iPhone 16 Pro camera review: change these settings for best results

[@TheVerge]

There are no hard rules, paste your favorite settings

[@kashmirha]

A tip/fedback/request: The photos shown for a fraction of seconds, I constantly have to pause to watch the video. Put them at least for 3 sec or more. Come on, this video is about images and videos. :)

[@Perpn101]

Great job Becca

[@TheVerge]

Thanks!! 👋🤣

[@vedangjadhav3036]

I was about to say same

[@minjunchoi98921]

She is leaving this channel..

[@rlfernandes9538]

It's like 'hey Jerry', that Zack hears all the time. Some sorta badge for Vjeran

[@javiermurillo2573]

I really liked this format, for some reason the last videos had some lack of storytelling and deep content, but this one feels specially good, kudos and I would love to see more like this. Thanks T-Mobile for helping the Verge to produce this.

[@TheVerge]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate your feedback! Yes, this one was a bit more open ended and reviews have a bit of a predetermined structure to them.

[@Fthan]

are you a t mobile undercover agent 😂

[@reesespuffcereal]

Lmao found the T-Mobile campaign marketer

[@PandaPulse4]

T-mobile is that you?

[@javiermurillo2573]

@@PandaPulse4 Unfortunately, I’m not a T-Mobile agent or anything related. I’m an unhappy customer of AT&T.

[@HspncAt7heDisco]

I definitely could see this replacing an entry-level Mirrorless DSLR. If you're on a budget, you're probably better off just getting an iphone and rigging it out than a Sony A73 and rigging it out. But you've GOTTA put in the work to make the iphone look good, cause it's pretty rough straight out of the iPhone camera app. Get an ND filter and an app like the Blackmagic recording app, set your shutter angle to 180, and shoot in Pro Res LT, with Apple Log. Turn off auto-white balance and auto-exposure. Nobody will be able to tell you're shooting on a phone. It looks REALLY good.

[@XIIOSRS]

I mean it kinda already does

[@-vampire-]

Really appreciate the efforts you’ve put into this video. It’s very well filmed and explained!

[@TheVerge]

Any time! 🙏

[@rlfernandes9538]

This. This is a Verge video, dialed back the *Dieter* by just the right amount! No personal comparisons here... Vjeran is just great for this type of content, and the video recording overview makes it way more comprehensive than just "took x amount of photos with this thing"

[@TheVerge]

🥹 sending to Dieter rn!

[@SuitcaseMonkey]

I’ve been using iPhone only since the 6S for all videos on this channel. 40 million views later, (without a gimble, rig, luts, or any colour correction) the average person has no idea it isn’t a high end camera. PS. I also cannot get into camera control. 🤷‍♂️

[@goinginzane]

Definitely helps confirm that good tools can help an artist, but what matters most is how the artist themself uses them 🙂 congrats on your channel success!

[@TheVerge]

Nicely done!

[@safe]

the problem i have with photographic styles is i just don't want to stand there for 1 minute flicking around trying to pick the best style based on subtle differences. i want to just shoot and move on. ideally i want my phone to just be smarter than tell me to figure it out. personally, i just stick with standard but dial the tone down to like -50. i often will quickly lower the exposure on shots since it has the tendency to overexpose. i think maybe if we could just pick our 3 favorite styles and have a nice 1 2 3 shortcut on the viewfinder, that would be ideal.

[@TheVerge]

Exactly! I find using the camera control to change settings while framing a shot...just weird. I'm glad you can just take a photo and then decide what to do with it later.

[@cestseb]

Well that’s the point of later being able to adjust it. Set it to standard or your favorite and only edit later if needed

[@leondroidgeeks]

It is possible to adjust the photographic styles in the Fotos app later

[@kelseybrewer2966]

You can adjust in camera the styles after shooting if you have high efficiency turned on

[@hyr1972]

same here. i use the camera control button to launch the camera app and thats it. it's too stiff compared to normal camera shutter buttons to do "half" or full clicks without shifting the phone and affecting the framing of the photos i want to take. the touch screen controls are superior and since iphone4, more natural and intuitive for how i use the phone camera. 🙂

[@TheVerge]

And the interesting thing is that HEIF Max photos tend to keep the shutter opened fof longer and that could result in some blurry images

[@uriche5]

Very good video and I loved how it was done, I think it explains everything very well and also all the photos and videos look great and incredible

[@ArieHans-5]

The videos and photos he takes are amazing. I want to get a case that protects my iPhone but doesn't get in the way of the camera lenses.

