Cat's Eye: Manual Camera

The manual camera with the real aperture of iPhone 18 Pro.

◉ Real aperture from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4 on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: the blades move, it isn't simulated blur
◉ Shutter, aperture, ISO and zoom always in view, each a turn of your thumb away: no menus, no hidden screens
◉ Focus peaking that measures distance, zebras, histogram and white balance in Kelvin
◉ HEIF, JPEG or ProRAW, up to 48 MP
◉ In AUTO, Apple's processing: Deep Fusion and Smart HDR
◉ One-time purchase. No subscription. No account.

A REAL APERTURE — iPhone 18 Pro

iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have an aperture with blades, from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4. In Cat's Eye, the ring moves them: close it and less light comes in and the sharp zone grows, like on an SLR, and the photo records the real aperture.

And you can see it: with peaking on, close the aperture and the zone marked in red widens in front of you, until the whole background comes into focus.

AUTO — POINT AND SHOOT

Just want a good photo? In AUTO the screen stays clean: frame and shoot. The photo is the instant you tap, and you can take the next one right away.

MANUAL — YOU'RE IN CONTROL

Tap the mode button, top left, and the four rings appear, still on automatic. Tap again and you're in M, with the values the camera was using. Each control sits in a corner, on a quarter ring you turn with your thumb.

• Shutter speed and ISO through the hardware, not simulated.
• White balance automatic or set in Kelvin, from 2500 to 9000 K.
• Exposure compensation by sliding your finger over the image.

No mode dial: every ring has its own A position. Take the aperture off A and you're in Av; the shutter, Tv; both, M; only the ISO, P. The mode button always tells you which mode you're in, and the data line shows in green what you chose.

PEAKING, ZEBRAS AND HISTOGRAM

• Peaking marks in red what is at the focus distance, measured with the LiDAR scanner: background leaves don't light up, and a dark subject doesn't go unmarked. On iPhones without LiDAR it marks sharp edges, like other cameras.
• Zebras stripe what is about to blow out, before you shoot.
• RGB histogram always in view, if you want it.

FOCUS YOUR WAY

• Tap to focus and meter there.
• Press and hold to lock focus and exposure.
• Double tap to track the subject: focus follows it.
• Slide sideways to focus by hand; it returns to auto by itself after 3 seconds.

IT TEACHES ITSELF

The first time you make each gesture, a one-line hint tells you what else you can do there. Five cards on first launch and a Gestures screen in Settings.

AND ALSO

• Flash, torch, burst and timer in a quick menu; the shutter shows the mode you chose.
• 5- and 10-second timer: the rear light blinks during the countdown, so whoever is posing knows when the shot is taken.
• Shoot with the volume buttons too.
• Grid, and a level that turns green when the phone is straight.
• Trash in the viewer: delete a photo from your library and from the app.
• Works in all four orientations, with labels always upright.