Chromagraph Camera

Chromagraph Camera is an iPhone still-photo camera app made by director Rian Johnson (Knives Out) and his cinematographer Steve Yedlin. It launched on the App Store on October 28, 2026 for a one-time $12.99. The app shoots RAW, skips Apple's standard look processing, and applies the color, tone, grain and halation pipeline the pair use on their films.

Announcement: Rian Johnson on X · Review: AppleInsider on X

Key points

1. Film pipeline on a phone: Yedlin's custom image processing from Johnson's movies is packed into the app, giving photos a cinematic look straight out of the camera.
2. RAW capture, no Apple look: it bypasses the iPhone's computational "look" processing, which many photographers find over-sharpened and flat.
3. In-app editing: users are posting iPhone RAW versus Chromagraph RAW versus Chromagraph-edited comparisons, so there are adjustment tools inside the app.
4. Price and platform: $12.99 one-time, iOS only, still photos only for now (video may come later).
5. Reception: the launch post passed 3 million views; side-by-side comparisons went viral, while some reviewers note the look will not suit everyone and that Apple's free Photographic Styles cover basic needs.

Why it is popular

It is a rare case of a working film crew shipping its real color science to consumers, rather than a preset pack imitating it.

How to use it

1. Buy Chromagraph Camera on the iOS App Store ($12.99, one-time).
2. Shoot with it instead of the built-in Camera app; photos are captured as RAW and rendered with the film pipeline.
3. Use the in-app controls to adjust the look, then export to Photos.

Tips

• Compare a few scenes against the stock camera before switching for good; the look is strong and stylized.
• It shines in mixed or low light, where users say highlight and color handling look more natural.
• Keep the RAW files if you also edit in Lightroom or another app.