p.1 #1 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Hi,
TL;DR: If you have a phone that supports RAW files and you already use Cobalt presets, don’t miss out on the base pack for your phone. You might be pleasantly surprised!
I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to using Cobalt Images presets in combination with smartphone RAW files.
My current Japan trip is my first one with three small kids, one of them still a baby. Let’s just say I severely overestimated how often I’d be able to take out my Leica M, shoot, and change lenses while handling the kids. The iPhone 17 Pro, with its three lenses, has enabled me to capture photos I simply wouldn’t have been able to take otherwise.
Then I noticed there’s a Cobalt Image base pack for the iPhone 17 Pro. I already own several Cobalt Image film emulations, so I decided to try them on iPhone RAW files. I’ve been extremely pleased with both the results and the workflow: just open the RAW files in Lightroom on the phone, select the profile, tweak a few basic sliders, and you’re done. I even had people on Instagram ask what camera/lens combo I was using So if you’re not already using your Cobalt Image profiles on your smartphone, give it a shot!
p.1 #2 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Nice. I've noticed Fred's use of Cobalt's K64 with the Septon lens review and like it. I use C1 and it is a bit more expensive and they build profiles for each camera.
p.1 #3 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
I use all the Cobalt profiles with my iPhone 17 DNG files, as Cobalt offers a base pack for this iPhone. I believe they even work with Lightroom Mobile, so I can apply the profiles right on the phone… I know, kind of yucky, right?
p.1 #4 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Fred Miranda wrote:
I use all the Cobalt profiles with my iPhone 17 DNG files, as Cobalt offers a base pack for this iPhone. I believe they even work with Lightroom Mobile, so I can apply the profiles right on the phone… I know, kind of yucky, right?
Yes, I've been using them a lot in Lightroom Mobile and it works perfectly fine. Great for getting something nice looking ready for social media with 3 taps. And to be fair, my phone beats my computer in all benchmarks
p.1 #5 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Fred Miranda wrote:
I use all the Cobalt profiles with my iPhone 17 DNG files, as Cobalt offers a base pack for this iPhone. I believe they even work with Lightroom Mobile, so I can apply the profiles right on the phone… I know, kind of yucky, right?
Just curious — are you using the Cobalt profiles on Apple ProRAW files, or on regular DNGs from the iPhone, like the ones Halide produces with Process Zero?
p.1 #6 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Kuch Kuch wrote:
Just curious — are you using the Cobalt profiles on Apple ProRAW files, or on regular DNGs from the iPhone, like the ones Halide produces with Process Zero?
Cobalt was designed to work only on Apple ProRAW files.
p.1 #7 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Fred Miranda wrote:
Cobalt was designed to work only on Apple ProRAW files.
Thanks - I always thought the opposite
Just to avoid confusion, do you mean that the iPhone-specific Cobalt Base Pack was actually calibrated specifically for Apple’s ProRAW output, and therefore isn’t intended for native Bayer DNGs from apps such as Halide?
That’s the part I’m trying to clarify. My understanding is that Process Zero retains a true Bayer RAW DNG, whereas ProRAW is a demosaiced/partially processed linear DNG, so they’re quite different inputs despite both being DNG files. I hadn’t seen anything from Cobalt stating that the iPhone profiles were ProRAW-only.
p.1 #8 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
Kuch Kuch wrote:
Thanks - I always thought the opposite
Just to avoid confusion, do you mean that the iPhone-specific Cobalt Base Pack was actually calibrated specifically for Apple’s ProRAW output, and therefore isn’t intended for native Bayer DNGs from apps such as Halide?
That’s the part I’m trying to clarify. My understanding is that Process Zero retains a true Bayer RAW DNG, whereas ProRAW is a demosaiced/partially processed linear DNG, so they’re quite different inputs despite both being DNG files. I hadn’t seen anything from Cobalt stating that the iPhone profiles were ProRAW-only.
ProRAW and CFA RAW are identical in terms of colorimetry, and the characterization data doesn’t lie.
The fact that ProRAW delivers 48 MP while CFA RAW delivers 12 MP is irrelevant to color reproduction: the profiles produce the same output.
Of course, with ProRAW, the iPhone’s AI mask (gainmap) includes curves and corrections applied as a layer over the image. Once that layer is removed, the output is the same.
You’ll see soon; we’re currently testing an app built specifically around iPhone users’ needs, from capture and RAW processing to spectral profiles, emulations, and everything else you might need for serious photography with your iPhone Pro. The entire imaging workflow stays on iPhone and iPad, with no need for another device, while maintaining excellent output quality even when the images are later viewed on a monitor.
p.1 #9 · Cobalt Images presets and iPhone raw files
I want to clear up a quick misunderstanding from my earlier post regarding Cobalt's iPhone profiles.
After checking in directly with @Ulysseita (and his post above), he clarified that these profiles are designed for all iPhone camera RAW files, including true Bayer/CFA RAW DNGs like Halide's Process Zero, rather than strictly Apple's ProRAW format.
The distinction he was highlighting in the past to me is that they require a RAW input and won't work on baked formats like HEIC or JPEG. So, colorimetry wise, both ProRAW and standard CFA RAW share the same characterization data under Cobalt profiles once Apple's AI processing layer is bypassed.
I did also ask Enrico at Cobalt and this was the response I got: "Apple ProRAW files are already partially processed. They are linear RAW files rather than mosaiced Bayer RAWs, so they skip the normal demosaicing stage and also include noise processing from Apple’s internal imaging pipeline.
From a colorimetric point of view, however, the two file types remain closely related. The balance between the sensor channels is not fundamentally changed, and of course the sensor’s spectral response itself does not change.
So the Spectre profiles are valid for both Apple ProRAW and more traditional Bayer DNG files such as those produced by Halide’s Process Zero mode.
Our laboratory characterization is based on the sensor’s raw CFA response, which is much closer to what Halide calls Process Zero. In practical terms, Process Zero is essentially the most direct output available through Apple’s public camera API.
Halide gave it the “Process Zero” name, but it is not a completely separate sensor mode they invented — it is simply the least processed result that the system allows you to access.
So if your goal is the most direct possible capture pipeline, Process Zero is an excellent choice, but Spectre remains valid with ProRAW as well."...Show more →
I'm hoping he doesn't mind me sharing this, but hope it helps other people who may be wondering the same thing as me.
So if you’re not already using your Cobalt Image profiles on your smartphone, give it a shot!