[@Akhan776_4]

I got the Vionentus Elites that fit very well to the camera lenses and the new camera button also protects them very well.

[@ArieHans-5]

Thanks, when I have some free time I'll check them out to see if they convince me.

[@goinginzane]

Fantastic review and video, Vjeran and team! The cinemotography of the video shots and the compostions of the photos are just beautiful. Very well-structured review as well with great insights and anecdotes throughout. Hope to continue seeing Vjeran hosting more photo/videography reviews and other vids in the future!

[@TheVerge]

Wow! Thank you so much! 😌

[@admiralteddy]

Can you do one for the pixel series? :)

[@theharesbreath]

11:00 - set double press to open the camera instead of single press. You can double press with the device locked and screen off and it'll still launch the camera

[@TheVerge]

I tried that too and wasn't working that way either. 😔

[@gabriellovesmusic]

Was about to comment the same thing. I’ve set mine to double press too to avoid accidental launch of the camera in pocket. Great way to quickly launch the camera even while it’s locked and screen off

[@NathanHolritz]

Wasn’t clear about the name of the app you mentioned at about 4:30 with the helpful luts. Will you share that here? Thanks! 🙏

[@prodbyselase]

It's called Kino. Made by the developers by Halide

[@RajatRangdal]

Kino

[@TheVerge]

^ that's the one! Kino. It's a bit slower than native app (when switching lenses for example). But great option for hevc prores footage.

[@fog10101]

Vjeran showcasing the sunset neighborhood!

[@oelph]

Fantastic video. It amazes me that the kings of design can mess up the camera button so much.

[@eazizisaid]

How can I mimic the Gold preset on a 15 pro that have a limited photographic styles option ?

[@KeyboardSavant]

Shoutout to T-Mobile for sponsoring this feature. This was a really interesting and informative piece that The Verge put together. Time to tweak the coloration on my 16 Pro Max.

[@CooperJackToys]

Shoutout to t mobile? Said no one ever

[@Fthan]

you use hdr when taking photos?

[@Fthan]

if u mention it later mb I'm on the toilet about to take a midterm

[@Fthan]

dude it just flushed while I was still on it

[@TheVerge]

Good luck on your midterm (and with that other thing)! photos are HDR cause you can't turn that off with the native camera app.

[@user-wg1sx6zf1b]

Why portrait photos look sharp? Any recomondations for settings?

[@OfirFatal]

I’m loving this format. It’s very informative and quite entertaining as well. Please keep it up!

[@TheVerge]

Noted!

[@EdsBayArea]

I’m really enjoying the 16PM, still discovering all the features. Great video and storytelling

[@TheVerge]

Thanks!! Share what you find!

[@FJames]

Brilliant video, as someone who has used an iPhone 16 pro for talking head video I can confirm, getting large files off of it is a nightmare

[@nyom_nyom]

Those 120Hz videos look awesome, and the gold and quiet photographic style is just 🤌so good. Can't wait to got 16 Pro Max in my hand. Thanks for beautiful footages and informations!

[@TheVerge]

any time! glad you liked it! 👋

[@JordiLA]

Awsome video! I love how the best mobile for video has the best green dots in every light point.

[@TheVerge]

🤣 thank you!!

[@OrianeMarchese-bv4gu]

what is the external storage on the rig ? how do u connect it ? was it samsung

[@bulelanibotman]

the new photographic styles, are they iphone 16 exclusive or you can use them on an iphone 15?

[@mehrabjubo878]

Can we record ProRes 4k 120 fps videos in the 512 gb variant without external ssd?

[@AltcoINSIDER]

This is exactly what I needed to understand DeFi better!

