Leica is jumping on the mobile photography bandwagon with its new Leica LUX app for iPhone. The app promises to bring the legendary Leica look and feel to your iPhone photos, but with a twist: a paid subscription for some of its best features.

Fujifilm has been a leader in the “film simulation” game, offering various color profiles in their cameras that replicate classic film stocks. Leica LUX takes a similar approach, offering 11 color profiles they call “Leica Looks” that aim to match the aesthetics of both current Leica cameras and classic film.

The app itself offers two main modes:

• Automatic mode: Similar to Apple’s built-in camera app, Leica LUX lets you capture photos with ease.
• Aperture mode: This mode gets more interesting. It uses software to mimic the style and background blur (bokeh) of some of Leica’s most coveted lenses, like the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH and the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.2 ASPH. These lenses can cost thousands of dollars in the real world!

However, there’s a catch. While the app is free to download, you only get a limited selection of Leica Looks and one lens simulation for free. Unlocking everything, including all color profiles, software lenses, and pro features like manual controls, requires a monthly subscription of $6.99 or a yearly fee of $69.99.

The app’s interface is clean and user-friendly, with a streamlined menu and customizable controls for exposure and a live histogram. It feels a bit like the popular Halide camera app for iPhone. Leica LUX even integrates with your Leica camera photos, allowing you to manage them within the app.

So, how do the photos turn out? The Leica Looks can add some dramatic flair with a single click, but some profiles might be a bit too heavy-handed and give your photos an overly “filtered” look. The portrait mode simulations using software lenses are also inconsistent. While some photos might have a pleasing background blur, others can look artificial and dated, especially compared to what Apple, Google, and even Samsung offer on their phones.

Another limitation is Apple’s software itself. Unlike Apple’s camera app, Leica LUX doesn’t allow you to revert a portrait mode shot back to a regular photo if you’re not happy with the effect. Additionally, viewing Leica LUX photos in your iPhone’s camera roll allows you to add Apple’s own portrait and bokeh effects on top of the Leica ones, which can create a confusing and messy-looking image.

Leica Looks were previously available in the Leica Fotos app, which lets you apply these profiles to photos transferred from newer Leica cameras like the Q3 and SL3. However, the Leica LUX app is the first to offer lens bokeh simulations and the ability to fully transform your iPhone camera experience into a Leica-inspired one.

While Leica LUX has some fun ideas and a nice design for Leica fans, its reliance on a paid subscription for key features might be a turnoff for some. If you’re a casual iPhone photographer, you’re probably better off sticking with Apple’s built-in camera app or exploring free third-party options. But for die-hard Leica enthusiasts who want to capture a piece of that legendary Leica aesthetic on their iPhones, Leica LUX might be worth a try, with the caveat of its subscription model.

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