion is to use LR Mobile:

        Photos in iPhone → Lr Mobile → Creative Cloud → LrC local import folder.

        Although slower, this avoids having to install Bridge to workaround the problem.

         

        ​@JohanElzenga & ​@johnrellis, how does this issue get fed back to the LrC team, which is where my original post went?

         

         

        JohanElzenga
        Community Expert
        JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 4, 2026

        Again you posted this as a new thread, this time in Lightroom Ecosystem. That is not what was advised. What was advised is that you do not create a new thread, but post your message as a reply in this existing thread:

        https://community.adobe.com/announcements%2D678/p%2Dintroducing%2Dthe%2Dproject%2Dindigo%2Dcamera%2Dapp%2D907947/index4.html

        -- Johan W. Elzenga
        F
        frankr11347277
        Inspiring
        February 4, 2026

        Done.

        johnrellis
        johnrellis
        Legend
        February 4, 2026

        [This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.] 

         

        I see the same symptoms. Given that Image Capture shows the same random file names, this looks like a Mac OS / IOS / Indigo problem, unrelated to LR Classic.

         

        Adobe has asked for Indigo feedback to be posted in this thread:

        It appears that Adobe employee Boris Ajdin, the Indigo product manager, participates in that thread.  So you might try posting there.

         

        Out of curiosity, I tried syncing to LR Cloud via the LR Mobile app, but it only syncs the DNG (with the correct file name).

        N
        nhan_8084
        Participating Frequently
        January 30, 2026

        Low light shot using tele of Indigo and Camac, all auto as usual.  The overall image of Indigo, even the raw is not detailed at all.  Pay attention to the ceiling fan blade, and intricate details of the housing canopy of the light!  
         

        In Camac, you can see the individual lines representing the faux wood grains while Indigo is a bunch of noises.  I can’t even upload the Indigo sooc jpeg here bc of its size saying it is too big!

        https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o6vfutq5jbknqoz2hzuac/IDG_20260130_080531_174.jpeg?rlkey=sc81risd3brp2log5ec7zlmh0&st=tlmplb0i&dl=0

        N
        nhan_8084
        Participating Frequently
        January 30, 2026

        This set I have sent before of closet, Indigo is heavily crushed as before, Camac is correctly exposed and have more details.  If you zoom in, both has the same similar luma grains but Camac isn’t smoothed out or soft look.  
         

        The tele from Indigo is absolutely unusable as before, while Camac can render the wordings with noise as expected.  Raws included on both.

         

        It won’t let me upload the tele Indigo sooc jpeg so here it is: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vht38jlxnlkbaneyat8lr/IDG_20260129_213231_348.jpeg?rlkey=ikulzn457h01o9y1ygiitonbv&st=k54glxsr&dl=0

          N
          nhan_8084
          Participating Frequently
          January 30, 2026

          I know you mentioned that Indigo is a small team, but Camac is only a one person team, and I hate to say this… the jpeg output and raw from all the samples I sent (which is a good amount) are what I expect how jpegs to be tuned, and Camac are better rendered than Indigo so hopefully the team can update it soon.

          N
          nhan_8084
          Participating Frequently
          January 30, 2026

          This is a crop of tele due to privacy, Camac vs Indigo.  Pay attention to the hair of Indigo, it is crushed shadows and Camac has strands details.

           

          https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f3bq3c0rzvf3pbdwkknms/IMG_2853.png?rlkey=t1gvpt1e0vjg1n7hut5pv31ir&st=aq7lbs17&dl=0

           

          https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1kqxw8p460pu4m1itmmp9/IMG_2854.png?rlkey=iqsn0qxc3mri033lpb50ibury&st=070puzxf&dl=0

          N
          nhan_8084
          Participating Frequently
          January 30, 2026

          This is indoor and also have white balance issue in Indigo, this time if you hit reset to “all” in LRM, it isn’t proper wb.  Also it’s very underexposed.  The camac dng and jpeg output is correct white balance and expo!

          N
          nhan_8084
          Participating Frequently
          January 29, 2026

          Here is another set with white balance issue in both Indigo dng and sooc jpeg.  I am pretty confident it has to do with LTM from the AI models because if you reset in LRM to “all”, it becomes normal as how the eyes sees!

          Camac vs Indigo, this time Camac is using SR (super res mode as the dev called it, with 12 frames stacking).

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