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camera iPhone 14 Pro Cinematic Mode Test

I just got the iPhone 14 Pro a few weeks ago and have been loving the camera. My previous phone was the iPhone 11 Pro, so this was a substantial leap. New to me was the "Cinematic Mode", which can create a nice Bokeh effect. I thought, what better way to play with it than to film my dog, Bodhi? We had just come inside after playing frisbee, hence all the panting.

Obviously this was not the best test I could do, but I am quite impressed with how it came out. It definitely reminds me of some of my early tests with the Canon Rebel T2i/550D back in the day. When I got the 11 Pro, I shot a short film called "Finger Guns" with it. I might have to do something similar with this one. I know the mode doesn't always work well, but anyone shot anything cool with Cinematic Mode?

 
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The Iphone cameras keep getting better and better. I don't see them as a substitute for a cine camera, but it is cool that you can have this grade of visual quality available on the go. (my stedicam rig weighs about 25 lb) I know that doesn't sound like a lot of weight, but in practice, it is.

Honestly, in an ideal situation, (on a tripod, studio lighting) the iphone camera is all you really need for something like a youtube channel. The biggest issue is that the bitrate causes a breakdown whenever you pan the camera. it's really good from a fixed position, but much less so in motion.
 
The Iphone cameras keep getting better and better. I don't see them as a substitute for a cine camera, but it is cool that you can have this grade of visual quality available on the go. (my stedicam rig weighs about 25 lb) I know that doesn't sound like a lot of weight, but in practice, it is.

Honestly, in an ideal situation, (on a tripod, studio lighting) the iphone camera is all you really need for something like a youtube channel. The biggest issue is that the bitrate causes a breakdown whenever you pan the camera. it's really good from a fixed position, but much less so in motion.
I'm in the same boat. My cinema camera is the URSA Mini 4K and it's a beast to fly on steadicam or shoulder mount. The bag I store it in is huge, the batteries are huge. I need all sorts of support for it. But the image is incredible.

On the flip side, my iPhone fits in my pocket and it's always with me. I run Filmic Pro on it. Whenever I get inspired to shoot a short plate for an effects tutorial or test, it's right there ready to go. I'm getting 4K at 24fps, in ProRes 422 with total manual controls. That's how Finger Guns came about. I was visiting my wife's family for the winter holidays and was inspired by the location. I didn't have props, and I didn't have my big cinema rig, but I wanted to shoot a short film. So I pulled out my iPhone and did it.

On my new iPhone 14 Pro, the Cinematic Mode will let you shoot at 24fps in 4K, so I can get creative and decide on how to shoot it based upon the look I want. If it's talking head dialogue scene, I might go for Cinematic mode in the camera app. If it's action or VFX heavy, Filmic Pro. I'm really anxious to try a short with this new phone.

Yeah, the bitrate may be lacking a little as you say, but I think it's good enough for people to make short films and learn.
 
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Yeah, the bitrate may be lacking a little as you say, but I think it's good enough for people to make short films and learn.
Unquestionably! When I started out as a filmmaker, I didn't have a video camera, and had to shoot my first feature film one frame at a time, on a still camera with an autofire attached. It was a timelapse film, since that was the only thing I could shoot. Point is, there's no shame in starting with whatever you have, because you're constantly learning a wide range of techniques that will benefit you as you scale up your rig. I still use some of the colorist techniques today that I first learned while grading still pictures from a cheap cannon DSLR.
 
Something that frustrates me enormously about hot-out-of-the-box reviews of the camera function of smartphones is that they never, ever, ever, ever consider (or later review) how the image quality is/will be affected by damage to the teeny weeny, very vulnerable lens through which all light must pass.

From personal experience, I've found that the lens(es) of a phone being used in a relatively normal fashion - i.e. being shoved into pockets, placed on worktops, dropped on the floor, slobbered on by dogs/children/drunks, and rattled around in any number of aggressive environments - start to suffer image-degrading scratches and other damage within a few months. My current "rugged" phone with supposed Gorilla glass is no different, and I see in the videos of certain bloggers who don't seem to upgrade their phones every six months traces of glare and fuzz appear after a certain length of time.

To me, that rapid degradation of image quality seriously undermines the idea that "the best camera is the one you have with you" - and it's the reason I still carry with me a "real" camera with a "real" lens when I go out walking. My go-to lens has been up high Alpine peaks, across the Mojave dessert, through the Serengeti and sprayed with mud, snow, sweat, beer, manure amongst other insults, yet its crystal-clear vision has outlasted the eyesight of at least three (maybe four?) phones.

I have looked into getting a cover for my phone, but guess what - just about all the models have a gaping hole right where the camera lenses are! :eek:
 
Something that frustrates me enormously about hot-out-of-the-box reviews of the camera function of smartphones is that they never, ever, ever, ever consider (or later review) how the image quality is/will be affected by damage to the teeny weeny, very vulnerable lens through which all light must pass.

From personal experience, I've found that the lens(es) of a phone being used in a relatively normal fashion - i.e. being shoved into pockets, placed on worktops, dropped on the floor, slobbered on by dogs/children/drunks, and rattled around in any number of aggressive environments - start to suffer image-degrading scratches and other damage within a few months. My current "rugged" phone with supposed Gorilla glass is no different, and I see in the videos of certain bloggers who don't seem to upgrade their phones every six months traces of glare and fuzz appear after a certain length of time.

To me, that rapid degradation of image quality seriously undermines the idea that "the best camera is the one you have with you" - and it's the reason I still carry with me a "real" camera with a "real" lens when I go out walking. My go-to lens has been up high Alpine peaks, across the Mojave dessert, through the Serengeti and sprayed with mud, snow, sweat, beer, manure amongst other insults, yet its crystal-clear vision has outlasted the eyesight of at least three (maybe four?) phones.

I have looked into getting a cover for my phone, but guess what - just about all the models have a gaping hole right where the camera lenses are! :eek:
I get what you’re saying, but I think that the last time I experienced that was with my Note 9. I had my last phone, the 11 Pro, for two years and didn’t have that issue, even with the protruding three cameras. The last photos I took looked just as good as the first ones. I guess time will tell with my 14 Pro. Granted, I treat my phone like a camera as much as I can within reason. I have a dedicated pocket for it that only the phone goes in while I’m out and about. I use lens and glass cleaner on the entire phone once a week. I make sure that the lens is free from smudges every time I use it.
 
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