Instruction manual

LUMA INSTRUCTION MANUAL

LUMA is an iPhone RAW camera and non-destructive photo development app. This guide covers the full workflow from first launch to export.

App: LUMA (LUMA2025 codebase, v4.4.0)
Target platform: iPhone (iOS 18.1+)
Last updated: 2026-02-18

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Intro

What LUMA Is

LUMA helps you capture RAW still photos, apply presets, edit in Lab, and export in HDR or SDR formats without leaving the app.

RAW still-photo capture on RAW-capable iPhone lenses.
Live preview with preset-aware rendering.
Non-destructive Lab editing.
Import from Photos and Files.
Export to Photos or Files.
Batch RAW processing.

Quick start

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Open LUMA and tap Start.
On Home, set Destination to Gallery for keep/delete triage before development.
Tap Camera and capture a few RAW photos.
Open Ready to develop, keep the shots you want, and process.
Open Gallery, tap a photo, then open Lab to edit.
Save edits, then use Share to export.

Fast alternative: Set destination to Photos App for immediate processed saves to Photos after each capture.

Requirements

Requirements and Permissions

Device and OS

iPhone only.
iOS deployment target: 18.1+.
RAW-capable camera lens required for in-app RAW capture.

Permissions

Camera access for capture.
Photo Library access for importing and exporting.
Files picker access when importing or exporting via Files.

Home

Home Screen and Destinations

Home is your control hub.

Open Camera.
Open Import (when destination is Gallery).
Open RAW Batch (when destination is Photos App).
Change active Preset.
Change Destination.
Open More for settings and sample gallery.

Destination: Gallery

RAW + project metadata go to the Ready to develop queue first. You choose what to keep; unselected items are deleted during develop.

Destination: Photos App

Each capture is processed immediately and saved directly to Photos. No triage queue is used.

Camera

Camera Guide

Camera supports preset-driven RAW capture with auto and manual controls.

Essential controls

A mode: automatic exposure with EV slider.
M mode: manual ISO, shutter, temperature, and focus.
Sparkles mode: quick preset picker.
Grid toggle.
Lens picker (front/rear RAW-capable lenses only).
Flash toggle (when hardware supports it).
Tap-to-focus or tap-to-expose point of interest.
Destination toggle (Gallery / Photos App) directly in camera UI.

Capture workflow

Open Camera from Home.
Choose mode (A, M, or Preset).
Frame shot and optionally tap to set focus/exposure point.
Press shutter to capture RAW.
Continue shooting or return to Home or Gallery.

Exposure check tool

Hold EXP. CHECK to run test preview mode.
Release to return to normal preview.
Test preview does not create a normal saved capture.

Develop queue

Ready to Develop (Triage)

This screen appears for Gallery destination captures and imported RAW items.

Open Ready to develop.
Tap items to keep or remove from selection.
Use Select all or Deselect all for bulk action.
Tap the bottom CTA to confirm process.

Important warning: This action is irreversible. Selected photos are developed into Gallery; unselected photos are permanently deleted.

Gallery

Gallery and Fullscreen Viewer

Gallery is your developed-photo library.

In Grid view

Tap photo to open fullscreen.
Tap Select for multi-select operations.
Multi-select actions: Delete or Share.

In Fullscreen view

Swipe between images.
Pinch and double-tap to zoom.
Tap once to show or hide controls.
Open info panel for preset and metadata.
Use Lab icon to open editor.

Metadata panel may include

Focal length
Exposure bias/index
Aperture
Shutter speed
Capture date/time

Lab editor

Lab Editor (Non-Destructive)

Lab edits the photo via preset metadata, not destructive RAW overwrite.

Control groups

RAW: Exposure, EDR, Boost
Light: Tone Curve, Highlights, Shadows, Contrast, Brightness
Colour: Saturation, Warmth, Tint, Grade

Key actions

Hold compare button to view original.
Open Presets panel to switch look.
Use Reset to revert to flat/default state.
Tap Save to commit changes and regenerate previews.
Closing with unsaved edits shows a confirmation prompt.

