Final Cut Camera Overview | How professional is it?

[@prislander55]

Thank you so much for this review! Very well done! I'm with you. With all other more professional and feature-laden options out there, I really don't see myself using this. With all the work that goes into creating these apps, it makes me wonder what is the value they think they're providing consumers with this app. Thanks again!

[@closeben]

They are targeting people who don’t know that other camera apps exist. KZbinrs and Instagramers will froth over this.

[@TieDyedShawn]

At least the gave us something better than the stock app. I used the stock app when I first got the 15pro max. I was complaining about no mic indicator on it. Now it is there. I still use black magic as my goto though. Nice to have an upgraded stock app. That is the way I am looking at it.

[@iphoneographers]

Agreed, I’m happy they’re at least embracing more manual controls/features.

[@cariza5]

Blake please do a review of the new Halide Kino video app.

[@MarioScott]

The live Multicam integrating into Final Cut directly is only reason to use that app. But will see your review on that other app.

[@e.t.dronehome6574]

Based on a lot of the comments mentioning this app lacks a lot of features they like in the photo app… Could you just clarify that the final cut app is primarily intended for video, not photos, right?

[@iphoneographers]

Correct. It’s a video camera app.

[@cariza5]

​@@iphoneographersBlake please do a review of the new Halide Kino video app.

[@DigiDriftZone]

But no internal h265 log... so the blackmagic one is the way to go still.

[@closeben]

If you are using log why would you want h265 compression on it? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

[@DigiDriftZone]

​@@closeben What? - LOG allows you to have around 13 stops of dynamic range and more like 7 without LOG. So you can lower those highlights or push those shadows. H.265 10bit compression gives you 95% of the ProRes quality but instead of saving each frame as is, it calculates the difference between frames, if part of the image didn't change, the encoder knows to repeat it from the previous frame with an offset say. So you get either a minimal or often indistinguishable difference in quality at 10% of the file size. The only downside is your editing machine must be powerful enough to decode the H.265.

[@OfficialDJTazer]

@@DigiDriftZonegreat explanation. As you mention H.265 is taxing on your computer but proxies are the saviour there.

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@OfficialDJTazer that’s right and modern Apple silicon and good GPUs can actually deal with h265 directly, but if you’re working with a film studio and everyone is already using ProRes, you may need to use it too. But are they filming with phones? In most cases you are still better off shooting in h265 and converting to ProRes after.

[@iphoneographers]

Yes, for anything more advanced Blackmagic is definitely the way to go.

[@5urg3x]

I don’t get this, especially since they used the black magic app for the last November MacBook event

[@iphoneographers]

I tend to agree. But Apple is known for using other companies apps like FiLMiC Pro and Blackmagic and then doing their own thing. Although again, this doesn’t compete with those apps.

[@StaticCamperVan]

👍🏼

[@rosskinghorn]

One of the advantages of computational photography on iPhone video is the Auto HDR feature, which stacks exposures to increase dynamic range and stop windows blowing out etc - but sadly, this doesn't seem to be available on the Final Cut Camera app. Did I miss something?

[@iphoneographers]

This is a watered down version, but none of the photography stuff has been brought over to my knowledge. It does have HDR but I’m not sure how it’s captured in regards to any computational stuff.

[@rosskinghorn]

@@iphoneographers Auto HDR works on video as well as photography. The HDR setting it has is simply the format, meaning it will play back with higher tonal values. People get confused between these things - they should've called Auto HDR what it is - exposure stacking. Thanks for the video anyway!

[@T-pj8sr]

@@rosskinghorn I don't think they are the same "HDR". 15's photos has Smart HDR 5 which is the computational photography stacking. The default app video format on the other hand is 10 bit in HDR(HLG) Rec 2020. LOG is also 10 bit that you can convert into HDR or SDR rec 709. There isn't any video computational stacking.

[@rosskinghorn]

@@T-pj8sr Sure is. Annoyingly I can't post images here to demonstrate, but next time you're pointing your camera towards a window or the sky and it's blown-out/overexposed, tap on the screen in that area and you'll see the exposure adjust, but the areas that aren't blown out will stay the same. That's stacking.

[@T-pj8sr]

​@@rosskinghorn idk man. Point me to a video of the iphone in video mode live stacking with smart hdr 5. Your example is still about photos and you do know "smart" hdr happens after you snap the photo. Tapping on a blown out window will just make the camera re-meter again to re-exposure for the window but now it will refocus on the window too. The rest of my frame will darken.

[@murasakistudio]

I must be missing something, because it cannot seem to drop into macro mode like the basic built in camera app, which is so useful.

[@iphoneographers]

Yeah that’s a good point, same with that 48mm virtual lens. It’s missing several features from the native camera that I would hope they would bring over.

[@fhajovan]

If you don't mind me asking sir, what cage is that and adapter for your phone sir, thank you for the video and sorry to bother you sir. Thank you for your video

[@iphoneographers]

The cage I’m shooting is from Beastgrip and that’s their DOF adapter. The cage I’m actually using is also from beastgrip and it’s their classic Beastgrip Pro universal cage. I’ve got links in the description if you want to learn more.