[@muunokhoi]

Thanks, this is the vid I needed. Question about that Samsung 4TB drive: I just got a LaCie 4TB rugged ssd thinking I could use it with the iPhone, but turns out it's a Thunderbolt device and not compatible with the 16 Pro. Even though it says "USB-C Thunderbolt 3." Did I buy the wrong ssd? I'm confused and not finding answers.

[@muunokhoi]

Got my answer. I bought the wrong SSD. The iPhone 16 line doesn't talk to Thunderbolt. SanDisk and Samsung have USB-C options that do.

[@Abhijith4593]

Very much detailed review ❤

[@gregoryrowden8615]

I saw on some KZbin channel that the 16 pro lost SDR, now the only choices are HDR and LOG. Is that correct?

[@TheVerge]

Yup! That is correct.

[@sirchompsalot4967]

How did you save your videos directly to the external drive?

[@TheVerge]

In the native app? Should just do it automatically. They're will be a "usb-c" label when you connect it. Also, double check your SSD is formated correctly and your cable is fast enough.

[@bagasyono1]

4.42GB for a 12 second video is crazy😅

[@acslater017]

Does the improved 48MP sensor on the wide angle lens improve the sharpness or low light performance of Spatial Video?

[@j-annpineda7606]

Hi! Can you share your overall camera setting? Thank you!

[@fedorku]

I am using my iPhone 12 mini with Zhiyun stabilizer a lot to shoot different vlogs and creative videos for various competitions I have in University, where I have to present some project. For me it is truly a versatile tool I see a lot of value in. And the leap to more professional setups, with a dedicated camera, lenses and gimbal requires such a great investment, that I don’t see it happening any time soon, even with my growing interest in photography and videography. It seems to me that the pro lineup offers that sweet middle ground which the regular iPhones lack some important features for that desired versatility.

[@optimalbonkerz]

I’ll use this a guide to see if it helps, I switched to iPhone from Samsung the iPhone 16 pro is my first iPhone ever and honestly first impressions of the camera quality reminded me of the galaxy s4 it was beyond disappointing. I hope the tips in this video if I apply them correctly will help produce some great pictures because I was ready to just switch back to my android. I have already given up on 30x zoom as my Samsung would show craters on the moon and the iPhone makes the moon look like a street light in fog

[@yashs6078]

Great video! Keep this series going! Link to the desktop wallpaper pls? 3:38

[@BobbyStef]

Great review!

[@TheVerge]

:) thank you!

[@ChessTurner]

Amazing, thank you so much for great video

[@gheatza]

thank you for this, the iPhone starts looking yummier and yummier 🙂

[@TheVerge]

You're very welcome!

[@carlrmad7]

Awesome video. Trying to get out the most of my new 16 pro and sometimes it’s a lot of options and feel kind of lost. That being said rn I’m using raw max for photos and kino app for video

[@mOo84]

If 99% of the time I’m only viewing photos directly on my phone / do I get any benefit shooting in RAW? I’m keen to have the benefits of less sharpening etc but I’ve read you don’t actually see any of that unless you first edit the file in Lightroom etc and export a JPG.

[@astrohgamingZero]

There’s always the pre-travel discussion. Take the real camera + heavy tripod + backpack of accessories or the iPhone and $20 Amazon 60” compact tripod. I like the rose gold toned down, cool rose, or pro-raw which few seem to know about.

[@TheVerge]

Once folks learn how to tap and hold on the formats options, its a lot easier to switch back and forth between a few.

[@bboycharmin]

what is that rig you used for the phone? any links?

[@horrnett]

any tips for normal iphone 16?

[@k.skyl1n3zz]

CHECK IF YOU HAVE A CAMERA MANUFACTURING DEFECT the main camera sensor problem is found by doing a 30 sec long exposure in a deep night sky or against a mousepad and there will be blue lines and blue tint all over the photo which means your camera sensor is faulty ask for a replacement.

[@u1thalapathy]

Excellent job man

[@TheVerge]

🙏

[@JimboMarsden]

Which LUT are you using on your shots of SF?

[@TheVerge]

For those I used Stalman's LUT in the Kino app. Love how it works with blues in the water and overall warmer tones.