Grade tools

Shadows color wheel
Midtones color wheel
Highlights color wheel
Grade intensity

Tone curve

5-point curve editor: Blacks, Shadows, Midtones, Highlights, Whites.

Presets

Preset types

Built-in: Sensei, Wilhelm, Flat.
Custom: created from your Lab edits.
Incompatible: older-version presets shown separately; cannot be applied normally.

Using presets

Open Presets from Camera or Lab.
Tap a compatible preset to apply.
In Lab, create a new custom preset from current edits if needed.

Creating custom presets

From edited state, open preset creator.
Enter preset name.
Choose preset color.
Tap Create.

Compatibility behavior

Older presets appear in an Incompatible Presets section.
Opening some legacy-edited images may show an incompatibility warning before Lab.

Import

Import Workflows

LUMA supports RAW import from Photos and Files.

Import from Photos

Home -> Import -> Photos App.
Select RAW photos.
Tap Import selected.

Import from Files

Home -> Import -> Files App.
Pick one or more RAW files.
Files are imported into LUMA's develop queue.

After import

Imported RAW files enter the same Ready to develop flow used by camera captures in Gallery destination mode.

Export

Export Workflows

Open Export from Gallery selection or fullscreen Share.

Destinations

Save to Photos
Export to Files

Mode guide

EDR (10-bit)

Best for highest HDR quality when destination supports HDR/EDR fully.

EDR Safe (10-bit)

HDR master with SDR-friendly behavior on unsupported apps and platforms.

SDR (8-bit)

Best for maximum compatibility on platforms without HDR support.

Original (raw)

Exports the unedited original RAW for external processing.

EDR, EDR Safe, and SDR exports include LUMA edits.
RAW export does not include LUMA edits.

Batch processing

RAW Batch Processor

Batch mode processes multiple RAW files with one preset and outputs to Photos.

Set Home destination to Photos App.
Open RAW Batch.
Add RAW files from Files.
Choose preset.
Tap Develop.
Wait for completion alert.

Output goes directly to Photos.
You can cancel processing while it runs.

Settings

Sample Gallery and Settings

Open from Home -> More.

Sample Gallery

Scroll a curated remote gallery of LUMA images.
Use it for quality reference and inspiration.

Settings toggles

Tap-to-expose in manual exposure mode.
Hide develop selection warning.
Hide rotating quotes.

Also available

Rate app
Share app link
Contact email
Privacy Policy and EULA links

Troubleshooting

Camera button unavailable

Enable camera permission in iOS Settings for LUMA.

No RAW files in Photos import

Verify assets are RAW originals in Photos.

Captured images not appearing in Gallery

Check destination. If set to Photos App, captures are saved directly to Photos, not LUMA Gallery.

Edits not retained

In Lab, tap Save before closing.

Export looks flat in some apps

Use EDR Safe or SDR for broader compatibility.

Cannot apply old preset

Preset may be version-incompatible; use a compatible preset or rebuild it in current Lab.

FAQ

Does LUMA upload my photos to the cloud for development?

Core capture, development, and export processing is on-device.

What is the safest default export mode for sharing?

EDR Safe (10-bit) for high quality with SDR fallback behavior.

What is the most compatible export mode?

SDR (8-bit).

When should I use `Gallery` destination?

Use it when you want deliberate keep/delete triage and a Lab-focused workflow.

When should I use `Photos App` destination?

Use it for fastest capture-to-Photos delivery.

Can I create my own presets?

Yes. Create custom presets from edited photos in Lab.

Glossary

RAW: minimally processed sensor data with maximum editing latitude.
Lab: LUMA's non-destructive editor.
Preset: saved edit recipe that can be reused.
EDR/HDR: high dynamic range output with brighter highlight capability.
SDR: standard dynamic range output for broad compatibility.
Triage: keep/delete decision stage before full development.