[@fhajovan]

@iphoneographers thank you alot sir for your video and your time and your response have a great day, thank you again

[@artiest5]

Do they have a mode for DOF Adapter planned? Would be nice

[@melgross]

That’s not for them to do.

[@iphoneographers]

Doubtful.

[@extendedp1]

I have done any video work in a few years, do people actually use iPhones for professional use? It seems by the time you buy the cage and lenses and mic and everything, you would be better off with a dslr or whatever prosumer video camera people are using now? Thanks for the video.

[@iphoneographers]

iPhones have been and are used in professional video all the time. In my experience mostly not as the main camera, but as a B camera or as b-roll camera in combination with a traditional setup. I know corporate video producers use them as main cameras for interviews routinely though. Especially at events and such, and news stations use iPhone video all the time and have for years.

[@halimrahman]

Using HEVC+HDR, are the videos from Final Cut Camera "overly sharpened" similar to videos recorded using the stock camera app?

[@iphoneographers]

Yes, it’s the same bright HDR look.

[@halimrahman]

@@iphoneographers if Apple wants FCC to be in the "professional league", it should have differentiated it from the overly sharpened videos as the native camera app.

[@oman64]

How to get macro shots with the app? Like the native camera?

[@iphoneographers]

At this point the macro is not available. Hopefully that’ll change with a future update.

[@oman64]

@@iphoneographers subscribed thanks!

[@Marvelofebikes]

Why is log not an option on my 13 pro? Is it due to storage? Thanks

[@iphoneographers]

No, it’s because Apple log only works on an iPhone 15 Pro.

[@Marvelofebikes]

@@iphoneographers Makes sense. Thank you!

[@razfilmstv]

it should be standard on a iPhone

[@gabricks1224]

Did you catch Beryl?

[@iphoneographers]

Will probably see remnants, but it hits the Texas coast tomorrow last I heard.

[@MyFriendlyPup]

IPhone and Android?

[@AndreSjoberg]

Since it’s Final Cut Cam, as in Final Cut Pro (which is only Mac) my guess would be … iPhone ;)

[@deareeMusic]

Why do u need to underexpose on iphone?

[@iphoneographers]

When you auto expose it tends to slightly over expose the highlights. In the native camera app I leave the exposure compensation permanently on -0.3 or -0.7 if I’m out in bright sun.

[@deareeMusic]

@@iphoneographers thanks! I shoot all my music videos with the phone and am learning as I go, any recommends for add on lenses that work well in low light?

[@AliazAfe]

No lens that is going to help you just need to find well lit place to record your videos or get a couple of lights

[@deareeMusic]

@@AliazAfe i just want a lense, not to help with the light. I was just wondering since he has a cool lense rig in the background

[@deareeMusic]

@@AliazAfe iphone 14 pro. Will be 16 when that happens

[@roa5359]

Why is this not simply integrated into ios 18?

[@iphoneographers]

Good question, thought the same thing. I guess since it integrates with Final Cut they look at it as almost a third-party app.

[@Shadow_Li]

the bitrate is lower compare to blackmagic camera app

[@iphoneographers]

I haven’t tested that, but it’s possible in HEVC. However unfortunately you can’t adjust the bitrate in blackmagic it’s just auto set like the native camera. But ProRes is the same.

[@AliazAfe]

10 seconds hvec on fcp was about 26.9mb and on bm was 47.2mb.

[@obtrunco]

I'll stick to Blackmagic.

[@YOH_MUSIC]

No display lut, No record lut to clip, No h265 log… no use Final Cut camera 🙃

[@iphoneographers]

Yeah Blackmagic Camera app to the rescue.

[@Rand0mRans0m]

No bluetooth remote functionality. Kills me.

[@iphoneographers]

Yeah very limited options currently.

[@digitaldevigner4080]

Know what else makes the app not professional? The fact that’s it’s using a phone as a camera. I love my iPhone 15 pro but I just find it a little odd to call one app pro vs another when the entire reality of phone based video is less professional to begin with. The video has come a long way but it’s still a massive compromise. Now with that said I like the Apple app. Not as many features as the BMD app but I also feel it’s a better user experience to shoot video. Not everyone that creates content at a professional level wants to mess around with all those other tools. They may just want something that feels like the standard camera app but better geared towards video. Even those that plug-in a mic may not want to mess around with manual levels. Heck even on DSLRs content creators might just let the auto gain do its thing. Perfect? Absolutely not but neither is always using manual and forgetting to adjust to sudden changes. Professional is a very subjective concept and nobody really has the right to define what precisely that means. From my perspective the BMD app and iPhone isn’t professional either but yet here we are with channels like this using them pre Isley as that. That’s my point. Professional is what is professional to each individual. The fact that a camera phone cannot adjust aperture makes it a toy to me. I find it baffling the industry just completely ignores this fact. A camera phone can only adjust exposure via ISO and shutter speed. The absolute last two things that should ever be used to adjust exposure in bright light. This by my definition immediately makes the iPhone not professional. To each their own which is my point. If the mobile filmmakers don’t like to be considered less “pro” because of using a phone then they shouldn’t be calling anything else less “pro” either. It’s kind of hypocritical.