[@gargidekaaa]

photographic styles not working on my 16pro after ios 18.1 update

[@EdgarOliveiraTB]

How to lock the phone in the Center like that?

[@Treborray]

I was mirroring my phone to my MacBook to use the rear camera as well. its such a pain to setup haha.After doing like 70 videos this way I gave in and bought my first camera lol. I tried the watch and just thought my watch was buggy when trying to monitor my phone. super duper informative video ! Kinda got me wanting to go back to the iPhone 16 Pro!

[@TheVerge]

Yeah it's a nightmare. 😅

[@adamalexander2167]

Awesome, informative video! Could you point us toward any info on the audio feature improvements you mentioned at the end?

[@TheVerge]

Hi! I'm just seeing this comment. Thanks so much! We did a little demo in the full review (13:06) regarding the new audio capture. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnWvkHd3mdJkZposi=Vx0Y2ouoBLq2EiTh

[@codeinemilk]

this filmed in sf at civic center?

[@TheVerge]

Yup

[@ak_hoops]

Really really like this video style! My 15 pro stays in Rich Contrast and I take my RAW photos to Lightroom to edit.

[@JonasBuechnerArt]

The video being corrupt happens to me all the time on the current OS. Even on my iPad

[@rowan82]

Really nice video, thanks Vjeran - any word on whether we can save tone settings for photographic styles?

[@TheVerge]

Yup! it'll stay saved each time. Even when you go edit and try out a few different styles, going back to original style will have tone/color/palette saved.

[@kimballabrams4433]

I don’t have all those adjustments and functions on my 16 Pro Max. Is there an update coming? We have 3 new ones and the cameras are horrible. Going to Apple store tomorrow for help or refund. Long time Apple customers not happy here.

[@OCD.Reader]

Really loved the video. I love this type of camera reviews. Looking forward to more such videos.

[@TheVerge]

Ahh awesome!

[@lucasbim]

While he was speaking about the photo profiles it will be really nice to have it in text on the image.

[@PolarBlairTech]

The self-monitoring issues keep piling up. Apple Watch worked once out of ten attempts, mac mirroring is too small of a preview, I end up just putting a hand mirror behind my phone while recording with rear cameras. Just terrible for self-filming with rear cameras. Hoping the selfie camera gets upgraded with the next version to compare the rear main sensor.

[@gerismbougou9326]

I think if you have to choose the BEST camera for someone you absolutely don't know TODAY, choosing an iPhone is a no brainer...

[@invinciblemode]

Over or under, Vjeran leaving the verge to start his own thing in two years.

[@themckillopteam]

can you start video doing a selfie and than turn onto to film a house ?

[@krtkks]

A much better review

[@BeccaFarsace]

08:37 are you kidding me, V 🔥

[@TheVerge]

Bud!!! 🫶👋

[@ajtappyman]

3:02 the literal reason for the camera button and you ignored it.

[@calebjoe9148]

I wish i could have also these filters on my 15PM through a software update. :)

[@stormrider01]

A good reason to upgrade from a 13 Pro.

[@vytautasdilba7812]

same question :)

[@graemenicholl2459]

Please do a video on how to get the best photos on Pixel devices!

[@imkittydotcom]

i miss clyde, i need to visit home and hit the academy soon

[@pawelf1]

Try opening camera from Apple Watch then it connects with the view on not the black screen.

[@TheVerge]

I've tried so many ways and nothing happened. I've used that feature successfully before, but not this time.

[@ralphmovilla]

I can open camera with new camera button when phone is locked. Perhaps it’s a setting?

[@steveasher9239]

Great video. Thanks. I kept scrolling back to make sure I got it. Saved this video for future reference.

[@TheVerge]

Thanks! Feel free to ask any questions if you need more info! I'm checking these comments frequently.

[@laliland]

Nice shots. Although the Blackmagic app is the ugliest thing ever, it's free and runs smoother than Kino with a lot more option (it doesn't have built in luts, but you can upload your owns to bake in). Still, nothing beats Apple's camera app in speed and smoothness.

[@TheVerge]

Agree. Kino is just nicer to use (compared to Blackmagic), but it does take forever to switch between lenses.

