Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Over the past few years , Apple has been run more intopushing the high-priced “ Pro ” iPhones as a creative soul ’s best friend . Some of the marketing claim do n’t sound that outlandish . For model , Cinematic Mode really blew my mind , as long as I had unchanging hands or a gimbal at my disposal .
With theiPhone 15 Propair , Apple introduced the ability to capture television in Log formatting . Log claim a numerical approach to telecasting gaining control and editing . But to draw a rough parallel , Log capture is to video what birthday suit format is to a photograph .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The remnant end is to record a picture gratis from any processing done to it so that it can be color - corrected to your liking while editing . You might indicate that there is always the option of using filters on television to give them a unique flavour . That line of reasoning is valid , but only to an extent .
lumber video on the iPhone 15 Pro cranks thing up to 11 , and while the resultant role can be jaw - dropping , you have to put in the study to see them .
Why is Log such a big deal?
Youcanadd filter to videos and give them a certain feel in price of semblance tone and , possibly , some snazzy ignition impression . But that ’s as far as filter go . You ca n’t go around adjusting exposure on a certain area of the telecasting or any such fine subtlety .
That ’s because when you record a picture , the iPhone handle all those metrics , such as exposure and livid proportion , giving the television its own distinct tincture . you could roleplay around with a few aspect using the manual controls , but only during the seizure process and not after the footage has been save . Here ’s an unedited Log footage sample :
Comparatively , below is the result after some canonical editing done right on the iPhone 15 Pro Max :
lumber footage proffer you a video where you get a blank playfield to adjust almost everything from gloss chemical science and luminosity to impregnation and Vasco da Gamma storey . And that ’s where LUTs ( or appear Up Tables ) get along into the word picture .
imagine of them as filters , but something far more versatile and one that follows numerical rule for make color adjustment instead of bland color tone overlaying .
The biggest advantage of LUTs is that anyone with equal knowledge about cinema and colour scaling can make their own custom LUTs . Apple has also make a nonremittal ProRES LUT for its take on colour grading that can be download outwardly , and it also ships within appssuch as the Blackmagic Camera app .
On the positive side , there are a ton of LUTs available on the web to experiment with , permit you to ape the specific flavour you view in a celluloid or a TV show . On the negative end of the debate , the really niche or in force ones come at a agiotage , which is unsurprising given the amount of piece of work that goes into create them .
But that ’s not the only drawback for an middling iPhone 15 Pro owner . It ’s easy to download free LUTs , as I did one emulating the desaturated looking at in Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer , but applying them is no cakewalk . alternatively , you will need pro - grade software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve .
Also , you need video editing science to apply these LUTs to your Log telecasting . I tried to do the same in DaVinci Resolve , and , to put it just , I would not go through the painstakingly time - consuming process just to brand videos on societal media . That ’s specially straight when platforms like Instagram already offer a level-headed bunch of filters that add some piquantness to your clips .
Amazing results, complicated execution
Before you set out Log video capture on the iPhone , you need to turn on the format by following this course : configurations > Camera > Formats > ProRES Encoding > Log . Keep in mind that the nonpayment iPhone camera app is a bit limiting in terms of creative controls , so you might require to break up up a dedicated app like the Blackmagic Camera app .
Moreover , you will have to make a few tweaks in the video capture preferences in advance and during the video seizure . By default , the iPhone tend to make the conniption a number too bright and bring up the shadows a petty too much . To fix it , you need to set the exposure . The unspoilt path to perform that correction is to make the best of the focal point lock organisation .
Talking about stress ignition lock , though , you ca n’t dash ProRES Log video recording in Cinematic Mode . Introduced with the iPhone 13 series , Cinematic Mode is essentially a glorified portrait style for picture capture but with all-inclusive flexibleness to correct the focus and deepness .
The default iPhone tv camera app prefer the Apple ProRES 422 data format . To save storage outer space , you need to transfer the codec to HEVC ( H.265 ) data formatting in the Blackmagic Camera app , which will more or less check the lineament but in a dramatically low file size of it .
To address the problems that make out with the iPhone camera app ’s video capture algorithms , you require to switch the color space to Apple Log – HDR data formatting . Now , back to the Log video seizure .
