Adobe Lightroom update brings RAW support to iOS 10

Adobe has updated its Lightroom app for iOS with a major addition; support to capture and edit RAW files in the open-source DNG format.

In Lightroom 2.5, iOS 10 users can use the app’s camera tool to take a photo, and save the image with no loss of quality or compression. Of course, the feature is limited to iPhones with the 12MP iSight camera, so it’ll only work on the iPhone 6S and 6S plus, iPhone SE, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and the upcoming iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Apple’s own camera app doesn’t support RAW, but it does support third-party DNG capture, which ADobe has jumped on. Aside from the added bonus feature for iPhone 6S and 6S Plus users, this update is clearly aimed squarely at potential iPhone 7 series users. Apple’s new dual 12MP rear cameras and updated image signal processor on the iPhone 7 Plus perfectly lend themselves to RAW capture.

RAW might not be everyone’s cup of tea, what with the file size and processing time needed, but Lightrooms 2.5 is an update that’s sure to be a hit with professional photographers and designers. It even has the option to sync to Lightroom on your desktop via iCloud, if that’s where you’d prefer to do your editing.

The app is currently available for free on iTunes but you can expect more updates on the way. Adobe themselves said in a blog post, “we’re working to profile the new sensors and lenses found in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and will have an update available as soon as possible.”