[@maddada]

Really amazing video! Please do one for the S24 Ultra (or S25) and Vivo X200 Ultra.

[@Oldaker]

Used to ride a Muska deck back in the day, man those are nice. Think a pink ordinary iPhone would fit me better because it’s pink but I can’t afford that one either 😎 My iPhone 6 playing Live Forever still

[@Muhammed.Yaseen]

Peter McKinnon would love the 4K 120..

[@gtleshow]

With the iPhone 16 camera, I can finally zoom in so close, I can see my future regrets in 4K...

[@GuillaumeFR]

Hello, thanks for the video. Why not mentionning "iPhone 16 PRO" in the video title if you take photos and videos with this model? ;) edit: title has been fixed :)

[@Ali-qd6jv]

Exactly. This is misleading

[@GuillaumeFR]

@@Ali-qd6jv thanks, it has been fixed since :)

[@TheVerge]

You're right! Done and done😌

[@MementoMori_2070]

Nowadays, what’s up with companies promoting features. Then on the release date, the same features are nowhere to be seen. I bought my iPhone specifically for Apple Intelligence . But I still have preschool level Siri. The 4k…120 fps is nice though

[@samilojia]

Vjeran is so handsome 🥰

[@thlee3]

Why is audio crazy

[@AnonN-sr6uu]

For all intents and purposes, the iPhone camera is the best camera because it’s literally an iPhone. Over a billion people have it. Imagine Sony trying to sell a billion DSLR’s.

[@andrometro]

sigh, product reviews aint same anymore without Becca in it :)

[@stevenreichertart]

PLEASE TURN OFF THE BACKGROUND MUSIC. IT’S EXHAUSTING.

[@benjaminbreslin8415]

iPhones lenses will just never compete and the neither will the RAWs.

[@dsv]

tries to shoot long video, records it on internal memory in studio setup...facepalm...

[@leosrigotto]

Why is The Verge only covering the Pro iPhones? This year is the regular iPhone year, more than ever...

[@Invid72]

Well, it's a camera review. Most of the people serious about cellphone cameras are going to pick the Pro phones.

[@JuicyJohnEV]

Becca has more views these days than this channel.

[@christophergreen9928]

Where's Becca?

[@jackfermor-worrell4582]

She left The Verge recently - making videos on her own channel right now

[@gypsly]

focus on the iPhone video feels off

[@roncockerham3569]

Photographic styles are only available on 48 megapixel photos. No one in their right mind wants a 48 megapixel photo. You can’t email the photo because it’s too big. And think of all the space that it will use up on your iPhone memory . The new camera button feature is cumbersome and clunky. No one is going to use that. Using the touchscreen is 10 times faster .The improvement to the ultra wide camera is so insignificant that it’s not worth mentioning. The main camera is the same.. the telephoto is the same. Your average iPhone user is not a professional cinematographer . They don’t need pro Rez. The closer you look the less attractive this phone becomes. 4K at 1:20 is definitely cool. Other than that, There’s not much improvement.

[@n0nhast]

What are you talking about, the photos are not to big to send them via E-Mail

[@ProfessorStone]

This was a waste of 16 minutes. You didn’t tell us a single thing about how to use the settings, it was a glorified show off of your photos but no instruction on how to set anything. Truly frustrating.

[@fragerhoskin3528]

But first of all I'm pretty sure you said the same thing about the iPhone last year and year before that any year before that and year before that and year before that that it has the best camera ever come on now stop holding apples nuts and who cares what works for you watch anybody care what works you work for you so what big deal

[@sandihermana4873]

Even many of people still talks the iphone but doesn't mean that phone can defeat the best selling from samsung s24 ultra, how much people are still talks the iphone 16 until today from apple😂

[@TriggaTrey361]

Whatever you are saying isn’t English.

[@skylercherry]

Audio is incredibly low. Speak up dude!

[@davethegun]

yes, shocking that the new iphone is the best for photography.....

[@mbianchidrums]

By selling it and getting something else

[@travisbloomfield303]

Poor Americans and their oversharpened iPhone pics haha