You might want to use the rap - and - focus magic trick to focus on a topic . Doing so locks the exposure level and makes color correction gentle . This is a crucial step , peculiarly if you are film in an surroundings where you are shifting between shining and dark areas .
If the exposure tier is not lock , you will end up spend a fortune more prison term adjusting the colour profile scene by scene as the focus switch over between light and dark sections of the frame . Also , give the iPhone ’s orientation for capturing video at a high photo economic value by nonpayment , you might require to nail down it down manually by a notch .
you could do it right on the covert by using the slider . However , or else of using the slider beside the focus ringlet square , apply the scale slider right above the photographic camera shutter push button for more farinaceous control over the exposure value .
Depending on the systema skeletale charge per unit and resolving you peck , you might cease up eating around 6 GB of store per min worth of footage . An 11 - second clip I scud in ProRES Log format at 30fps terminate up eating around 1 GB of entrepot space .
Before you go shooting , you need to conform the white balance depending on the light origin illuminating the frame . Next , you need to set the ISO . That ’s because , at lower ISO layer , the iPhone dials down the active range to contain noise .
I am not sure how exactly it plays out indoors under contrived light at night time , but during my testing , I noticed that by keeping the light sensitivity level nigh to the 1200 to 1300 angle bracket , you get the full dynamical reach in the footage and overall more rattling color visibility in the emended footage .
Now that you ’ve go far at the secret sauce for ISO horizontal surface , you will encounter a focus - linked auto adjustment issue . Every clock time you tap to mesh focus on the topic or any other part of the frame , the ISO tier automatically changes , which is not worthy .
Unfortunately , there is n’t an selection to mesh the ISO value directly during video capture . However , you’re able to indirectly keep it steady by locking the shutter speed , which disables the automatic exposure adjustment organisation tie to the focus - switching mechanism in the app .
There is another ground to tack away from the default iPhone camera app to something like the Blackmagic camera app . If you seek to record 4 K 60 fps ProRES Log footage , you will demand international store because the filing cabinet size is too big .
There are just too many technical face here . The learning curve is steep , and you need to pay for the redaction computer software and possibly external storage , as well , to take advantage of Log videos . Alternatively , you might need an expert to germinate and edit footage for you .
On one manus , it is amazing that the iPhone 15 Pro lets you shoot video in a deep customizable high - quality format that can rival those of motion picture cameras . But at the same time , this trick should be reserved only for the particular moments where color - graded television footage is truly deserving the attempt .
A professional or originative will find it a godsend . For an average iPhone 15 Pro substance abuser , ProRES Log gaining control is just too cumbrous to glean its benefits . For them , the default TV mode and the smattering of aboriginal redaction tools are more than enough to tape memories with a stunning amount of point still intact .
A great iPhone 15 Pro feature you don’t need
I talked to a few creatives make contentedness professionally for contract bridge customer as well as their own social medium , and their takeaway is clear : They get it on the flexibleness of Log video on the iPhone . Not cause to exchange lense , benefiting from the iPhone 15 Pro ’s terrific sensor - fracture stabilization , and the tractability to reach the want look using LUTs have drastically eased their originative process .
Then I tried explaining the whole Log video capture perk to my change of location mates , who are ego - profess iPhone picture taking sports fan . They did n’t seem peculiarly psyched about the whole approximation because of the knowledge curve ball and the proficient efforts postulate , even though they were impress by what it could action when done right hand .
A majority of the iPhone 15 Pro buyers light into that family . For them , the standard video capture from the iPhone , pair with perks like Cinematic Mode , is good enough to appropriate videos that will leave most viewer in awe , societal media or otherwise .
If you want to get a taste of what it feels like getting a free hand with creative control , you may edit out the Log footage right on your iPhone 15 Pro and see the grey - ish footage come to living with some canonic adjustments .
Notably , the pre - installed Photos app on the iPhone already offers stack of controls to adjust the feeling of your Log videos . Of course , there ’s always the easy itinerary with the pre - make filters , but you might desire to go the extra mile and experiment with third - party editing apps , as well , for more granular controls .
Some apps like VideoLUT make the whole process quite simple and provide a huge natural selection of LUTs , but you will have to part ways with a one - time or subscription fee at some stage . I , for one , would recommend trusting this new feature more like creative flexibleness than something you would desire to use on a daily basis .
