Today Leica announced that it had acquired the smartphone photography startup Fjorden Electra AS and introduced a new smartphone app called “Leica LUX” that can simulate the “Leica look” of different lenses:
“With Leica LUX, users can experiment with well-known Leica lenses without having to physically take a camera in their hands. In ‘Aperture-Mode’, iPhone photographers can take pictures with the characteristic signatures of a range of classic Leica lenses, among them, the Summilux-M 28 mm f/1.4 ASPH and the Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.2 ASPH. Thanks to Leica’s proprietary image processing engine, which is based on machine learning and computer-aided photography, these lens simulations reproduce the unmistakable look for which these lenses are famed, including, of course, the characteristic bokeh effect. This means that an iPhone can also emulate photos with the unique aesthetic of the legendary Leica M lenses.”