the iPhone 16 Pro It impressed us with its impressive camera capabilities and fun 4K slow motion mode. like iPhone 15 Pro and Pro MaxHowever, it also supports shooting in log color profile with Apple Prorate codec at 4K resolution. If you’re not a professional video producer, this might seem like a string of jargon (because it is). What it really means is that you can get great, stunning video footage with your iPhone.
But what do terms like log and brewer refer to? How is it better than your phone’s standard video? And crucially, should you actually be using them when recording your videos? Here’s what you need to know.
Read more: The iPhone 16 Pro’s slow-motion video is Apple’s best feature in years
What is prors?
Prores is a video codec It was created by Apple in 2007 and has been widely adopted by video and cinema professionals. Typically found in high-end camcorders that cost several thousand dollars, Proror files capture more data when you shoot, resulting in better-quality footage than you’d get from a phone or even some dedicated cameras.
What is video history?
Log (short for “logarithmic”) is a color profile found on some professional camcorders that is now also available on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Record footage preserves more image information in the highlights and shadows, allowing greater flexibility in editing color and contrast in post-production.
On the left are unsurpassed log shots. On the right is how those same shots take care of some of Davinci’s basic color tones.
HOW TO PLAY PRORES AND RECORD VIDEO?
On iPhone 16 Pro or 15 Pro, go to Settings, scroll down and tap camera. Then press FormatsAnd inside this submenu you will see a section Capture video. Switch Apple Brewer It will be on and running and have fewer options Brewer’s coding. Clicking on it will allow you to switch between HDRand SDR or register.
You can turn on PRORES and log history in the main Settings app.
Keep in mind that although you can turn PRORES on or off directly in the Camera app, you have to go back to the Settings app if you want to switch from Record to HDR or vice versa. You can shoot 4K footage at 30fps on the phone, but if you want to shoot at 60fps, you’ll need to connect an external SSD via USB-C and record directly. Although you can shoot Prorore footage without history, you can only shoot history with Prorore.
Why does my log video look gray and washed out?
Record files straight from the camera appear flat and have low contrast and low saturation. The files are designed to be edited in programs like Adobe Premiere or Davinci Resolve, where Colorists will restore contrast and color according to the look they are trying to achieve, a process called color grading.
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The low profile of the dial gives untethered footage the best starting point for adjusting the video image however they want. Log snapshots always need to be edited and categorized before being used.
How do I edit the video?
Although Apple hasn’t yet implemented specific color editing tools for history shots on the iPhone, you can get some way there by using some of the exposure tools in the Edit options in the Photos app. However, you’ll get your best results by transferring files to your iPad, Mac, or Windows PC and editing in dedicated video production apps.
My favorite is Davinci Resolve by BlackMagic, which is an industry remastering software used in professional productions and Hollywood films. It’s known for its flexibility through editing, and I loved using it to see what I could achieve with video footage from both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and BlackMagic’s Pocket Cinema cameras.
Davinci Resolve on desktop can seem daunting, but the color grading tools make it part of the industry standard software.
Resolve is available on Mac and PCS but there is also an excellent iPad app version. Best of all, the software is free to use on all platforms, with only some advanced features requiring the paid studio version. But anyone who wants to spice up their footage will find the free version more than capable.
BlackMagic has also launched a color editing panel designed for use with the iPad. the Small colorful plate It gives good grain control in in-resolution color editing and allows you to quickly edit your footage using the same professional hardware used in Hollywood films.
CAN MY PHONE SHOOT PRORES VIDEO?
Apple introduced the ability to shoot with PRORES codecs on the iPhone 12 Pro, but for now only the iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and Pro Max can also shoot in record.
Should you use the iPhone camera app to shoot PRORES video?
No, Apple has opened this feature to third-party apps. My recommendation is the BlackMagic camera app, which gives the same level of control over settings you find on the company’s professional cameras. It’s a great tool for getting the best video from your phone, and like Davinci, it’s free.
The BlackMagic Camera app is the best tool to use if you want to shoot a professional-looking video from your iPhone.
Should I shoot video in Proror?
Prorore snapshots in a highly specialized log profile. It takes additional time in post-production to colorize footage, and the file sizes are several times larger than regular video files. If you just want to take snapshots of your family or colleagues gathering at the beach to upload to Instagram or YouTube, you don’t have to worry about pror or history.
However, if you want to use the iPhone 16 Pro as a professional video production tool and have the time and resources to color grade and edit your footage, you should absolutely give it a shot. The recording flexibility lets you output video from your iPhone would give dedicated cinema cameras a run for their money, and makes the iPhone 16 Pro an exceptionally powerful camera for content creators looking to add some professional flair to their videos.
