Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’ controversy is missing the point

source : www.techradar.com

While the competition is fierce for a top spot on our list of the best camera phones, I’d say that Apple’s iPhones have a big lead over competing Android phones when it comes to recording video. When it comes to ease of use and good results (especially in terms of color balance and clear footage), you’d rather have an iPhone Pro in your hand than one of the best Android phones.

To drive home this point, Apple’s Scary Fast showcase – which launched the Apple M3 chip, the new 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 models, and a refreshed 24-inch iMac with M3 – was noted that the entire showcase, including a series of very slick shots, was filmed on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Impressive, right? Well, yes. But that also doesn’t mean you can get the same results with Apple’s latest flagship, even with its new 5x telephoto camera and powerful A17 Pro chip.

That’s because Apple used an array of professional lighting, gimbals, and other equipment to capture the event. It also used the iOS-only Blackmagic camera app and edited the footage on Macs. So if you want to get the same video quality as Apple from the iPhone 15 Pro Max, be prepared to spend a lot of money and look for a lot of space; Plus, you’ll want to have professional video editing skills.

But this doesn’t detract from the video recording qualities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. While it would be easy to dismiss the quality of the video because of all the extra equipment used, it is rightly noted that such equipment is put to the test when using professional cameras worth thousands of dollars.

I usually like @verge, but this is a bad choice. Naturally, Apple used professional lighting and equipment when creating the video. That doesn’t detract from the result or performance here at all. pic.twitter.com/kFztYPYsu0October 31, 2023

So the fact that these images can be obtained from a phone that starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 is undeniably remarkable.

And there are also big tech YouTubers like Marques Brownlee (aka MKBHD) who have also shot entire videos on iPhones before, again using things like gimbals and professional editing tools to achieve impressive results. MKBHD also commented on the behind-the-scenes video from the Apple event, noting that “Every shot, every frame is a masterclass in subject lighting, practical shooting, etc.”

Okay, yesterday Apple revealed that yesterday’s event was recorded on the iPhone (15 Pro/Pro Max). They’ve now also published some BTS, and as expected there’s a LOT of gear besides that iPhone… but there’s still a lot to learn here. Here are my biggest takeaways (Thread) pic.twitter.com/TG0Wfx0JUpOctober 31, 2023

From my perspective, there are valuable insights to be gained from this video, namely smart use of lighting, careful planning of shots, and the use of gimbals with smartphones can improve the quality of video even without the need for a large amount of editing software. You can also get gimbals and other smartphone stabilization tools without spending a fortune.

Instead of seeing this BTS video as a form of overly glossy marketing from Apple, I see it as a springboard for inspiration on how to get better videos from a smartphone.

There is a but…

Let’s get real

My colleague and news guru Mark Wilson noted that it would be good if Apple took a “Shot only on iPhone” approach to its iPhone video shows. By this he simply means showing video that only uses the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its apps and features. And I completely agree.

Too many times have I been at phone launches where presenters have asked attendees to see which photo was taken with the phone they were launching and which photo was taken with a DSLR: the answer is almost always a trick, because they claim all the photos. were recorded on their phone – the same can broadly apply to video.

This has become routine at best and annoying at worst. With perfect lighting, the chance to create a great frame, and then high-quality editing afterwards, smartphones of all kinds can take captivating photos. I’m much more interested in seeing how good photos and videos are from a point-and-shoot perspective, because that’s how the average consumer will use smartphone cameras.

I think Apple could take the lead here. Sure, it would probably choose beautiful locations for photo and video shooting. But I think it could really be a good example of the iPhone’s camera capabilities, without the slight smell of smoke and the glitter of mirrors in the background.

Of course, if you want a more realistic overview of the latest iPhone cameras, check out TechRadar’s iPhone 15 review, iPhone 15 Plus review, iPhone 15 Pro review, and iPhone 15 Pro Max review.