The iPhone has incredible video quality, but you're right that the default Camera app botches it (or requires you to shoot ProRes HQ which is objectively overkill). I've been using Blackmagic Camera to shoot 4K Apple Log into a 10bit HEVC file, and it works really well. The files are easy to grade, and the bitrate is enough for everyday use. Footage from the Blackmagic app is clean, clear and not over sharpened. I really hope Apple adds an HEVC Log option!
Compared to what? An Arri? Bebause on its own, as far as smartphone video goes, it's quite fine. You can also trivially shoot a higher bitrate (not ProRes) in Filmic Pro and other apps.
And even ignoring the limitations of the sensor, the iPhone isn't even the best smartphone. Due to the fact that it can only record variable framerate video it's basically unusable for professional work, even with the Pro model in ProRes.
Interesting, I've always thought the iphone camera produces extremely good results. Subject to the obvious limitations like not being able to replace the lens! What sort of benchmarks should I be looking at, to really measure the camera's limitations?
The quality difference is massive, and not in favour of the iPhone. Apple has awesome algorithms to post-process these images, but garbage in, garbage out, you can only fix so much.
A larger sensor means you naturally get much better low light capabilities, much better bokeh, and the ability to increase the dynamic range without losing resolution.
What e.g. Google Pixels call "HDR+" is what high end Canon cameras can do at 24 frames a second, due to the higher dynamic range of their sensors and the integration of two independent gain circuits.
The main problem that I see is compression artefacts, especially in complex scenes with a lot of motion. For example filming a person or pet moving against a background of grass or gravel, or the camera panning across complex terrain. I even got it really badly just filming waves going in and out on the beach.
I know these are tough situations for to handle but it feels like bumping the bitrate would help a lot.
Dude this isn’t 2011. The “average YouTuber” these days is shooting on full frame Sonys, Blackmagic, or even RED.
YouTube is not a shoestring operation anymore, filmed with whatever point and shoot digital camera is at hand, and for most even semi-popular creators it hasn't been like that for some time now.
I thought it would be constructive to point out that most pro or semi-pro YouTubers are now using top of line kit, with full post-production pipelines tailored to YouTube.
If you know this already and yet still expect your iPhone to match up, then ok, perhaps you're right and there isn't a constructive conversation here.
If you don't have video experience, then you might find it subpar when actually you compare it to impossible standards and 10x more expensive gear and lenses.
Why would you think that it would be?
Apple: "ProRes files are up to 30 times larger than HEVC files." [1]
They also both have inter and intra frame compression modes.
HEVC or H264 at the same bitrate in interframe mode would produce the same size files as Prores.
Regarding the comment that Apple Prores on iPhone is huge... We aren't discussing an Apple product here unless Apple bought Blackmagic while I wasn't looking.
Prores has it's use cases, go look them up, if you really just want to quickly shoot family vacation videos and not have it take up a ton of storage open the Apple camera app and hit record, the blackmagic app and Prores is likely not for you.
Whathahuh? BMD just released an iOS app to use their software on an iPhone. So, which device are we talking about that isn't an Apple device?
>Prores has it's use cases, go look them up
Thanks, but I'm well aware of what ProRes is. At this point, I'm just assuming you're a troll.
As I said in the other comment in this thread, if you don't need prores you probably don't need to use the BMD app since the footage captured in HEVC on the stock app is likely good enough for your use case.
Sounds like scope creep not targeted at their intended audience.
Likewise what would be the difference between adding a 45mbps ProRes option vs adding a 45mbps hevc option? That fact it is hevc? They would take up the same storage space.